Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work

06/14/2026

As political polarization, voter fatigue, and public distrust in institutions continue to shape the national conversation, UConn School of Social Work's Shannon Lane believes one message is more important than ever: democracy only works when people participate. 🗳️🏛️📥☑️🇺🇸

Lane, director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at the School of Social Work, recently shared that message during an appearance on Democracy Does: The Civic Power Playbook, a podcast hosted by journalist Robin N. Hamilton that explores how public policy affects everyday life and what citizens can do to become more engaged in their communities. 📥☑️🇺🇸

Read more in this UConn Today article: https://today.uconn.edu/2026/06/lane-discusses-civic-engagement-voting-rights-power-of-community-on-national-podcast/

05/13/2026

same mission, different fonts. sign up to be a partner and register your community in whatever style you want at link in bio

04/29/2026

Marla, Justin, and Lily are the dream team! This plenary was a great experience and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.

UConn School of Social Work's Shannon Lane, director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work, presented the plenary session during the National Association Of Social Workers New Jersey Chapter's -NJ Annual Conference on April 27.

The conference's theme was "Rooted in Values: Reclaiming Social Work's Political Soul."

Moderated by Marla Blunt-Carter, associate professor at Rutgers University, this motivational conversation explored how social work can be used to create meaningful change.

04/19/2026

Join NASW-CT and the CT DPH for a discussion on CT Social Work Licensure. Register today at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/x6t7fkt

04/16/2026

On Wednesday, April 22, Shannon Lane, director of the UConn School of Social Work Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work and professor-in-residence, will speak on Democracy and Social Work in 2026 as part of Influencing Social Policy’s new webinar series. Dr. Lane links political social work to the NASW Code of Ethics and shares practical steps for community engagement.

Gary Parker, president of ISP, will moderate the discussion.

Register now! https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z8uiYQiZRRi8zPoAvlL5FQ #/registration

04/04/2026

04/02/2026

thanks Rep. Sylvia Garcia, who is a , for introducing a resolution in the U.S. House. The other social worker in Congress, Rep. Hillary Scholten, is an original cosponsor. The other cosponsors include Reps. Gwen Moore, Nanette Nanette Barragán, Shomari Figures, Paul Tonko, Danny Davis, and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. Here is a link to the resolution: https://tinyurl.com/5n7bkc6n

03/25/2026

Happy Social Work Month!! On March 26, the National Association of Social Workers-Connecticut (NASW/CT) welcomes Shannon Lane, LMSW, Ph.D., director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at the to speak during its Social Work Student Series!

Dr. Lane will discuss the importance of voting and uplift the importance of Social Workers' active participation in the voting process. ✅🗳☑️

Register Here: https://www.socialworkers.org/studentevents

02/21/2026

Protecting Social Work’s Future: A Federal Advocacy Training

Monday, February 23 at 1:00pm (EST) via Zoom

The Department of Education has proposed a rule change that would remove social work from the "professional degree" classification. This change threatens federal student loan eligibility for MSW students and creates massive financial barriers for a workforce already in high demand. Join us to learn how to submit an effective public comment to ensure social work remains affordable and accessible. Participants will have time to work on their testimony during the session.

Speakers:

Shannon Lane, PhD - Director, Nancy A. Humphreys Institute
for Political Social Work & Professor in Residence at UCONN School of Social Work

Sunnie Hodge - Policy Associate, Scholars Strategy Network

Emily Loveland, PhD - Assistant Professor, School of Social Work at California State University-San Bernardino

Gary Parker, PhD - President, Influencing Social Policy

Register for free online at - http://tinyurl.com/mswcomment

02/21/2026

UConn researcher Sukhmani Singh’s new report to the Connecticut Sentencing Commission shows that people released under the state’s juvenile parole law have ...