Professor Lonnie Berger, a prolific scholar, educator, campus leader, and one of the nation’s most recognized researchers in social work and social policy, has become the Sheila B. Kamerman and Alfred J. Kahn Professor of Social Policy at the UW-Madison, Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work. Dr. Berger assumes the new title this fall.
Dr. Berger, whose work focuses on the ways in which economic resources, socio-demographic characteristics, and public policies affect parental behaviors and child and family wellbeing, has published approximately 100 papers in well-respected, peer-reviewed journals and has brought in millions of dollars in research grants. In his 20+ years at UW-Madison, he’s been recognized with numerous awards, including a named UW-Madison Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor and the Society for Social Work Research Social Policy Researcher Award for a Senior Scholar for his contributions to the study of social policy.
In 2022, he was named one of the top 15 global contributors to social work journal scholarship. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
“Professor Berger is an exceptional colleague, teacher, scholar, and leader,” says Stepahnie Robert, who was the director of the school at the time and helped usher through the professorship. “His passion for addressing social justice issues is evident in his research that seeks to garner an understanding of how financial resources, policies, and socioeconomic factors impact parenting and child and family well-being.”
His research not only influences the academy, but impacts state and national policy decisions as well. For example, his work on child welfare has led to policy interventions for those diverted from child welfare programs. As Emilie Amundson, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) says, “Lonnie has played an integral role in connecting evidence-based research practices with policy decisions and program development in DCF.”
He currently serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in the Social Sciences and he previously served as the Director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at UW-Madison. Nationally, he serves on numerous working groups, boards, and review panels. Despite his busy schedule and robust research portfolio, he continues to serve the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work admirably – chairing committees and mentoring the next generation of social welfare scholars. Dr. Berger is an outstanding instructor who cares deeply about the many students he teaches and advises. He has served on over 45 dissertation committees.
Funding for this endowed professorship comes from our great supporter Joel Berman. Mr. Berman, whose late wife Sandra was a proud graduate of our program, has been steadfast in his commitment to our school since Sandra’s passing in 2017. His generosity has already provided dozens of life-changing scholarships for our students as well as countless educational and training opportunities. In 2020, the school changed its name, in honor of Sandra, to the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work.
Dr. Berger’s endowed professorship lasts five years and is named after two leading figures from his alma mater, Columbia University. Sheila B. Kamerman, who passed away this summer, was a “world-renowned, influential, and prolific social policy practitioner and scholar. Dr. Kamerman’s areas of research and teaching included social policy, child and family policy, social services, comparative welfare state policies, and international social welfare.” Alfred J. Kahn, was a pioneer of the field of social work for almost 50 years. “His special areas of expertise included delinquency, services for children, mental health, and social policy and planning. He chaired the committee on advanced programs at Columbia University School of Social Work.”
“I am extremely humbled and honored to receive this professorship. I am grateful to Joel Berman for making it possible and, moreso, for his tremendous support for our School over the years, as well as to my colleagues for selecting me as the inaugural recipient,” Berger said. “I am thrilled to name it for Sheila Kamerman and Al Kahn, true pioneers of social policy research in social work, whose pathbreaking scholarship has hugely influenced my own research and that of countless other policy scholars, and who were exceptional teachers and mentors during my PhD studies.”