Areas of research
Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Inclusive Technology
Leveraging artificial intelligence, data science and ethical technology to shape social policy and practice. Creating innovative solutions for complex social challenges and ensuring safety and well-being in digital spaces.
Featured Centers
Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP)
Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR)
Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology (PCIIT)
SAFELAB
FEATURED FACULTY
Amy Beth Castro, PhD
Assistant Professor; PhD, CUNY Hunter, 2014. Economic mobility; guaranteed income; innovation; how social policies produce gender and race disparities in housing and lending.
FEATURED FACULTY
Dennis P. Culhane, PhD
Professor; PhD, Boston College, 1990. Homelessness; housing policy; policy analysis research methods.
FEATURED FACULTY
Aviv Y. Landau, PhD, MSW
FEATURED FACULTY
Ioana E. Marinescu, PhD
Associate Professor; PhD, London School of Economics, 2007. Imperfect competition in the labor market, antitrust, and competition policy as applied to the labor market; evaluation of the labor market impact of public policies, e.g. unemployment insurance and the minimum wage; unconditional cash transfers, the universal basic income; technology and structural changes in the labor market; green jobs.
FEATURED FACULTY
Siva Mathiyazhagan
FEATURED FACULTY
Desmond Upton Patton, PhD, MSW
Professor; PhD, University of Chicago, 2012. Activism & social justice; qualitative methods; youth; gun violence; big data; digital culture; public health; race & ethnicity; social media.
Related News
Faculty & Research
01/09
SP2 at SSWR 2026: Leading for Transformative Change
Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) is proud to participate in the 30th Annual Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Conference, taking place January 14 –18, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Faculty & Research
12/19
Centering joy in AI development and implementation
PIK Professor Desmond Upton Patton and collaborators introduce a joy-informed framework designed to initiate conversations among engineers, designers, and researchers.
Faculty & Research
12/11
SP2’s Dr. Desmond Patton named to AASWSW Class of 2026
Dr. Desmond Upton Patton has been selected to join the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare's Class of 2026 Fellows.