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Profiles of Recent Graduates: Qin Gao

Name: Qin Gao

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, New York, NY

CUSSW degree and specialization: Ph.D., Social Work. Concentration in Social Policy & Policy Analysis, October 2005.

Dissertation title: The Chinese Social Benefit System and its Impact on Income Inequality: From 1988 to 2002. Sponsor: Irwin Garfinkel

Experience in the doctoral program: "The doctoral study at CUSSW has been a challenging, exciting, and probably the most rewarding experience that I've ever had. During the four years of study, I was fortunate to have received rigorous training, met great people, enjoyed many aspects of this experience, and grown from a student to a young scholar.

"The rigorous training in the doctoral program was provided through a combination of coursework, research practicum, teaching and research assistantship, and many interdisciplinary seminars. The coursework during the first two years helped to build a strong foundation. Working on research projects under the supervision of faculty members was crucial in introducing me to the craft of research. Being a teaching assistant began to prepare me to one day become a professor myself. The interdisciplinary seminars that were held frequently exposed me to new developments in social science theories, research methods, and debates.

"Probably the greatest of all aspects of ...doctoral study was the great people that I met in those four years. I have been very fortunate to have gotten to know, received training and guidance from, and to have worked with some great mentors during [my studies]. They are dedicated teachers and advisors. They conduct outstanding research, thriving for not only high-quality scientific work, but also positive changes in social work policy and practice in the real world. Their impact on me definitely goes beyond the excellent education they provided. They have been and will continue to be my role models in the many years to come.

"I have also been fortunate to know many other colleagues, friends, and peer students during the doctoral study. There were so many beautiful moments that we shared together — the cheering for each other, the stimulating dialogues, the sympathy for difficulties and losses, the sharing of insights, stories and laughter ...I am thankful that I had this journey with these great peers, and I am inspired knowing that they will be with me in this new chapter ...as researchers, professors, policy makers, and practitioners."

Description of current research: Dr. Gao's current research centers on the impact of social policies on poverty, inequality, and family economic well-being. Specifically, she is working on two research projects. The first examines the changing social benefit system in China and its impact on poverty and income inequality. This project has been supported by a Junior Scholar Grant from the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange and a Social Policy Award from the Horowitz Foundation. The second project explores the associations between welfare reform as well as other recent policy changes, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)policy and Food Stamps, and expenditures among low-income families in the U.S. Her work on the EITC has been supported by a Young Investigator Development Grant from the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research.