Media Assistance: Jessica Martin Director, News & Information for the School of Law and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work jessica_martin@wustl.edu (314) 935-5251

• Professor, George Warren Brown School of Social Work (http://news-info.wustl.edu/group/page/normal/9.html)

Mark Rank

Download

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

News Stories & Tip Sheets:

Showing Stories 1 through 5 of 6.  - Show More

The fragility of the "American Dream" New research reveals surprising lifetime risk of economic insecurity among Americans (http://news-info.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/11487.html) 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 (http://news-info.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/3818.html) 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 (http://news-info.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/862.html) 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 (http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/705.html) 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 (http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/616.html) 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.

Showing Stories 1 through 5 of 6.  - Show More

Clips:

Showing Clips 1 through 3 of 4.  - Show More

Show More Clips

Retirement Cash: Will You Have Enough? Readers Digest (NY) Sept. 7, 2007 -- There's a gap between the dream of retirement and the reality Americans face. A recent study from WUSTL School of Social Work estimates that 4 out of 10 people over age 60 will fall below the poverty line at some point in their later years. Countless more will watch their dream retirement fade as they discover that their savings barely cover their immediate needs. But the prospect of fiscal free fall has yet to alter most Americans' behavior, and baby boomers are saving a scant third of what they'll need.

In N.Va., Let Down By a Rising Economy Washington Post, Seattle Times and 5 others Feb. 28, 2007 -- Article looks at a growing underside of the vibrant, rapidly shifting economy of northern Virginia, where the high cost of housing and the unpredictable nature of the job market can plunge workers into poverty and homelessness. The situation in northern Virginia is similar to those surfacing nationwide. WUSTL social work professor Mark Rank is one of the experts commenting.

America's 'near poor' are increasingly at economic risk, experts say The New York Times and 5 others May 8, 2006 -- Americans on the lower rungs of the economic ladder have always been exposed to sudden ruin. But in recent years, with the soaring costs of housing and medical care and a decline in low-end wages and benefits, tens of millions are living on even shakier ground than before, according to studies of what some scholars call the ''near poor.'' ''There's strong evidence that over the past five years, record numbers of lower-income Americans find themselves in a more precarious economic position than at any time in recent memory,'' said Mark R. Rank, a sociologist at WUSTL.

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.

Related Information Related Links: • Rank's Web page (http://gwbweb.wustl.edu/Faculty/FullTime/Pages/MarkRank.aspx) Related Groups: