• Professor, George Warren Brown School of Social Work

Mark Rank

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• Ph.D. in Sociology at University of Wisconsin, Madison

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Holiday cheer or holiday hunger? Nearly half of all U.S. children will use food stamps, says poverty expert Nov. 2, 2009 -- Holidays and tables full of delicious food usually go hand in hand, but for nearly half of the children in the United States, this is not guaranteed. "49 percent of all U.S. children will be in a household that uses food stamps at some point during their childhood," says Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., poverty expert at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. "Food stamp use is a clear sign of poverty and food insecurity, two of the most detrimental economic conditions affecting a child's health." Rank's study, "Estimating the Risk of Food Stamp Use and Impoverishment During Childhood," is published in the current issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Video available.

Economic racial divide in the U.S. — Are we over race? Widening gap exists in key factors for economic well-being, according to new study July 15, 2009 -- "With President Obama now approaching six months in office, some have suggested that we have gone beyond race as a major dividing line in society. Yet nothing could be further from the truth," says Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis. "One of the fundamental fault lines in American society continues to be the ongoing racial disparities in economic well-being." Using 30 years of data, Rank examined three key factors in attaining economic well-being: owning a home and building equity; attaining affluence and avoiding poverty; and possessing enough assets to survive economic turmoil, or a "rainy day fund." "The results indicate that within each area, the economic racial divide across the American life course is immense," Rank says.

Multimedia coverage from television to twitter WUSTL professors offer analysis on election night Nov. 4, 2008 -- Election night media coverage will feature three professors from Washington University on KETC-TV, Channel 9. The professors will be among local political experts and citizens invited to participate in the station's multimedia collaboration with the St. Louis Beacon, an online journal.

The fragility of the "American Dream" New research reveals surprising lifetime risk of economic insecurity among Americans April 30, 2008 -- Recent economic events have shaken the confidence of many Americans with respect to their ability to achieve the "American dream." "With rising numbers of home foreclosures, job cuts, and loss of savings, more Americans are encountering severe periods of economic risk and insecurity in their lives," says Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., poverty expert and professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis.

A question too many ask: Will I go hungry? High rates of food insecurity, food stamp use show Americans' economic vulnerability, says social welfare expert Sept. 22, 2004 -- Many Americans are faced with the fear of going hungry. Most Americans don't think they'll ever be faced with the question of how they will get their next meal, but a recent study co-authored by a social welfare expert at Washington University in St. Louis shows that at least 42 percent of the U.S. population will deal with food insecurity during their lifetime. "Food insecurity goes beyond the fear of going hungry," explains Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare at the university's George Warren Brown School of Social Work. "Food insecurity means that people are unable to provide themselves and their families nutritionally adequate food on a regular basis.

Beyond the war on terrorism Eliminating American poverty tied to homeland security, says poverty expert May 4, 2004 -- Although the focus of homeland security has been on reducing the threat of terrorism, the growing threat of poverty is rapidly undermining the nation's economic vitality and has fueled rising disillusionment, says one of the nation's leading scholars of poverty issues. "We need to wake up in America and realize that our homeland security is tied as much if not more to the fact that huge numbers of Americans are being left behind economically, and that as a result, the American Dream is quickly turning into an American nightmare," says Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare at Washington University in St. Louis.

St. Louis and beyond Inequalities in schools and neighborhoods focus of daylong conference Feb. 27 Feb. 18, 2004 -- Social inequalities in schools and neighborhoods will be addressed by leading national scholars as well as prominent local scholars, experts and activists during a daylong conference Feb. 27 at Washington University. WUSTL's Program in Social Thought & Analysis (STA) in Arts & Sciences is sponsoring the conference, titled "Inequalities in Schools & Neighborhoods: St. Louis and Beyond."

Impact of inequality Lecture series at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work to explore economic inequality in American society Jan. 9, 2004 -- As part of Washington University's Sesquicentennial celebration, Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work (GWB), will host a lecture series titled "Exploring the Impact of Economic Inequality Upon American Society." The series will kick off Jan. 21 with a lecture by Ichiro Kawachi, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and director of the Harvard Center for Society and Health, on ""Why Inequality is Harmful to Your Health," at 1:10 p.m. in Brown Hall Lounge.

Going to the altar pays off Americans have the best chance of becoming wealthy if they marry but remain childless, study shows Nov. 6, 2003 -- Photo courtesy of Tom Paule Photography Marrying for love ... and money. Becoming wealthy and creating a happy family are two key components to achieving the American Dream, but do marriage and children have any impact on your chances of becoming rich? "Marriage substantially increases a person's likelihood of becoming affluent," says Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis and co-author of a study out this month that looks at earnings over the course of a person's lifetime. "Having children, however, significantly lowers the probability of becoming wealthy for all people," Rank adds.

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Professor Rank is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Annual Faculty Teaching Award from the Council of Students of Arts and Sciences, the Feldman Award from the Groves Conference on Marriage and the Family, the Founders Day Distinguished Faculty Award from the Washington University Alumni Board of Governors, the Faculty Award to Improve Learning from the William T. Kemper Foundation, and the Outstanding Research Award from the Society for Social Work and Research. He has also been listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who Among America's Teachers: The Best Teachers in America Selected by the Best Students.

Dr. Rank's research has been reported in a wide range of outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Voice of America, National Public Radio, and Good Morning America. He has provided his research expertise to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as many national organizations involved in issues of economic and social justice.