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Katie E. Richards-Schuster

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Strategic Initiatives and Associate Professor of Social Work

Katie E. Richards-Schuster

Katie Richards-Schuster, AM, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She received her doctorate in Social Work and Sociology from the University of Michigan and her AM from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration.

Her research focuses on understanding the strategies and approaches for engaging young people in communities, the contexts and environments that facilitate youth engagement across settings, and the impact of youth participation in creating community change. She is a leading scholar in using participatory research and evaluation approaches with young people and communities. She has written multiple peer-review articles and book chapters and has led community-engaged and national projects focused on youth participation. She has presented on youth participation in national and international conferences and co-chairs the Youth Focused Evaluation group within the American Evaluation Association.

Current projects include an evaluation of a system-wide youth participatory evaluation within a large urban school district, a youth-led community assessment and data dialogues project, and a project to distill best practices in youth participation within social work.

Dr. Richards-Schuster is also the Director of Undergraduate Minor Programs and is the founding director of the Community Action and Social Change undergraduate minor in the School of Social Work. This minor is the second largest at the University of Michigan and draws over 200 students from nine schools and colleges across campus.

Research Interests/Focus

Youth participation, youth engagement, community organizing, critical youth media, educational justice, social justice education and post-undergraduate social change work

Education

Year Degree   School
2005 PhD Social Work and Sociology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1997 MA Social Service Administration University of Chicago, Illinois
1994 BA Political Science University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Year Description
2019 Teixeria, S., Augsberger, A. Richards-Schuster, K., & Sprague- Martinez, L. (2019). Participatory research with youth: Best practices for social work and lessons learned from experience. Society on Social Work Research, San Francisco, CA.
2018 Nicotera, N., Pritzker, S. & Richards-Schuster, K. (2018) Leadership through civic engagement: Lessons from research to inform youth-focused practice that promotes equal opportunity, equity and justice. Society for Social Work Research, Washington DC.
2018 Espitia, N., Rodems, R. & Richards-Schuster, K. (2018, January). Connecting ideals to actions: How definitions of social justice influence the civic engagement of undergraduate students. Society for Social Work Research, Washington DC.
2018 Richards-Schuster, K., Teixeria, S., Augsberger, A. & Sprague- Martinez, L. (2018, January). Engaging youth voice: Participatory strategies for achieving equity and justice. Society for Social Work Research, Washington DC.
2018 Ruffolo, M., Richards-Schuster, K., Hoffman, C. & Kwesele, C. (2018) The Global reach of Social Work: Exploring motivations and participation in the first known Social Work MOOC. Joint World Congress on Social Work, Education, and Social Development, Dublin, Ireland.
2018 Richards-Schuster, K., Roholt, R., Johnston-Goodstar, K. (2018) Critical youth participation: Models and possibilities. Joint World Congress on Social Work, Education, and Social Development, Dublin, Ireland.
2018 Richards-Schuster, K., Hiltz, B. & Ruffolo, M. (2018) Innovating practices to prepare students for graduate school: Lessons from a Social Work MOOC., Joint World Congress on Social Work, Education, and Social Development, Dublin, Ireland.
2018 Richards-Schuster, K (2018). Speaking their truth: Learning from youth evaluation efforts in communities (multi-paper, youth-engaged symposium^). American Evaluation Association Conference, Cleveland, OH.
2018 Richards-Schuster, K (2018). Engaging graduate students: Research in action. Council on Social Work Education APM, Orlando. FL.
2008 Dobbie, D., & Richards-Schuster, K. (2008). Building solidarity across difference: A model for critical multicultural practice. Presented at the 2008 Society for Social Work Research, Washington, DC.
2007 Richards-Schuster, K., & Dobbie, D. (2007). Building solidarity across difference: A model for critical multicultural practice. Presented at the 2007 Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, San Francisco, CA.
2006 Richards-Schuster, K. (2006). Creating civic spaces in low-income communities of color. Presented at the 2006 Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Chicago, IL.
2004 Richards-Schuster, K. (2004). Youth as evaluators. Presented at the Time Warner Foundation Youth Grantee Meeting, New York, NY.
2004 Richards-Schuster, K. (2004). Youth on boards: The Ann Arbor area community foundation experience. Presented at New Directions at Work/Youth on Boards, National Conference Call.
2004 Richards-Schuster, K. (2004). Youth and education reform. Presented at the Youth, Communities and Social Justice Conference, New York, NY.
2003 Richards-Schuster, K. (2003). Making a difference: The power of youth advisory councils. Presented at the What's in it for YOUth Forum, Westmoreland County, PA.
2002 Richards-Schuster, K. (2002). Community based research, ethics and the IRB: A roundtable discussion. Presented at the Qualitative Research Conference, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
2002 Richards-Schuster, K. (2002). What if we're serious? A case study of the Neutral Zone. Presented at the Community Research Network Conference, Chicago, IL.
2002 Richards-Schuster, K. (2002). What if we're serious? A case study of the Neutral Zone. Presented at the Compassionate Organization Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
2000 Richards-Schuster, K. (2000). Research and community: Participatory action research. Presented at the Department of Sociology Graduate Student Conference, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
2000 Richards-Schuster, K. (2000). Young people creating community change. Presented at the Youth Leadership Institute, San Francisco, CA.
2000 Richards-Schuster, K. (2000). Young people creating community change: First year findings. Presented at the School of Social Work Brown Bag Series, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
2000 Richards-Schuster, K. (2000). Young people creating community change. Presented at the Center for Urban Research and Learning/Policy Research Action Group, Loyola University, Chicago, IL.

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