Social Work - Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis

Brown School welcomes three new faculty members for 2026-27 academic year

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 08:06:00 +0000

The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis will welcome three new full-time faculty members for the 2026-27 academic year: Jordan P. Davis, Clarissa D. Jackson and Guangli Zhang. Jordan P. Davis joins the Brown School as a professor after serving as a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. He previously was a faculty member at the University of Southern California’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Davis is an internationally recognized scientist whose research focuses on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders, with particular attention to underserved and high-risk groups, including veterans and individuals exposed to early childhood adversity. His work is at the forefront of digital intervention research, using wearable technology and...

The post Brown School welcomes three new faculty members for 2026-27 academic year first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Zou to represent International Consortium for Social Development at United Nations

Roger — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:34:36 +0000

Li Zou, international director at the ��’s Center for Social Development, has been appointed to represent the International Consortium for Social Development at the United Nations. The three-year appointment began July 20. Zou is one of six representatives for the consortium, which holds consultative status with the U.N. In the role, she will serve as a liaison with the NGO Committee for Social Development, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations working to ensure that the voices of civil society are represented at the U.N., in planning for the 65th session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development, scheduled to take place in February in New York.

The post Zou to represent International Consortium for Social Development at United Nations first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Public benefits ‘cliffs’ can trap low-wage workers, study finds

Roger — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:06:05 +0000

New research from Washington University in St. Louis argues that policymakers should enact gradual cutoffs for public benefits such as food assistance or healthcare. The change could help both families and employers by allowing low-wage workers to earn more without losing critical support systems. Millions of low-wage Americans using public assistance limit their earnings or savings, according to the study from the Center for Social Development (CSD) at the ��. The findings suggest that so-called “benefits cliffs” can discourage work, career advancement and financial security for families already struggling to make ends meet. In the research brief, Stephen Roll, an assistant professor and research director at the CSD, and co-author Mathieu Despard, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, examined responses...

The post Public benefits ‘cliffs’ can trap low-wage workers, study finds first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Huang appointed to international social work board

Roger — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:59:05 +0000

Jin Huang, the Irving Louis Horowitz Professor in Social Policy at the ��, has been appointed to serve on the advisory board of the Katherine A. Kendall Institute for International Social Work within the Council on Social Work Education. His term runs through June 30, 2029. The Kendall Institute strives to prepare social work educators, researchers, ��s and practitioners for an increasingly global community through its programs and initiatives, and it promotes standards of excellence for international social work. Huang is an internationally renowned expert in the development of social policies that support family and child well-being. His work centers on financial capability and asset-building programs for disadvantaged populations, such as low-income children, children with disabilities, children of immigrants, and...

The post Huang appointed to international social work board first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

In aging policy class, ��s turn coursework into real-world projects

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:17:00 +0000

In a classroom at the ��, ��s in an aging policy course are moving beyond traditional assignments, crafting op-eds, building websites and designing policy materials aimed at real-world impact. The projects come from “Social Policies, Services and Programs in Aging,” a course taught by Cal J. Halvorsen, associate professor and assistant dean for faculty affairs at the Brown School and co-director of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging. The course examines social policies related to aging across public and private sectors, including income security, health care, employment, social services, taxes, housing, and retirement systems. “I want them to have something they can actually show an employer that they’ve done and that they’re proud of,” Halvorsen said. “I...

The post In aging policy class, ��s turn coursework into real-world projects first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Park receives Horowitz Foundation grant

Roger — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:41:20 +0000

Soobin Park, a doctoral candidate at the ��, will receive a $10,000 grant from the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy to support her PhD dissertation project. Park is among just 20 people receiving awards out of more than 845 applicants, a 2.4% acceptance rate. Her dissertation project is titled “Identifying Dementia Care Deserts: A National Study of Community Resource Gaps for People Living with Dementia.” “This project develops a Dementia Resource Environment index to identify where community-level dementia supports are most lacking,” she said. “By revealing ‘dementia care deserts,’ the study provides an evidence base for better targeting of community supports that enable older adults with dementia to remain safe and supported at home.” Established in 1997, the Horowitz Foundation...

The post Park receives Horowitz Foundation grant first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Faculty named to Research.com’s 2026 ‘World’s Best Scientists’ list

admin — Tue, 12 May 2026 16:15:39 +0000

More than a dozen faculty members from the �� have been named to Research.com’s “World’s Best Scientist 2026” rankings, an annual list compiled by the global academic platform. In the “Best Psychology Scientists 2026” category, honorees include Melissa Jonson-Reid, Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work and associate dean for educational programs; Nancy Morrow-Howell, Betty Bofinger Brown Distinguished Professor of Social Policy; and Paz Galupo, Audre Lorde Distinguished Professor of Sexual Health and Education. Faculty recognized in the “Best Social Sciences and Humanities Scientists 2026” category include: “The presence of our faculty across multiple categories speaks to the interdisciplinary strength of the Brown School,” said Dorian Traube, the Neidorff Family and Centene Corporation Dean of the Brown School...

The post Faculty named to Research.com’s 2026 ‘World’s Best Scientists’ list first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Sarah Harding named 2026 Brown School �� marshal

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:03:00 +0000

Sarah Harding has been selected as the 2026 �� marshal for the Brown School’s recognition ceremony, an honor that will place her at the front of the Class of 2026 on Wednesday, May 13. As �� marshal, Harding will carry the school banner and lead fellow degree candidates into the ceremony at WashU’s Athletic Complex Field House on the Danforth Campus. Marshals are chosen through faculty and peer nominations that recognize academic achievement, practicum engagement, and contributions to the school community. Harding will earn a master’s degree in social work with a concentration in children, youth, and family. Raised primarily in Southern Illinois, Harding said she was drawn to the Brown School after hearing strong recommendations from alumni who spoke...

The post Sarah Harding named 2026 Brown School �� marshal first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Liz Smith named Brown School �� speaker

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:31:00 +0000

Liz Smith will serve as the �� speaker at the Brown School’s recognition ceremony on May 13, marking the completion of her master’s degree in social work and a brief break before returning in the fall to begin her doctoral program. A Massachusetts native, Smith didn’t initially plan a career in social work. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a conversation with her therapist helped reframe her interests. “My therapist at the time told me that what I described sounded more like social work than psychology. So, I began looking up social work programs,” she said. Smith learned about the Brown School through a friend in St. Louis. Soon after, things began to align. She applied for positions in the area and was flown...

The post Liz Smith named Brown School �� speaker first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Brown School �� recognized for harm reduction practicum work

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:37:55 +0000

As she prepares to graduate soon with a master’s degree in social work from ��, Isla Frazier says her practicum experience in a hospital-based harm reduction program has helped her translate research into clinical practice. Frazier was recently named the 2026 recipient of the Tasch-Kopolow Scholarship from PreventEd, an honor recognizing her commitment to achieving excellence in a professional career serving the substance use field. During her Master of Social Work program, Frazier completed her first practicum at the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. She is now finishing her second placement with the Injection Drug Use Bridge to Health Program at the WashU School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, a hospital-based harm reduction initiative...

The post Brown School �� recognized for harm reduction practicum work first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Naseh receives William H. Danforth St. Louis Confluence Award

Myra — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:01:22 +0000

By Diane Toroian Keaggy April 21, 2026 When newcomers to St. Louis succeed, the entire region succeeds, says Blake Hamilton, president of the International Institute of St. Louis. That’s why he agreed to join with Mitra Naseh, an assistant professor at the �� and founding director of the school’s Forced Migration Initiative, in her quest to foster belonging among the region’s large Afghan population and to find ways to better connect refugees to the services they need to thrive. “This work also reminds us that welcoming is not a measure of individual effort alone. It is a measure of whether our region is prepared to unlock talent, recognize credentials, support families and create pathways to mobility,” Hamilton told attendees at the 2026...

The post Naseh receives William H. Danforth St. Louis Confluence Award first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Guaranteed income improved artists’ finances, innovation

Roger — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:53:47 +0000

A guaranteed income program for artists led to improvement in financial stability and reduced debt, but also improved their motivation and artistic output, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. “Our main finding is that giving people cash not only helps them live a more secure life, it also provides a pathway toward personal, professional and artistic growth,” said Stephen Roll, an assistant professor and an expert on asset building and economic security. Roll is co-author of the paper “Empowering Artistic Labor: How Guaranteed Income Enhances Intrinsic Motivation and Fosters Human Flourishing,” published online in the journal World Development Perspectives. Roll and his co-authors examined data from the Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) Guaranteed Income...

The post Guaranteed income improved artists’ finances, innovation first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

New funding expands Brown School–linked suicide prevention initiative in Missouri schools

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:06:45 +0000

A suicide prevention initiative that began at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is expanding statewide under a new name, supported by new funding to strengthen how Missouri schools prevent and respond to �� suicide risk. The program, now known as the Missouri Hope Policy Academy, has received support from the Missouri Suicide Prevention Network, in collaboration with the Missouri Behavioral Health Council, to develop curriculum and evaluate the scaled-up effort. The academy helps school districts build stronger suicide prevention, intervention and postvention policies. The initiative builds on work that began in 2019 at the Brown School, when faculty researchers sought to better understand how Missouri school districts approached suicide prevention and response at the policy level....

The post New funding expands Brown School–linked suicide prevention initiative in Missouri schools first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Leadership award named for Barry Rosenberg

Roger — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:15:14 +0000

The Jewish Federation of St. Louis has renamed its annual professional leadership achievement award in honor of Barry Rosenberg, a professor of practice at the ��. The award recognizes Rosenberg for his 37-year career in executive leadership within the Jewish community, 19 of which he served as president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. The Barry Rosenberg Professional Leadership Award recognizes outstanding professional leadership in a St. Louis Jewish organization. Recipients excel in their field, have introduced important innovations and are perceived as role models by other professionals and volunteers. This year’s winner is WashU alumna Jacqueline Ulin Levey, who has been the CEO of WashU Hillel since October 2009, enriching the lives and Jewish journeys of thousands of ��s and leading...

The post Leadership award named for Barry Rosenberg first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Jason Purnell to speak at Brown School’s 2026 recognition ceremony

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:15:37 +0000

Jason Q. Purnell, president and CEO of the James S. McDonnell Foundation, will be the featured speaker at the Brown School’s 2026 recognition ceremony. The event is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 13, at the Athletic Complex Field House on WashU’s Danforth Campus. Purnell joined the McDonnell Foundation in 2023 after leading community health initiatives at BJC HealthCare, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems. He oversaw the system’s Community Health Improvement strategy, launching programs to address health equity and improve the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of underserved populations. He also advanced BJC’s role as an anchor institution, investing in community and economic development and promoting hiring and purchasing in 22 zip codes with high poverty rates...

The post Jason Purnell to speak at Brown School’s 2026 recognition ceremony first appeared on Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.