Trina R. Shanks
Director, SSW Community Engagement, Associate Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work, and Faculty Associate, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research
Trina Shanks initiated a family mentoring program and introduced Individual Development Accounts to public housing residents.
In her current research, funded by the Ford Foundation, she is co-investigator for the SEED Impact Assessment study, which has set up a quasi-experimental research design to test the impact of offering Head Start families 529 college education plans for their enrolled children. She also oversees the evaluation of summer youth employment in Detroit.
Additional areas of research/scholarly interest: the relationship between assets, poverty and children's well-being; public policy for families; social and economic development, particularly in urban communities.
Shanks is a Rhodes Scholar and a former Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador where she worked in micro-enterprise development.
In her current research, funded by the Ford Foundation, she is co-investigator for the SEED Impact Assessment study, which has set up a quasi-experimental research design to test the impact of offering Head Start families 529 college education plans for their enrolled children. She also oversees the evaluation of summer youth employment in Detroit.
Additional areas of research/scholarly interest: the relationship between assets, poverty and children's well-being; public policy for families; social and economic development, particularly in urban communities.
Shanks is a Rhodes Scholar and a former Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador where she worked in micro-enterprise development.
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 | 3726 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 |
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.