Jennifer Scott

Jennifer Scott

Associate Professor

Office: 3212 Huey P. Long Fieldhouse
Phone: 225-578-0433
E-mail: jenscott@lsu.edu

Education 

PhD, Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 2016
M.Int.Aff., International Affairs, Columbia University, 2010
MS, Social Work, Columbia University, 2010
BS, Biology & Philosophy, Trinity University, 2001

Brief Biography 

Jen Scott is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Louisiana State University. Her research focuses on understanding how economic and political marginalization (or exclusion) affect community and individual wellbeing and health. Specifically, how the social determinants of economic access (i.e. work, non-cash economic support, residence) and immigration status (particularly legal status) affect individual, family and community wellbeing and health outcomes. Dr. Scott is a mixed methods researcher, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches as well as conducting investigations that employ a single approach.

Dr. Scott currently teaches social policy and diversity related courses in the School of Social Work. She received a grant from CSWE to help expand policy field opportunities for social work students. She also developed and led a graduate level study abroad program to Concepcion, Chile, and is actively exploring other international education possibilities.

Jen joined the LSU faculty after completing her PhD in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin where she was a Graduate Student Fellow in the Urban Ethnography Lab and the Population Research Center, and where she also spent a quarter as a Graduate Student Fellow in the Center for Poverty Research at the University of California, Davis. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Philosophy from Trinity University. Jen has had the great privilege of expanding her understanding globally by working with and learning from people in China, Peru, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and many other places in between. She speaks Spanish (and makes a poor attempt at other languages) and has been working with the immigrant, and particularly the Latino immigrant, community in the United States for more than a decade.

Selected Publications 

Negi, N., Roth, B., Held, M., Scott, J. & Boyas, J. (2018). Social workers must stand up for immigrant rights: Strategies for action. Social Work, 63(4), 373–376.

Scott, J. & Caceres, A. (2018). Sanctuary and Social Work: Navigating moral and legal contradictions. Social Work & Christianity, 45(4), 61-82.

Berger Cardoso, J., Scott, J., Faulkner, M., & Barros Lane, L. (2018). Parenting in the context of deportation risk. Journal of Marriage and Family, 80, 301-316.

Scott, J., Boggess, B. & Timm, E. (2018). Ensuring the right to rest: City ordinances and access to rest breaks for workers in the construction industry. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(4), 331-336.

Ferdinand, R., Torres, R., Scott, J., Saeed, I., & Scribner, R. (2017). Incentivizing fruit and vegetable purchasers at fresh markets in Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans. Ethnicity and Disease, 27(Suppl 1), 287-294.

Scott, J. (2015). Xiomara: Working towards home In Auyero, J. (Editor) Invisible in Austin: Life and labor in an American City. Austin: The University of Texas Press. www.theothersidesofaustin.com.

Deepak, A., Rountree, M., & Scott, J. (2015). Delivering diversity and social justice education: The power of context. Journal of Progressive Human Services: Radical Thought & Practice, 26(2): 107-125.

Scott, J., Faulkner, M., Berger Cardoso, J. & Bernstein, J. (2014). Kinship care and undocumented Latino children: An examination of the child-welfare and immigration systems overlap in Texas. Child Welfare.

Padilla, Y., Scott, J. & Lopez, O. (2014). Economic insecurity and access to the social safety net among Latino farmworker families. Social Work, 59(2): 157-165.

Berger Cardoso, J. Dettlaff, A., Finno, M., Scott, J., & Faulkner, M. (2014). Nativity and immigration status among Latino families involved in the child welfare system: Characteristics, risk, and maltreatment. Children and Youth Services Review, 44, 189-200.

Selected Presentations

Scott, J., Todic, J., Neal, D. & Cubbin, C. (upcoming November, 2019). Anticipating the storm: Building community resilience to disaster by targeting social determinants of health prior to the disaster. Paper to be presented at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Scott, J. (August, 2019). Palancas: The structure and function of social ties. Paper presented at the American Sociological Association (ASA) Annual Meeting. New York City, New York.

Scott, J. & Aronson, L. (August, 2019). Becoming Witness: Developing Expert Witnesses, Enhancing Interprofessional Relationships and Shifting Attitudes in an Unwelcoming Context. Paper presented at the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) Annual Meeting. New York City, New York.

Scott, J., Danos, D., Collins, R., Simensen, N., Leonardi, C. & Scribner, R. (April, 2019). Origins of health disparities: Residential racial segregation and the overconcentration of alcohol outlets. Poster presented at the Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Conference. Austin, Texas.

Scott, J. & Chen, Z. (October, 2018). The pedagogy of policy practice: A systematic review of policy education literature. Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Conference. Orlando, Florida.

Scott, J. (August, 2018). La lucha: Making meaning from making ends meet for undocumented Latinos. Paper presented at the Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Scott, J., Hale, J.M., & Padilla, Y. (April, 2018). Undocumented and underpaid: Employment discrimination, immigration status and returns to employment for Mexican farmworkers. Poster presented at the Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Conference. Denver, Colorado.

Scott, J., Boggess, B., & Timm, E. (January, 2018). Reducing inequities in workplace safety through city ordinances: The impact of rest break ordinances on access to rest for workers in the construction industry. Paper presented at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) Annual Conference. Washington, D.C.

Scott, J. (January, 2017). Luchando para salir adelante: Economic migration, social ties and poverty resistance strategies of undocumented Latin American immigrants to Texas. Poster presented at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA.

Scott, J. & Caceres, A. (September, 2017). Sanctuary: Redefining borders. Paper presented at Contested Borderscapes: Transnational Geographies vis-à-vis Fortress Europe. Mytilene-Lesvos, Greece.

Boggess, B. & Scott, J. (October, 2016). Fighting for water breaks in Texas' construction industry. Paper to be presented at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Conference. Denver, Colorado.

Scott, J., Stanczyk, A. & Edwards, K. (November, 2015). Moonlighting to make ends meet: The impact of multiple job holding on family economic wellbeing. Poster presented at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Annual Conference. Miami, Florida.

Selected Grants/Funded Projects

Building Opportunities: Argentina Research & Practice Experiences on Indigeneity and Migration & Chile Exchange. Dean’s Internationalization Grant Award (2019), College of Human Sciences and Education, $4,455

An evaluation of a tiered approach to increase well-being in healthcare and social service providers in a post-disaster context: Texas and Puerto Rico. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation award to Americares (2018), total from RWJF: $112,800; to LSU: $32,977. Co-Principal Investigators: Tara Powell, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Paula Yuma, Colorado State University

Building a Competent Immigrant Advocacy Community. Peabody Society Dean's Circle Grant (2018), College of Human Sciences and Education, $3,000. Co-Principal Investigator: Lauren Aronson, Louisiana State University

Louisiana Policy Project (2018). Council on Social Work Education, Policy Practice in Field Education Initiative, $20,000

Bloomington-Placedo Improvement Project. Victoria County Public Health Department (2017), $4,000. Co-Principal Investigator: Jelena Todic, The University of Texas at Austin

Awards & Honors

Charles Barkley Health Disparities Research Investigator Award (2nd Place, 2018). University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Health Disparities Research Symposium, $150

NIH Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program Award (2017). National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), $63,000. Mentor: Dr. Richard Scribner, MPH, LSUHSC; Project: Economic & racial segregation and health outcomes

Doctoral Fellows Award. (2015). Society for Social Work & Research, $3,000

Graduate Student Fellow. (2015). Center for Poverty Research, University of California-Davis, $8,000

Eileen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship (2014-2015). National Association of Social Workers, $15,000

Graduate School Named/Endowed Continuing Fellowship. (2014-2015). The University of Texas at Austin, $38,000

P.E.O. International Graduate Scholar Award (2014-2015). International Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, $15,000

Doctoral Fellowship. (2014-2015). American Association of University Women Austin Branch, $2,500 

Professional/Community Service

Member (2018-present), Baton Rouge Immigrant Rights Coalition

Board of Directors (2013-2016), Interpreter (2011, 2013), Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera

Founding Member (2012–2015) Austin Language Justice Collective 

Workers Rights Advocate (2010–2014) Workers Defense Project 

Media Mentions

Invisible in Austin Website:

Regarding Bloomington-Placedo Improvement Project:

Courses Taught

MSW: Social Welfare History and Policy; Advanced Social Policy; Human Diversity and Oppression

PhD: Issues and Research Problems in Social Policy; Teaching Internship