Benjamin J. Lough
Assistant Professor
Office location: 2125
Phone number: (217) 244-5242
Email: bjlough@illinois.edu
Educational Background
Professor Lough earned his BS in Sociology in 2000 and his MSW in 2003 from Brigham Young University, and his PhD in 2010 from the George W. Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Lough has extensive international research experience, having recently served as a resident consultant to the United Nations in Germany, an independent consultant to the Department of Human and Social Services of American Samoa, program evaluator for Mayan Tree in Guatemala, and program evaluator for the Foundation for International and Community Assistance in Armenia and the Republic of Georgia. In addition to considerable research and teaching experience, Dr. Lough also worked as a clinical social worker.
Teaching, Research and Practice Interests
Dr. Lough joins the University of Illinois School of Social Work from the Washington University, George W. Brown School of Social Work, where he taught Social Welfare Policies & Services, and Social Work Practice in the Social, Economic & Political Environment. He currently teaches Social Work Practice with Organizations and Communities at the University of Illinois School of Social Work. His research interests include: community development, international volunteering and service, nonprofit management, and social work education. His teaching interests include: social welfare policy practice, community practice, international social work, advanced statistics, and evaluation of programs and services.
Current Research
In 2011, Dr. Lough received a grant from the American Jewish World Service to assess the impacts of service-learning programs on participants’ civic engagement, philanthropic giving, and Judaism’s imperatives to pursue justice and enhance human rights. He is also engaged in an experimental study, in collaboration with the Brookings Institution and OmniMed, to assess the contributions of Village Health Teams to public health and local capacity in rural Uganda. In addition, Dr. Lough continues to work with the Center for Social Development on a longitudinal study assessing the impacts of international volunteerism on communities, host organizations, and volunteers.
Recent Publications
Ackerson, B.J. (in press). Coping With the Dual Demands of Psychiatric Disability and Parenting: The Parents’ Perspective. In A.E. Fortune (Ed.) Qualitative Research in Social Work (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
Ackerson, B.J. (in press). Coping With the Dual Demands of Psychiatric Disability and Parenting: The Parents’ Perspective. In A.E. Fortune (Ed.) Qualitative Research in Social Work (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
Ackerson, B.J. (in press). Coping With the Dual Demands of Psychiatric Disability and Parenting: The Parents’ Perspective. In A.E. Fortune (Ed.) Qualitative Research in Social Work (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
Lough, B. J., McBride, A. M., & Sherraden, M. S. (2011). Measuring international service outcomes: Implications for international social work field placements. Journal of Social Work Education, pagination pending.
Lough, B. J., McBride, A. M., Sherraden, M. S., & O’Hara, K. (2011). Capacity building contributions of short-term international volunteers. Journal of Community Practice, 19(2), 120-137.
Lough, B. J. (2011). Intercultural volunteers’ perceptions of intercultural competence. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(4), 452-64.
Brassard, C., Sherraden, M. S., Lough, B. J. (2010). Emerging perspectives on international volunteerism in Asia. Singapore: International FORUM on Development Service and the Singapore International Foundation.
McBride, A. M., & Lough, B. J. (2010). Access to international volunteerism. Nonprofit Management and Leadership Journal, 21(2), 195-208.
McBride, A. M., Lough, B. J., & Sherraden, M. S. (2010). Perceived impacts of international service on volunteers: Interim results from a quasi-experimental study. Washington DC: Brookings Institution & Center for Social Development.
Lough, B. J. (2009). Perpetual Education Fund: Providing higher education loans in the voluntary sector. International Journal of Educational Development, 30(4), 345-50.
Lough, B. J. (2009). Principles of effective practice in international social work field placements.Journal of Social Work Education, 45(3), 467-80.
Lough, B. J., McBride, A. M., & Sherraden, M. S. (2009). Tools of the trade: The internationalvolunteer impacts survey. The International Journal of Volunteer Administration, 26(3),71-75.
Lough, B. J. (2009). Curricular blueprinting: The relevance of American social work education for international students. Social Work Education, 28(7), 792-802.
Sherraden, M. S., Lough, B. J., & McBride, A. M. (2008). Effects of international volunteeringand service: Individual and institutional predictors. Voluntas: The International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations, 19(4), 395-421.
Lough, B. J. (2008). Engaging the poor to challenge corrupt governance. International SocialWork, 51(4), 532-543.