Jennie Vengris

Associate Professor, Social Work

My research experience and interests revolve primarily around housing and homelessness – especially the complex intersection of personal and structural risk and protective factors in individuals’ and communities’ experiences of homelessness. I am interested in advocacy efforts that demand comprehensive housing policies and am interested in how to meaningfully incorporate an equity analysis in housing policy. Finally, I am interested in community food security – especially how communities participate in responding to poverty-related hunger and how community food security can exist without undermining the need for policy/structural solutions.

As the newest member of the Field Education team, I have been engaged to develop new, innovative Field Education opportunities for undergraduate students particularly in the areas of community development, community based research, social justice and grassroots advocacy. Alongside this Field Education development, I will be teaching community and policy based social work practice courses.