News & Press

Report: Landmark guaranteed income program in City of Los Angeles produces “overwhelmingly positive” results

Groundbreaking study demonstrates impact of direct cash over a 12-month period, showing increased ability of recipients to exit intimate partner violence, decreased food insecurity, and…

Read More Report: Landmark guaranteed income program in City of Los Angeles produces “overwhelmingly positive” results

Q&A with PCIIT innovation competition winner Jonathan Muruako

As a new graduate of the Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership Program at SP2, Jonathan Muruako, CAS’17, NPL’24, has completed his collegiate career while…

Read More Q&A with PCIIT innovation competition winner Jonathan Muruako

Study by SP2 examines potential of direct cash for cancer patients from low-income households

The three-year randomized controlled trial by SP2 is examining the potential of direct cash assistance for patients from low-income households receiving care in Philadelphia, along…

Read More Study by SP2 examines potential of direct cash for cancer patients from low-income households

DeMarcus Jenkins to explore links between housing policies and school integration and desegregation

SP2 Assistant Professor DeMarcus A. Jenkins will serve as co-principal investigator of a $442,340 grant from the American Institutes for Research Equity Initiative in the…

Read More DeMarcus Jenkins to explore links between housing policies and school integration and desegregation

SP2 professor Jennifer Prah inducted into St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame

Themes of health, gender equity, hard work, and discipline have been at the core of Dr. Jennifer Prah’s work — not only in her career…

Read More SP2 professor Jennifer Prah inducted into St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame

SP2 congratulates 2024 award winners

Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) is pleased to announce the 2024 SP2 Award Winners. Recipients will be recognized for their outstanding achievements…

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SP2 honors five accomplished social change agents at 2024 Alumni Hall of Fame Ceremony

Five distinguished alumni were celebrated at the 2024 SP2 Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, May 17. The event marked the sixth year…

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Disability rights photography by Harvey Finkle, SW’61, featured for second annual Art @ SP2 exhibit

In the black-and-white still photographs displayed in SP2’s Caster building, members of ADAPT/Disabled in Action advocate for equal access to the components of an independent…

Read More Disability rights photography by Harvey Finkle, SW’61, featured for second annual Art @ SP2 exhibit

Exploring sustainable development & the human impact of natural disasters

What factors allow people to prepare for and recover from natural disasters? Dr. Chenyi Ma, a research assistant professor at Penn’s School of Social Policy &…

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Two SP2 alumni named 2024 Diversity in Business Award recipients by Philadelphia Business Journal

Among the 22 individuals recognized by Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2024 Diversity in Business Awards are SP2 graduates Chad Lassiter, MSW’01, executive director of the Pennsylvania…

Read More Two SP2 alumni named 2024 Diversity in Business Award recipients by Philadelphia Business Journal

Alumni Q&A | Terri Broussard Williams, NPL ’20

An award-winning lobbyist, nonprofit executive, and public speaker, SP2 alumna and Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board member Terri Broussard Williams, NPL ’20, is head of state and local…

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SP2’s R. Jisung Park publishes “Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World” 

In “Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World,” Dr. R. Jisung Park, an assistant professor at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice…

Read More SP2’s R. Jisung Park publishes “Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World” 

College of Education receives $600,000 from the William T. Grant Foundation to study impact of mixed-income neighborhood initiatives on Black youth

SP2’s DeMarcus Jenkins is part of a research team that has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the William T. Grant Foundation to study the…

research.wayne.edu College of Education receives $600,000 from the William T. Grant Foundation to study impact of mixed-income neighborhood initiatives on Black youth

This Parent Screening Tool Seeks to Normalize Gender Conversations by Measuring Families’ Alignment and Distress

Amy Hillier and Steven Marcus, both of SP2, have developed a preliminary tool to incorporate gender discussions into pediatric care. Hillier discusses this work with…

ldi.upenn.edu This Parent Screening Tool Seeks to Normalize Gender Conversations by Measuring Families’ Alignment and Distress

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