John Gyourko, PhD, MSW

John Gyourko is a PhD in Social Welfare candidate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2). Born and raised in Virginia, John earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Virginia Tech and his Master of Social Work degree at Virginia Commonwealth University. He received the 2020 MSW Student of the Year award from the National Association of Social Workers (Virginia chapter). In 2022, John received the Hal Levin award for outstanding achievement in the SP2 doctoral program, and was competitively selected for a Field Research Scholar appointment with the University of Calgary’s Transforming the Field Education Landscape project.

Prior to joining SP2, John held multiple clinical and macro practice positions with public and private social service agencies. As a child welfare policy specialist with the Virginia Department of Social Services, he has administered credit monitoring, identity protection, and Independent Living programs for youth in foster care. John’s research focuses on topics at the intersection of social work, economics, crime, and public health, with special emphasis on child welfare policy and practice.