News & Press

Report: Trailblazing guaranteed income program in Saint Paul enhanced mental and financial well-being  

In a report authored by the Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), findings from the 18-month People’s Prosperity Pilot (PPP) guaranteed income program reveal…

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A message from the dean

Yesterday brought news of Liz Magill’s and Scott Bok’s decisions to resign from their University positions. Although this is a difficult time in the trajectory…

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Dr. Jennifer Prah delivers 2023 McAuley Oration in Global Health

Dr. Jennifer Prah, the Amartya Sen Professor of Health Equity, Economics, and Policy at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), delivered the annual…

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ALUMNI Q&A | Kerry Doyle, DSW ’22

SP2 alumna Kerry Doyle, DSW, MSSW, is an associate professor of practicum education at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She is a…

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SP2 expands practical experience for MSW students through simulation curriculum

With the support of SP2 Dean Sara S. Bachman, simulations were recently expanded beyond the MSW Program’s second-year clinical courses so that they are now also…

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Penn Today features SP2 expertise for Giving Tuesday

Katherina ‘Kat’ Rosqueta and Iris Leon of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP) at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) speak with Penn Today about the history of Giving…

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Report: First-of-its-kind guaranteed income program in rural area improved financial, physical, and mental well-being

A report authored by SP2’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research shows connections between the receipt of unconditional cash and improved financial security and quality of…

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Two SAFELab researchers named to faculty of SP2

Dr. Aviv Landau and Dr. Siva Mathiyazhagan are being appointed research assistant professors at SP2. The two researchers have been affiliated with Penn since 2022,…

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Penn Today features SP2 climate inequality discussion

SP2 hosted “Climate Refugees: The Implications of our Changing Environment” with economist R. Jisung Park and political scientist Alice Xu, both SP2 assistant professors who…

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Leading Social Change: Interdisciplinary course challenges SP2 students to tackle their “One Big Thing”

Available to SP2 students through a collaboration with Penn Carey Law and the Annenberg School for Communication, Leading Social Change asks students how they can employ their passions…

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A message from the dean

We awoke Saturday morning to horrific images of an attack on Israel by Hamas. As the violence continues, we are shocked and devastated by the mounting…

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SP2’s Dr. Desmond Patton elected to National Academy of Medicine

SP2’s Dr. Desmond Upton Patton of is one of five Penn experts among the 100 new Academy members elected this year to one of the…

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Science of philanthropy: Why do MacKenzie Scott, others donate so much?

An article on MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropy in Georgia cites research coauthored by SP2’s Femida Handy and the six motivations it identifies for donating to charity.

ajc.com Science of philanthropy: Why do MacKenzie Scott, others donate so much?

2024 Cohort of Penn Fellows

SP2’s Ioana Marinescu has been named to the 2024 Cohort of Penn Fellows in the Social Science Track. The Penn Fellows Program provides leadership development…

almanac.upenn.edu 2024 Cohort of Penn Fellows

Hometown Hero: Amy Blank Wilson

SP2 alumna and 2024 Hall of Fame awardee Amy Blank Wilson, PhD ’06, is the co-director of the Tiny Homes Village in Chatham County, North…

chapelboro.com Hometown Hero: Amy Blank Wilson

Early Results of Rooted School Foundation’s “The $50 Study” Include Promising Findings

Preliminary findings of the first guaranteed income pilot for teenagers show that students who receive direct cash transfers experience improved school attendance, reading level, and…

apnews.com Early Results of Rooted School Foundation’s “The $50 Study” Include Promising Findings

Wharton faculty on investment strategies, birth rates, and climate change

SP2’s Jisung Park is highlighted among the latest authors on Wharton’s Ripple Effect podcast. Interviewed about his book “Slow Burn,” Park “breaks down the surprising…

penntoday.upenn.edu Wharton faculty on investment strategies, birth rates, and climate change

National LGBTQ+ Bar’s Student Leadership Award

Charlie Ferguson SP2’23, L’24 has been awarded the 2024 National LGBTQ+ Bar’s Student Leadership award, the association’s highest honor for law students. Each year the…

law.upenn.edu National LGBTQ+ Bar’s Student Leadership Award

States with the Most At-Risk Youth (2024)

How can digital connectivity and parental support help at-risk youth to access learning, employment, and in-person connections? SP2’s Desmond Patton weighs in.

wallethub.com States with the Most At-Risk Youth (2024)

Los Angeles gave families $1,000 a month in the biggest basic income pilot in the country. Now the results are in.

Guaranteed income functioned as a “super vitamin” for the social safety net during a Los Angeles pilot program, SP2’s Dr. Amy Castro tells Business Insider…

businessinsider.com Los Angeles gave families $1,000 a month in the biggest basic income pilot in the country. Now the results are in.

L.A. City Council considering guaranteed income for abuse victims, foster kids

The success of a guaranteed income pilot program in Los Angeles has inspired a proposal for an expansion. At the 1:48 mark, SP2’s Amy Castro…

ktla.com L.A. City Council considering guaranteed income for abuse victims, foster kids

Study details ‘transformative’ results from L.A. pilot that guaranteed families $1,000 a month

A groundbreaking guaranteed income pilot in the City of Los Angeles helped people living in deep poverty to pursue better jobs, leave abusive relationships, and…

latimes.com Study details ‘transformative’ results from L.A. pilot that guaranteed families $1,000 a month

Four academic journeys explored

SP2’s Amy Hillier shares her academic journey — from studying historical mortgage redlining, to leading tours and creating curricula about W. E. B. Du Bois’…

penntoday.upenn.edu Four academic journeys explored

Confronting Economic Inequality with Cash

“You can’t budget your way out of poverty,” says Amy Castro. A founding director of SP2’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR), Castro and the…

giving.upenn.edu Confronting Economic Inequality with Cash