Stony Brook University School of Social Work (SSW) Assistant Professor Kristen Brock-Petroshius, PhD, MSW, has been named a recipient of the 2024 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation. This award recognizes dissertations exemplifying high standards in social work research and scholarship.
Professor Brock-Petroshius was selected by the SSWR for her dissertation entitled “Changing Dominant Carceral Attitudes: A Community Organizing Field Experiment'', which exemplifies the design and conduct of quality research by doctoral-level social workers and targets cutting-edge topics vital to contemporary social work research. Professor Brock-Petroshius presented the findings from her study at the SSWR conference in January.
“The selection of Professor. Brock-Petroshius as a recipient of the prestigious Society for Social Work and Research Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award not only recognizes the truly exceptional quality and impact of her research, but also acknowledges the pragmatic and translational value of her innovative methods, grounded in community organizing theory and practice,” said Dean of the School of Social Work Shari Miller, PhD. “As a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the School of Social Welfare, Dr. Brock-Petroshius’ work not only reflects the values of the SSW and the social work profession, but it paves the way for social work research and scholarship that inform the unraveling of structural inequities, leading to transformative societal change.“
"It is an honor to be recognized for this important study demonstrating how we can use strategic community organizing interventions to increase support for racial equity policies,” said Professor Brock-Petroshius. “This work is an example of strong community partnership science to effect policy and structural change."
Professor Brock-Petroshius’ areas of research includes community organizing & policy practice; racial justice policies; anti-carceral social work; attitude change interventions; and race, ethnicity and politics field experiments. She earned her PhD and MSW from the University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin School of Public Affairs, Department of Social Welfare and her BA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Sociology with a minor in Gender & Women’s Studies.