The faculty of the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work are committed to rigorous research aimed at advancing knowledge about social work, social welfare, and intervention strategies. The faculty is highly interdisciplinary, working in the fields of economics, human development, psychology, public affairs, sociology, and social work and have a long history of excellence in research.
Faculty conduct research on a range of social problems including child development and well-being; aging, health, mental health, developmental disabilities, and end-of-life care; policy and programs to support families; prevention of child maltreatment, gender-based and intimate partner violence, and human trafficking; and racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in health, mental health, and well-being. These areas of inquiry are investigated across different phases of the life course and different social contexts.
Faculty conduct their research within world renowned interdisciplinary research institutes and centers on campus, including the the Waisman Center, The Institute for Research on Poverty, the Center for Demography of Health and Aging, and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. The faculty’s affiliation with these centers and institutes provides graduate students with the opportunity to become fully integrated and engaged in a highly active and productive interdisciplinary research community.
For more details about on-going research, projects, and grants awarded to our faculty, please visit their profiles.
News Featuring Research and Faculty from the School
Slack Selected as Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare
Dr. Kristi Slack has been selected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW) for “distinguished accomplishments as a scholar and practice and policy leader dedicated to achieving excellence …
Social Work Faculty to conduct research for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
New Agreement Continues a Long-term Partnership By Mel Morgenbesser Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work faculty have had a long-standing partnership with Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) to provide research on a variety …
Assistant Professors Receive Grant Promoting Maternal and Child Health
Assistant Professor’s Jessica Pac and Alejandra Ros Pilarz received a grant from the UW-Madison Prevention Research Center (UWPRC) to study the effects of state pregnancy accommodation laws on maternal and infant health. The UWPRC grants …
Assistant Professor Tawandra Rowell-Cunsolo selected for Leadership Program
We are proud to announce that Assistant Professor Tawandra Rowell-Cunsolo has been selected to participate in one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s leadership programs. These programs connect changemakers across the country—from every profession and field—to …
Walsh: 9 in 10 Men Want Doctors to Ask About Domestic Violence
A nationally representative survey of young men finds that 90 percent believe their doctors should ask whether they have perpetrated or experienced domestic violence — but only 13 percent have ever been asked. The large …
Marah Curtis Named Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor
Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorships Seven professors were named to Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorships, an award recognizing distinguished scholarship as well as standout efforts in teaching and service. The professorship provides five years of flexible funding …
Reaching out to dads in jail: Fathers and children do better when parental identity is supported
Assistant Prof. Pajarita Charles’ continued work on parenting and family relationships for individuals involved in the criminal justice system was highlighted in The Capital Times. “In particular for fathers that are in the criminal justice …
Building a Data Resource to Support Housing Research
Two faculty with the School of Social Work are part of a team awarded a grant to increase the quality and amount of housing-related data available to the Wisconsin Administrative Data Core, a unique data resource …
Clinical Assistant Professor Lynette Studer and Colleagues Receive Grant to Study Assertive Community Treatment
Mary Ann Test (UW-Madison School of Social Work) helped create ACT. This is the first comprehensive national study of ACT fidelity and implementation. When Mary Ann Test, PhD, a long-time professor at the UW-Madison School …
Assistant Professor Pajarita Charles to Co-lead Social Work Grand Challenge
Assistant Professor Pajarita Chalres was recently named a co-lead on a national initiative to address the need for smart decarceration policies. The Promote Smart Decarceration Grand Challenge focuses on reducing the number of people in …
Researchers Shed Light on Previously Unknown Characteristic of People with Down Syndrome
A new study of 3,000 people in Wisconsin aged 21 and older with Down syndrome, published in JAMA Neurology by Assistant Professor of Social Work Lauren Bishop and colleagues, shows that by age 55, three …
Curtis and Colleagues Receive “Contemporary Social Problems Initiative” Grant
Associate Prof. Marah Curtis (co-principal investigator) and colleagues received a “Contemporary Social Problems Initiative” grant to explore the relationship between housing stability during pregnancy and short and intermediate health outcomes of families with infants. The …
Facing Barriers Returning from Prison
Jason Lee SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS TAKE PART IN SIMULATION TO UNDERSTAND DIFFICULTY OF REENTRY The United States is the most prison-dependent country in the world. There are over two million prisoners in the U.S., with …
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