Douglas Epps, Ph.D., MSW

Assistant Professor of Social Work

Phone: 253-535-7512

Email: depps@plu.edu

Office Location: Xavier Hall - 104

  • Professional
  • Biography

Education

  • PH.D., Social Work, University of California, Berkeley, 2024
  • MSW, Social Work, University of Washington, Tacoma, 2015
  • BA, (Dual Degree) Social Welfare & Psychology, University of Washington, Tacoma, 2013

Selected Publications

Books

  • Health Care Social Work: A Global Perspective (w/Lead Editor, Ren Winnett) (Oxford University Press 2019) : View Book
  • Detaining the Immigrant Other: Global Transnational Issues (Oxford University Press 2016) : View Book
  • The Immigrant Other: Lived Experiences in a Transnational World (Columbia University Press 2016) : View Book

Selected Articles

  • Epps, D. & Organista, K.. "Mitigating the Violence of Mass Immigration Detention Through Community-Based Case Management." Advances in Social Work Vol. 2323, 2023:
  • Epps, D. & Furman, R.. "The Alien 'Other': A Culture of Dehumanizing Immigrants in the United States." Social Work and Society Vol. 14, 2016:
  • Furman, R., Ackerman, A., Sanchez, M. & Epps, D.. "Immigration Detention Centers: Implications for Social Work." Smith College Studies in Social Work 2015:
  • Furman, R. Ackerman, A., Negi, N., Jones, S., Loya, M., Epps, D. & Mondragon, G. . "The Rise of Anti-Immigrant Policies: An Analysis of Three State Laws and Implications for Social Work." Intersectionalities 2014:

Accolades

  • Teaching Effectiveness Award, University of California, Berkeley (2021)

Biography

I received a dual BA in Social Work and Psychology and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington, Tacoma. I then spent several years in the Bay Area earning my PhD in Social Work from the University of California, Berkeley, before returning to the 253.

As a Tacoma native, the PNW is a part of me. I am in this role because I have a deep appreciation for the field of social work and the practitioners who dedicate their careers to improving people’s lives day in and day out. I’m grateful for the opportunity to support the next generation of social workers, in and out of the classroom, and to be engaged in the community I’ve always called home.

I also care deeply about my field of research. My dissertation used a survey experiment with a representative sample of the American electorate to learn how an inclusive messaging strategy centered on unity and fairness may influence eligible voters’ attitudes about immigration detention, community-based alternatives, and mobilizing collective action to support more humane migration management methods.

The unifying thread that runs through my research is a commitment to an ongoing interrogation and critique of immigration controls and enforcement, the increasing intertwinement with the criminal legal system, and the (over)use of human confinement in civil immigration matters. Underlying this critical engagement is an aim to cultivate the development of effective, actionable strategies, practices, and policies that prioritize and uphold the dignity and worth of all human beings.