Social Justice, Advocacy and Civic Engagement
The Glenn College is committed to building a more just and equitable world through rigorous research and education. Our faculty draw from multidisciplinary expertise and approaches to tackle pressing public problems and develop curriculum that empowers students to lead change. Research and programming in social justice policy, advocacy and civic engagement advance the college's mission to “inspire citizenship and develop leadership.”
Faculty Experts
Recent Research
Locked Down or Let Out After COVID-19: Political Systems and Global Incarceration
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice
2026
Victor St. John examines whether the degree of democracy shapes carceral changes.
Resilience in Reentry: An Implementation and Impact Evaluation of the Social Resilience Model in the PREPARE Program in New York City
Child Trends
2025
Victor St. John and colleagues present an evaluation study that examines the impacts of PREPARE Plus on fathers’ perceptions, behavioral intentions, behaviors, and knowledge related to parenting, relationships, financial stability, and recidivism.
Just Transition to Electric Vehicles in Disadvantaged Communities: Integrating Transportation, Energy, Environmental, and Climate Justice
Energy Research & Social Science
2025
The research by Jeffrey Bielicki and colleagues showed how intertwined disadvantages perpetuate or exacerbate distributive, recognition, restorative and procedural injustices in the EV transition.
Impacts of Extreme Weather on Farmer Mental Health
Rural Sociology
2025
Shoshanah Inwood and colleagues examine how extreme weather driven by climate change contributes to rising stress and psychological distress among Midwest farmers, identifying key pathways linking climate impacts to farmer mental health challenges.
Finding our way through the fog: embedding social infrastructure in food system resilience
Agriculture and Human Values
2025
Shoshanah Inwood, Jill Clark and colleagues focus on the significance of social infrastructure for food system resilience by drawing on the insights and experiences from positions as emergency management practitioners and land-grant university social science food system researchers working with emergency management agencies, food system and food security organizations in this commentary.
The Impact of Differential Treatment by Race and Ethnicity on Diet Quality
Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy
2025
Jill Clark and colleagues, using nationally representative data, find that the potential for differential treatment by race and ethnicity in the food retail environment is associated with lower nutritional quality of food acquisitions for Black and Hispanic households.
Programming at the Glenn College
Programs:
- BA in Public Management, Leadership and Policy
- BA in Public Policy Analysis
- Minor in Civic Engagement
- Minor in Law and Public Policy
- Minor in Social Justice Advocacy and Public Policy
- Minor in Women, Gender and Public Policy
Coursework:
- 2120 – Public Service and Civic Engagement
- 2150 – Nonprofit Organizing for Diversity and Justice
- 2170 – Equity, Justice and Public Service
- 5120 – Social Change Advocacy: Organization, Mobilization and Activism
- 5240 – Race and Public Policy in the United States
- 5250 – Poverty, Inequality and Public Policy
- 5506 – Administration of Criminal Justice
- 5595 – Social Enterprise
- 5890 – U.S. Food Policy
- 5895 – Food Insecurity, and Food Assistance Programming and Policy in the U.S.
- 5900 – Food Systems Planning and the Economy
Programs:
- Online Master of Public Administration and Leadership criminal justice specialization track
Coursework:
- 5120 – Social Change Advocacy: Organization, Mobilization and Activism
- 5240 – Race and Public Policy in the United States
- 5250 – Poverty, Inequality and Public Policy
- 5506 – Administration of Criminal Justice
- 5595 – Social Enterprise
- 5890 – U.S. Food Policy
- 5895 – Food Insecurity, and Food Assistance Programming and Policy in the U.S.
- 5900 – Food Systems Planning and the Economy
- 7507 – Criminal Justice Policy
Social justice is a common focus area for students earning a PhD at the Glenn College.