Katie Richards-Schuster, PhD

Director of Undergraduate Minor Programs and Associate Professor of Social Work

Katie Richards-Schuster, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She received her doctorate in Social Work and Sociology from the University of Michigan and her AM from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. 

Her research focuses on understanding the strategies and approaches for engaging young people in communities, the contexts and environments that facilitate youth engagement across settings, and the impact of youth participation in creating community change. She is a leading scholar in using participatory research and evaluation approaches with young people and communities. She has written multiple peer-review articles and book chapters and has led community-engaged and national projects focused on youth participation. She has presented on youth participation in national and international conferences and co-chairs the Youth Focused Evaluation group within the American Evaluation Association.

Current Research Interests:

  • Youth participation
  • Youth engagement
  • Community organizing
  • Critical youth media
  • Educational justice
  • Social justice education
  • Post-undergraduate social change work

Website | Email | Phone: (734) 615-2118

Research Areas: Youth Development & Engagement, Community Organizing, Education, Higher Education, Social Justice,

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