Shannon Lane, PhD

Director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work, Professor in Residence

Ph.D., University of Connecticut
MSW, University of Michigan
BA, The George Washington University

I began my career working for the United States Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle while still an undergraduate at the George Washington University.  I received my MSW from the University of Michigan and returned to Capitol Hill to work for Senators Daschle, Pryor, and Nelson.  In 2004, I moved to Connecticut to start a career in social work academia, research, and advocacy. I received my PhD from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work in 2009, and my dissertation examined the experiences of social workers who ran for political office.

Since 2004, I have been affiliated with the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work.  With that team, I help to coordinate and evaluate the Campaign School for Social Workers, a two-day training that has trained nearly 3,000 social work students and professionals from around the country to run for political office and hold leadership positions in political settings.

I teach a variety of classes including policy, research, community practice, and macro practice, and grantwriting.