University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice

University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice SP2 contributes to the advancement of more effective, efficient, & humane human services through education, research, & civic engagement.

The pursuit of social good is at the heart of the SP2's 6 graduate programs & other knowledge-building activities. Our graduates are known for their leadership skills, problem solving expertise, and ability to impact change at the individual, community, policy, national, and global levels. The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice is educating tomorrow's leaders to confront

societal problems in a time of diminishing resources, to provide leadership to nonprofit organizations, and to design and facilitate real-world solutions while fostering meaningful societal change. Students can also learn about the integration of innovative technology to enhance the delivery of social services, research on welfare to work initiatives, faith-based services, and other ground-breaking faculty research. Penn encourages its followers, fans, and visitors to its social media accounts to interact with the University and one another freely but is not responsible for comments or posts made by visitors to or fans of Penn accounts. Comments posted by visitors and fans may not reflect official views or policies of the University. Users who make comments on social media pages should be respectful of fellow visitors and maintain civil and rational discussions. All comments are subject to social networks’ terms of use and codes of conduct. Account administrators reserve the right to review all comments and posted materials and remove such materials for any reason. While strong and reasoned discussion is permissible, Penn reserves the right to remove and/or report comments (to those platforms and to Penn administration as appropriate) that engage in false information, personal attacks (including other community members or Penn students/faculty/staff), vulgarity, or threats. The University does not permit social media messages that sell products or promote commercial or political ventures.

recently celebrated five distinguished alumni at the 2026 SP2 Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 🏆🎉MSW: Elena Mari...
05/28/2026

recently celebrated five distinguished alumni at the 2026 SP2 Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 🏆🎉

MSW: Elena Marie DiLapi, MSW’77
NPL: Ling Wang, NPL’10
MSSP: Daniel Schiff, MSSP’13
DSW: Kathryn (Kaye) Smith Pyle, DSW’78
PhD: Julie Tennille, PhD’13

The event marked the eighth year that the School has honored alumni through the SP2 Hall of Fame. Read more about the event and our inductees at https://sp2.upenn.edu/2026-hall-of-fame-ceremony/

05/27/2026

Not just caps and gowns 🎓🔥
grads show off the cords & stoles that celebrate who they are and what they’ve achieved

Each year, SP2's Excellence in Teaching Awards recognize members of our standing and non-standing faculty who go above a...
05/27/2026

Each year, SP2's Excellence in Teaching Awards recognize members of our standing and non-standing faculty who go above and beyond in shaping the next generation of leaders in social work, social policy, and nonprofit management.

At our 2026 Commencement ceremony on May 16 at the Palestra, Dean Sara S. Bachman honored this year’s recipients:

Full-time faculty
✨ Allison Werner-Lin, PhD, LCSW
✨ Kim McKay, PhD, LSW

Part-time lecturers
✨ Meredith Myers, PhD
✨ Reggie Jones, LCSW, MSS, MLSP

Please join us in congratulating these educators for their dedication, impact, and commitment to our students’ success.

Read more about the awardees: https://sp2.upenn.edu/sp2-2026-award-winners/

🎉 Congratulations to SP2 PhD candidate Becca Pepe on her upcoming Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg...
05/21/2026

🎉 Congratulations to SP2 PhD candidate Becca Pepe on her upcoming Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health!

This fall, Becca will join the Department of Health Policy and Management as part of the Housing & Health Collaborative, working under the supervision of Dr. Craig Pollack. Her work will focus on understanding how housing quality, affordability, and neighborhood context shape both individual and population health outcomes.

Becca’s research centers on the burden of unaffordable utility bills, specifically access to safe, reliable, and affordable running water. She examines how policies can better support low-income households, how families navigate water service disconnections, and the broader health impacts of water insecurity.

“My path into housing and health work has been far from linear, which makes this opportunity especially meaningful,” Becca shares. “I am eager to collaborate with national experts, apply what I’ve learned in the PhD program, and engage further in research to improve access to safe and healthy homes.”

👏 Congratulations, Becca!

Can voting make you live longer? SP2's Dr. Femida Handy found health benefits in civic engagement. Read more about her r...
05/20/2026

Can voting make you live longer? SP2's Dr. Femida Handy found health benefits in civic engagement. Read more about her research in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Older adults who voted had a lower risk of dying than those who didn’t — even fifteen years later. Voting could be connected to a sense of purpose, community, and care for others around you. 🔗: https://ebx.sh/6sBvsJ

Today is your last chance to order from the SP2 Pop Shop! Show your hashtag pride 👇
05/20/2026

Today is your last chance to order from the SP2 Pop Shop! Show your hashtag pride 👇

Show your SP2 pride!

The Popshop is live with merch curated just for our community—available for a limited time only. 🛍️ Sale runs through 5/20: https://pennsp2.ccbrands.com

05/18/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 SP2 Award Winners! 🎉 The award recipients were recognized for their outstanding achievements by Dean Bachman at 's 2026 Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at the Palestra.

The recipients of the SP2 student prizes and awards are:
Tony Shaw, Hal Levin Award
Jen Panhorst, Dr. Ram Cnaan Award
Jaelyn Liu, Wilson- Spigner Award for Social Policy Excellence
Krista Smith, Excellence in Social Impact Award
Sina Barzegar, Richard J. Estes Global Citizenship Award
Jeanne Chang, Rosa Wessel Award & Student of Excellence Award
Elizabeth McGuinn, Dr. Ruth Smalley Award in International Social Welfare

[Video Description: SP2 award winners each share a message.]

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!! 🎓✨
05/18/2026

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!! 🎓✨

05/16/2026

Class of 2026 getting ready to walk across the stage 🎓✨

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Philadelphia, PA
19104

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