Michael Reisch, a professor of social work at the University of Michigan, addressed CUSSW’s graduating Master’s and Doctoral students at this year’s commencement exercise sheld on May 19th. 

Dr. Reisch teaches a number of courses, including the history and philosophy of social welfare and social work values and ethics at the University of Michigan.  These macro courses tie in with his diverse research interests, namely, the impact of welfare reform on community-based nonprofit organizations and their use of cultural activities to promote community development and change as well as the history of politics, radicalism and multicultural populations in social work.

Today, Dr. Reisch’s scholarly interests focus primarily on the development of social work methods, the political landscape of social work, a multicultural history of U.S. social work as well as ethical issues in community-based research, practice and education. Dr. Reisch was the president of Children Now, a California-based national research and advocacy organization, from August 2002 through December 2003.

Dr. Reisch serves on the editorial boards of many notable publications, including: Social Work, the Journal of Community Practice, the Journal of Progressive Human Services, the Jewish Social Work Forum, New Global Development, and The Neighborhood Centers and Community-based Services Journal.  He co-authored “From Charity to Enterprise: The Development of American Social Work in a Market Economy and Social Work in the 21st Century.” He has edited volumes of the Millennium Project, and Social Work Education, New and Innovative Approaches to Community Organization Practice, The Political Economy of Social Work and The Future of Nonprofit Management and the Human Services. He authored "The Road Not Taken: A History of Radical Social Work in the United States" and "For the Common Good" and has at least two book projects currently in the works, "U.S. Social Policy in an Era of Change" and "Politics and Social Work," the latter which is being published by Columbia University Press. Dr. Reisch is also one of the editors on the forthcoming "Handbook of Community Practice."  

Dr. Reisch received his B.A. in History (New York University), as well as his M.A. (State University of New York, Binghamton), his M.S.W. in Administration and Social Policy (Hunter) and his PhD in Modern European Social History (State University of New York, Binghamton). 

Lisa Ferri
Published: April 28, 2004
Last Updated: June 2, 2004