Trina R. Shanks
Director, School of Social Work Community Engagement, Harold R. Johnson Collegiate Professor of Social Work and Faculty Associate, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research
Dr. Shanks’ research interests include the impact of poverty and wealth on child well-being; asset-building policy and practice across the life cycle; and community and economic development. As Director of the Center for Equitable Family and Community Well-Being, she continues ongoing research and intentionally seeks and responds to new opportunities that will empower families and communities to thrive.
Since 2018, she has overseen the School’s strategic goal of community engagement and leads the evolving ENGAGE team that promotes, coordinates and facilitates greater impact in community and social justice. Shanks also serves as faculty advisor to the New Leaders in African-Centered Social Work Program. She has also been a research investigator for the Saving for Education, Entrepreneurship, and Downpayment (SEED) demonstration program and consults with several other child savings account initiatives, including one started in Lansing Public Schools.
As a faculty affiliated with the Technical Assistance Center funded by the Skillman Foundation, over a ten-year period Trina Shanks was actively engaged in six Detroit communities as part of the Good Neighborhoods program. She also has conducted multiple evaluations of Detroit’s Summer Youth Employment Program—Grow Detroit’s Young Talent.
From 2010 to 2012 Shanks was appointed by Michigan Governor Granholm to serve two years on the State Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity. She is currently one of the national network co-leads for the Social Work Grand Challenge: Reversing Extreme Economic Inequality and a non-resident fellow at the Urban Institute.
Shanks earned a PhD in Social Work from Washington University and an M.S. in Comparative Social Research from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
Research Interests/Focus
Child well-being, asset building, 529 college education plans, SEED, Rhodes scholar, economic development
Contact Information
| Phone | Room | Address | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (734) 764-7411 | trwilli@umich.edu | 3712 SSWB | University of Michigan School of Social Work 1080 S. University Ann Arbor, MI 48109 |
Education
| Year | Degree | School | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | PhD | Social Work | Washington University, St. Louis, MO |
| 2000 | MSW | Social Work | Washington University, St. Louis, MO |
| 1996 | MPh | Comparative Social Research | University of Oxford, Oxford, England |
| 1992 | BS | Business Administration | John M. Olin School of Business, St. Louis, MO |
Websites
| Social Work Grand Challenges |
| Reducing Extreme Economic Inequality |
| Center for Equitable Family & Community Well-Being |
Shanks, T. R., Moss, L., & Blumenthal, A. (in press). Financial education among school-aged youth. In J. Frey & C. Callahan (Eds.), Financial Capability and Social Work. Taylor and Francis.
Ng, I. Y. H. & Shanks, T. R. (in press). Financial challenges and mental health. In R. Ow & A. Poon (Eds.), Social Work and Mental Health. Springer.
Henly, J. Jones, R., Lein, L., Romich, J. Shanks, T. Sherraden, M., & Tillotson, A. (2018). Reduce extreme economic inequality. In R. Fong, J. E. Lubben, & R. P. Barth (Eds.), Grand Challenges for Social Work and Society (pp. 204-226). Oxford University Press.
Sherraden, M., Johnson, L., Clancy, M., Beverly, S., Sherraden, M., Schreiner, M., Williams Shanks, T. …& Han, C. K. (2018). Asset building: Toward inclusive policy. Encyclopedia of Social Work. Oxford University Press.
Shanks, T. R., Harb, S. & Savas, S. A. (2017). Measurable results of good neighborhoods: What was accomplished? In Allen-Meares, P., Shanks, T., Gant, L., Hollingsworth, L., & Miller, P. (Eds.), A Twenty-First Century Approach to Community Change: Partnering to Improve Life Outcomes for Youth and Families in Under-Served Neighborhoods 131-144. Oxford University Press.
Shanks, T. R., & Miller, P. L. (2017). Building and maintaining community capacity: How the TAC supported neighborhood residents. In Allen-Meares, P., Shanks, T., Gant, L., Hollingsworth, L., & Miller, P. (Eds.), A Twenty-First Century Approach to Community Change: Partnering to Improve Life Outcomes for Youth and Families in Under-Served Neighborhoods 131-144. Oxford University Press.
Shanks, T. R. (2017). Introducing the six good neighborhoods communities. In Allen-Meares, P., Shanks, T., Gant, L., Hollingsworth, L., & Miller, P. (Eds.), A Twenty-First Century Approach to Community Change: Partnering to Improve Life Outcomes for Youth and Families in Under-Served Neighborhoods 58-79. Oxford University Press.
Shanks, T. & Danziger, S. K. (2016). Antipoverty policies and programs for families and children. In J. Jenson & M. Fraser (Eds.), Social Policy for Children and Families: A Risk and Resilience Perspective (3rd ed.).
Hollingsworth, L. D., Sanchez, N., Gant, L. M., Williams-Shanks, T. R., Allen-Meares, P,, & Miller, P. L. (2014). In E. Zambone & L Gonzalez (Eds.), Providing Technical Assistance to Urban Communities: A Guide of Case Studies and Advice for Community Members. Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library.
Cramer, R. & Williams Shanks, T. R. (Eds.). (2014). The Assets Perspective: The Rise of Asset Building and its Impact on Social Policy. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Grinstein-Weiss, M., Williams Shanks, T. R., & Beverly, S. (2014). Family assets and child outcomes: Evidence and directions. Future of Children, 24(1), 147-170.
Williams Shanks, T. R. (2014). The evolution of anti-poverty policies and programs. In R. Cramer and T. R. Williams Shanks (Eds.), The Assets Perspective: The Rise of Asset Building and its Impact on Social Policy Chapter 2. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Cramer, R. & Williams Shanks, T. R. (2014). The rise of asset building and its impact on social policy. In R. Cramer & T. R. Williams Shanks (Eds.), The Assets Perspective: The Rise of Asset Building and its Impact on Social Policy Chapter 1. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Shaefer, H. L., Song, X., & Williams Shanks, T. R. (2013). Do single mothers use the Earned Income Tax Credit to reduce unsecured debt? Review of Economics of the Household, 11(4), 659-680.
Williams Shanks, T. (2013). In M. E. Benson (Ed.), Habits of Achievement: Lessons for a Life Well-Lived. St. Louis: Washington University in St. Louis.
Shanks, T. R., Allen-Meares, P., Gant, L., & Williams, R. (2013). Take a second look at Detroit. Posted on the CEOS for Cities weblog.
Williams Shanks, T. R. (2012). Helping low-income families obtain economic security: The value of local partnerships. In E. F. Hoffler & E. Clark (Eds.), Social Work Matters 209-215. Washington, DC: NASW Press.
McKernan, S., Ratcliffe, C., & Williams Shanks, T. R. (2012). Is poverty incompatible with asset accumulation? In P. N. Jefferson (Ed.), Oxford Handbook on the Economics of Poverty. Oxford University Press.
Okech, D., Little, R. D., & Williams Shanks, T. R. (2011). Early savings for children's higher education: A comparison between savers and non-savers in a Child Development Account program. Children and Youth Services Review, 33(9), 1592-1598.
Williams Shanks, T., Kim, Y., Loke, V., & Destin, M. (2010). Assets and child well-being in developed countries. Children and Youth Services Review, 32(11), 1488-1496.
Sherraden, M., & Williams Shanks, T. (2009). The influence of research on policy and practice: Lessons from studies of asset building and low-income families. In A. Stiffman (Ed.), The Field Research Survival Guide. Oxford University Press.
Davis, L. E., Wallace, J. M., & Williams Shanks, T. R. (2008). African Americans - Overview. In T. Mizrahi & L. E. Davis (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Social Work (20th ed.). Oxford University Press.