Faculty News

Michigan Social Work, together with Poverty Solutions, the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion and The Annie E. Casey Foundation, hosted academics, researchers, financial analysts, elected officials and policy experts at a conference to discuss Children’s Savings Accounts (CSA).  The conference was organized by Professor William Elliott.  Dean Lynn Videka welcomed the participants and introduced keynote speaker, SSW alumnus, Michael Sherraden.  Associate Professors Terri Friedline and Trina Shanks also spoke during the three-day event.  Conference sessions included creating policy for financial inclusion, current research initiatives to evaluate CSA outcomes, and an overview of how to start and fund a CSA.

Associate Professor Kristin Seefeldt coauthors a new book, "Credit Where It’s Due Rethinking Financial Citizenship." The book advocates for a new understanding of financial citizenship and participation in a financial system that fosters social belonging, dignity and respect.

“A thoughtful wealth transfer equips all people with tools that can complement their own contributions; it’s as American as the plow, the automobile, and the iPhone.”  Professor William Elliott and Associate Professor Trina Shanks reframe the American wealth narrative in an essay in New America.

Associate Research Scientist Roland Zullo’s research on privatizing food service in Michigan prisons was featured in The Nation’s cover story “How Private Equity Is Turning Public Prisons Into Big Profits.”

Associate Professor Trina Shanks has been named a fellow at the Urban Institute, where she will contribute her expertise on poverty, wealth inequality and child development to the institute’s research projects. The institute is known for its robust microsimulation models, which use historical census and tax data to forecast the effects of specific policies on communities and families. As a fellow, Shanks will be able to run simulations specifically focused on Michigan and Detroit.

Associate Professor Andrew Grogan-Kaylor and Berenice Castillo (PhD student) had their research featured in "Revista Semana", an important news magazine in Colombia. The article explained how socioeconomic factors contribute to the physical discipline of children in Colombia.

Joyce Lee's (PhD student), study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence found that when parents listen or use humor to resolve conflicts, their children report fewer emotional and behavior problems. Families from all socioeconomic backgrounds are affected by parental conflict. The rates tend to be higher in low-income households that deal with poverty, stress and unemployment.

Associate Professor Daphne Watkins received the “Thought Leader Award for Peer-Reviewed Publications” at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Connections Capstone Symposium last month. Watkins was the recipient of a New Connections Initiative Award in 2007 for her project “Examining the Influence of Psychosocial Factors on the Mental Health of Black Men.” This recent accolade is in recognition of the impact she’s made in her field as well as the quantity and quality of the work she’s produced since receiving her initial award.