H. Luke Shaefer, associate professor of social work, associate professor of public policy and director of the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions, was honored with the University’s Faculty Recognition Award. Bestowed every fall by the Rackham Graduate School, the Faculty Recognition Award recognizes mid-career faculty who have made remarkable contributions to the University through scholarly research; excellence as teachers, advisors and mentors; and distinguished service.
Shaefer's research focuses on the effectiveness of the United States’ social safety net in serving low-wage workers and economically disadvantaged families. In 2015, he co-authored $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America with Kathryn Edin. The book won the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism and was named one of 100 Notable Books by The New York Times Book Review. The book was a breakthrough, changing the conversation about extreme poverty in the United States.
As founding director of U-M’s Poverty Solutions initiative, Shaefer was instrumental in establishing an interdisciplinary cross-campus approach to inform, identify, and test strategies to alleviate and prevent poverty. His research on poverty and social welfare policy appears in top peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, the American Journal of Public Health and Medical Care Research and Review. Shaefer’s research funding includes the National Science Foundation, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Shaefer has presented his research at the White House, testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and consulted with a number of the nation’s largest social service providers. He is currently serving on the State of Michigan Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity, an appointment made by Governor Rick Snyder. The 12-member commission is charged with reducing the causes, conditions and effects of poverty and promoting social and economic opportunities that foster self-sufficiency for low-income people.
Shaefer’s work engaging communities, students and policymakers has been cited in the New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, Salon, the New Republic, the Detroit Free Press, and The Bridge. In 2017, the National Academy of Social Insurance named Shaefer a Torch Recipient as a top leader under 40 in the field of social insurance. He was also recognized as our school of Social Work Student Union Professor of the Year in 2013.