Kirk Foster

Discipline:

Social Work

Geographical Expertise:

Western Hemisphere

Dr. Kirk A. Foster is associate professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the College of Social Work, University of South Carolina (USA). Dr. Foster’s research focuses on poverty, community development, social capital, and collective action. He uses community-based research methods to examine how residents of urban neighborhoods mobilize resources to address community development issues. Dr. Foster teaches in the area of community practice, human behavior, and community-engaged research. He uses community-based teaching and learning to facilitate student acquisition of community and organizational practice competencies, and has received several teaching awards. His co-authored book, Chasing the American Dream (Oxford University Press, 2014) was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Book Award from the Society for Social Work and Research. Dr. Foster was a local church pastor for over 10 years, serving congregations in Ferguson, Missouri, and St. Louis, Missouri. He is a graduate of Eden Theological Seminary (MDiv) and the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis (MSW & PhD).