Jennifer Scott

Jennifer Scott

Associate Professor

Office: 3212 Huey P. Long Fieldhouse
Phone: 225-578-0433
E-mail: jenscott@lsu.edu

Education 

PhD, Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 2016
M.Int.Aff., International Affairs, Columbia University, 2010
MS, Social Work, Columbia University, 2010
BS, Biology & Philosophy, Trinity University, 2001

Brief Biography 

Jen Scott is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Louisiana State University. Her research focuses on understanding how economic and political marginalization affect wellbeing and health. Specifically, how the social determinants of economic access (i.e. work, non-cash economic support, residence) and (im)migration (legal status in particular) status affect individual, family and community wellbeing and health outcomes. Dr. Scott investigates research questions using quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. She also conducts Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) projects that are driven by questions emerging from communities, one example being the Communities Organizing for Power through Empathy (COPE) project.

Dr. Scott currently teaches social policy, community organizing, and diversity related courses in the School of Social Work and is the Coordinator of the Graduate Specialization in Policy & Macro Practice. She has also developed and led a graduate level study abroad program to Concepcion, Chile, and is actively exploring other international education possibilities.

Jen joined the LSU faculty after completing her PhD in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin where she was a Graduate Student Fellow in the Urban Ethnography Lab and the Population Research Center, and earned a visiting Graduate Student Fellowship at the Center for Poverty & Inequality Research at the University of California, Davis. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW) and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Philosophy from Trinity University. Jen has had the great privilege of expanding her understanding globally by working and learning with people in China, Peru, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and many places in between. She speaks fluent Spanish (and makes an attempt at other languages) and has been working with the immigrant, and particularly the Latino immigrant, community in the United States for more than a decade.

Selected Publications 

Scott, J. (2024). Maria: Obligated by Circumstances In Auyero, J. (Editor) Portraits of Persistence: Inequality and Hope in Latin America. Austin: The University of Texas Press.

Scott, J., Gerson, P., & Wooten, C.* (2023). Decarceration to Detention: The Political Economy of Mass-Incarceration in Louisiana. Geoforum, 146, 103851. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2023.103851

Scott, J., Lee-Johnson, N.M.,* & Danos, D. (2023, online 2022). Place, race and case: Racial and economic segregation and COVID-19 in Louisiana. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 10(2):775-787. DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01265-y.

Scott, J. (2023, online 2021). La Lucha: Framing the struggle for survival, double consciousness and the economy of identity for undocumented Latinos. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 49(13), 3492-3510. DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2021.1987204.

Powell, T., Scott, J., Yuma, P., & Hsiao, Y. (2022). Surviving the Storm: A pragmatic non-randomized examination of a brief intervention for disaster affected health and social care providers. Health and Social Care in the Community, 30(6). DOI: 10.1111/hsc.14059.

Scott, J., Hale, J.M. & Padilla, Y. (2021). Immigration status and farmwork: Understanding the wage and income gap across U.S. policy and economic eras, 1989-2016. Population Research and Policy Review, 40(5), 861-893. DOI: 10.1007/s11113-021-09652-9.

Todic, J. & Scott, J. (2021). Unincorporated health: Understanding residents' perspectives on factors impacting their health and emergent place-based solutions. Social Work in Public Health, 36(3), 317-329. DOI: 10.1080/19371918.2021.1900976.

Scott, J., Danos, D., Collins, R., Simonsen, N., Leonardi, C., Scribner, R. & Herd, D. (2020). Structural racism in the built environment: Segregation and the overconcentration of alcohol outlets. Health & Place, 64, 102385. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102385.

Scott, J., Edwards, K. & Stanczyk, A. (2020). Moonlighting to the side hustle: The effect of working an extra job on household poverty for households with less formal education. Families in Society, 101(3), 324-339. DOI: 10.1177/1044389420910664.

Berger Cardoso, J., Scott, J., Faulkner, M., & Barros Lane, L. (2018). Parenting in the context of deportation risk. Journal of Marriage and Family, 80, 301-316. DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12463.

Scott, J., Boggess, B. & Timm, E. (2018). Ensuring the right to rest: City ordinances and access to rest breaks for workers in the construction industry. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(4), 331-336. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001203.

Scott, J. (2015). Xiomara: Working towards home In Auyero, J. (Editor) Invisible in Austin: Life and labor in an American City. Austin: The University of Texas Press. www.theothersidesofaustin.com.

Deepak, A., Rountree, M., & Scott, J. (2015). Delivering diversity and social justice education: The power of context. Journal of Progressive Human Services: Radical Thought & Practice, 26(2): 107-125. DOI: 10.1080/10428232.2015.1017909.

Padilla, Y., Scott, J. & Lopez, O. (2014). Economic insecurity and access to the social safety net among Latino farmworker families. Social Work, 59(2): 157-165.

Selected Presentations

Scott, J., Lee-Johnson, N.M.* & Powell, T. (February, 2024). Communities organizing for power through empathy. Paper presented at the Gulf of Mexico Conference (GOMCON). Tampa, FL.

Scott, J., & Brevé Ferrari, A.* (January, 2023). Healthcare Access and Immigrants in the Gulf South in the Times of COVID-19. Paper presented at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) Annual Conference. Phoenix, AZ.

Scott, J., Chen., Z.,& Lee-Johnson, N.* (January, 2023). Policy Practice Pedagogy: A Systematic Review of Literature on Teaching Social Work Policy. Poster presented at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) Annual Conference. Phoenix, AZ.

Scott, J., & Siddique, S.* (August, 2022). Mapping the relationship between temporary work and social vulnerability. Paper presented at the American Sociological Association (ASA) Annual Meeting. Los Angeles, California.

Scott, J., Lee-Johnson, N.* & Danos, D. (January, 2022). Spatial Analysis of Racial & Economic Disparities in COVID-19 Infection in Louisiana. Paper presented at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) Annual Conference. Washington, D.C.

Scott, J., Boggess, B. & Wooten, C.* (January, 2021). Essential (Guest)Workers: Contemporary Trends in U.S. H2 Employment Programs. Poster presented at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) Annual Conference. Virtual.

Garibay, E.* & Scott, J. (January, 2021). Falling on Deaf Ears: Cultural Competence in Social Workers. Poster presented at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) Annual Conference. Virtual.

Scott, J. (August, 2020). La Lucha: Frames, emotion, identity and the double consciousness of undocumented Latinxs. Paper presented at the American Sociological Association (ASA) Annual Meeting. Virtual.

Scott, J., Todic, J., Neal, D. & Cubbin, C. (November, 2019). Anticipating the storm: Building community resilience to disaster by targeting social determinants of health prior to the disaster. Paper to be presented at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Scott, J. (August, 2019). Palancas: The structure and function of social ties. Paper presented at the American Sociological Association (ASA) Annual Meeting. New York City, New York.

Selected Grants/Funded Projects

Reducing Disparities in Disaster-Related Mental Health Burden: Adapting a multi-level intervention to build community-based response (PI). (2022). Gulf Research Program, National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine ($999,992). Co-Is: Tara Powell, University of Illinois U-C, Khalid Hudson, Together Baton Rouge

Community Research for Organizing (PI). (2022). Detroit Urban Research Center, University of Michigan ($2,000). Co-I: Khalid Hudson, Together Baton Rouge

Seeking Shelter from the Storm (Co-PI). (2022). National Sea Grant Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ($50,000). Co-PIs: Niki Pace, Matt Bethel & James Wilkins, Louisiana Sea Grant

Guestwork in Louisiana (PI). (2020). Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health Pilot Projects University of Texas - Houston, School of Public Health ($19,939)

Louisiana Policy Project (PI). (2018). Council on Social Work Education, Policy Practice in Field Education Initiative, $20,000

Bloomington-Placedo Improvement Project (Co-PI). Victoria County Public Health Department (2017), $4,000. Co-PI: Jelena Todic, The University of Texas at Austin

Selected Awards & Honors

Rising Faculty Research Award. (2023). Louisiana State University Alumni Association

Non-tenured Faculty Award (2023). Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Louisiana State University

Early Career Research Fellowship (2022 – 2024). Gulf Research Program, National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine

Early Career Investigator Award. (2022). College of Human Sciences and Education, Louisiana State University

LaDIA Faculty Fellow. (2022). Louisiana Sea Grant, Louisiana State University

Doctoral Fellows Award. (2015). Society for Social Work & Research

Eileen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship (2014-2015). National Association of Social Workers

P.E.O. International Graduate Scholar Award (2014-2015). International Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood

Doctoral Fellowship. (2014-2015). American Association of University Women Austin Branch

Current Professional/Community Service

Board of Directors, Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants (LORI)

Executive Committee (NASW-LA representative), Together Baton Rouge

Member, National Association of Social Workers-Louisiana (NASW-LA)

Select Media Mentions

Communities Organizing for Power through Empathy (COPE)

Invisible in Austin Website:

Regarding Bloomington-Placedo Improvement Project:

Courses Taught

MSW: Social Welfare History and Policy; Advanced Social Policy; Community Organizing; Human Diversity and Oppression

PhD: Issues in Policy Research

 

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