Research Highlights


Toni Johnson Center

Toni Johnson Center for Racial and Social Justice: A Catalyst for Change

Exciting things are happening in the KU School of Social Welfare’s Toni Johnson Center for Racial and Social Justice.

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Eco Social Work

New Faculty Member will Lead the School of Social Welfare in Emerging Field of Eco Social

KUSSW is on the leading edge of a new area of social work that could have important implications for people around the world: Eco Social Work

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Grassland

Grand Challenges for Social Work Events Spotlight Progress on Complex Social Issues

The KU School of Social Welfare envisions a world in which individuals and families have the support they need to thrive, where we see an end to chronic social problems like homelessness, where justice and equity are the norm.

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Equity

New Faculty Member Focuses on Health Equity

Sicong (Summer) Sun examines how lack of access to financial resources impacts health and wellbeing

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Kansas Strong

Kansas Families Are Benefiting from Family First Initiative

KU Evaluation Helps Guide Expanding Program Designed to Keep Kids in Their Homes and Out of Foster Care

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Nepal

New Faculty Member Gleans Insight for Preventing Domestic Violence from Work in Nepal

Domestic violence (DV) is a global health issue that impacts the well-being of survivors, families, and future generations. Claire Willey-Sthapit, Ph.D., assistant professor in the KU School of Social Welfare, has studied responses to DV both in the Unite

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PSU Group

KU School of Social Welfare’s Partnerships Equip More Social Workers to Serve Rural Kansas

Lauren Stiles was upset by what she saw. As she worked with pregnant women and families at a community health center in rural southeast Kansas, she was shocked by the health disparities and health inequities she noticed.

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IHSP Alumni Story

Integrated Health Scholars Program Prepares Graduates to Serve Kansas and Missouri

In the nine years since its inception, the Integrated Health Scholars Program (IHSP) has prepared 246 graduates to provide integrated health care with underserved communities across the state of Kansas and into western Missouri.

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Center for Research to Transform Systems for Family, Community and Social Justice

Center for Research to Transform Systems for Family, Community & Social Justice Launches

A team of KU School of Social Welfare researchers is working to bring about that kind of child welfare system transformation.

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Mahasweta Banerjee

Banerjee has spent her career in social welfare combatting income poverty

Retiring faculty member has led work in India and the United States focused on social justice and income equality

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rural Kansas downtown from above

New Programs Equip Rural Social Workers With Much-Needed Resiliency Skills

The Center for Community Engagement & Outreach advances authentic relationships with key community and university partners to complement the School of Social Welfare’s community-engaged scholarship and instruction.

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woman talking with man in group session

Faculty Member Works to Elevate Unheard Voices to Influence Social Work Practice

Dr. alexander’s academic research is grounded in community, culture and place, and focuses on developing new ways to elevate voices of individuals who have historically been unheard, excluded or harmed in academia.

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traditional indigenous shoes

Faculty Member Elevates the Voice and Experiences of Indigenous People

Through teaching and research, she equips social workers to understand the unique history, strengths and needs of Indigenous people.

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Toni Johnson Scholars Program Helps Prepare Students to have Big Impact

Toni Johnson Scholars Program Helps Prepare Students to have Big Impact

Launched in the fall of 2021, the Toni Johnson Scholars program supports students pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s in social
welfare who have experienced marginalization and oppression and Ph.D. students pursuing research on racial justice.

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rural Kansas farm

Integrated Health Scholars Program Focuses on Telehealth to Improve Patient Access

In the rural and frontier areas of Kansas, residents often live hours away from the nearest health care provider. But with the rise of telehealth seeing their doctor may be as easy as turning on their computer. Because telehealth is the service wave of th

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Center for LGBTQ+ Research and Advocacy Gains Momentum in Its First Year

Center for LGBTQ+ Research and Advocacy Gains Momentum in its First Year

Revolutionary. That’s one of the words Briana McGeough, Ph.D., uses to describe the existence and goals of the newly created Center for LGBTQ+ Research & Advocacy, located within the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

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Professor Documents the Stories of Young African Refugees' Trek to Italy

Professor Documents the Stories of Young African Refugees' Trek to Italy

Terry Koenig documents the stories of young African refugees’ trek to Italy as part of "The Long Road Out of Africa: Inclusion and Identity in Como, Italy."

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Family Strong Aims to Prevent Family Crises and Keep Kids in their Homes

Family Strong Aims to Prevent Family Crises and Keep Kids in their Homes

The Family Strong demonstration project will focus on eight counties in southeast Kansas, a region where the out-of-home foster care placements for children is nearly double that in the rest of the state. Byers says the region also has many strengths the project will build upon, including an existing network of programs and partnerships that can provide the added support families need to stabilize and thrive.

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Researcher Studying Care and Safety Practices in Home-based Care During COVID-19 Pandemic

Researcher Studying Care and Safety Practices in Home-based Care During COVID-19 Pandemic

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was reeling from the growing threat to our health and wellbeing, Carrie Wendel-Hummell’s thoughts went immediately to a group of people she knows well and is passionate about serving: older adults, people with disabilities, and the workers and caregivers who make it possible for these folks to remain in their own homes.

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Initiative Supports Well-being of Native American Families in Kansas

Initiative Supports Well-being of Native American Families in Kansas

KSNAF team leading the implementation of a five-year initiative funded by a Regional Partnership Grant from the Children’s Bureau, a federal agency focused on improving the live of children and families

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Integrated Health Scholars Program Improves Access to Care in Underserved Communities

Integrated Health Scholars Program Improves Access to Care in Underserved Communities

For many people living in Kansas’ vast rural areas getting the medical and behavioral health care services they need is a challenge. One barrier to accessing services is the shortage of health care professionals, including social workers, serving in their communities. The University of Kansas Integrated Health Scholars Program (IHSP) at the School of Social Welfare was funded to address this problem.

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Research Aims to Improve the Health of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

Research Aims to Improve the Health of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

When Cheryl Holmes shops for produce at the grocery store, she doesn’t just see apples or watermelons or lettuce. She sees the faces of the migratory and seasonal agricultural workers she knows who have worked long days – often 6:00 am to 8:00 pm in all weather, six days a week – to harvest each piece.

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Supporting Survivors of Partner Violence

Supporting Survivors of Partner Violence

Meredith Bagwell-Gray has seen the magic happen. When women who have experienced sexual abuse and intimate partner violence have a safe place to address their sexual trauma, they often begin to feel more empowered and in control of their sexuality. As a result, they are more likely to embrace positive sexual behaviors that have a profound impact on their health, like getting Pap tests and HPV vaccines, and seeing sexual health providers.

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