Biography

• My research focuses on improving public systems to better support the transition to adulthood for all youth. 

• My teaching focuses on inspiring students to become social workers with the passion and skills to address systemic inequities.

My work is inspired by the diverse youth and families I have worked with through my direct practice experiences. My previous work experiences include working with youth involved with the juvenile justice system (Restorative Justice Project in East San Jose, California & Adolescent Portable Therapy in New York City) and homeless and marginally housed youth (Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco, California). These youth were smart, talented, and resilient, and had the potential to make valuable contributions to society. Instead, many of these youth reached adulthood unprepared to be independent despite their prior contact with a public system. 

I joined the UB School of Social Work in Fall 2023. Prior to UB, I was a faculty member in George Mason University’s Department of Social Work for 10 years. While at Mason, I co-developed and co-directed the Social Work integrative Research Lab (SWiRL), was awarded the Master Teacher Award for a senior faculty member in 2023 and earned my graduate certificate in Computational Social Science in 2021.

I am a faculty affiliate at the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!) and the Center for Social Complexity.

If you have shared interests and are interested in connecting, please reach out: joannlar@buffalo.edu.