Professor Dennis Culhane

The Dana and Andrew Stone Professor of Social Policy, SP2

University of Pennsylvania, USA

Dennis Culhane is the Dana and Andrew Stone Professor of Social Policy at the School of Social Policy and Practice at The University of Pennsylvania, a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Population Studies, and the Director of Research for the National Center on Homelessness among Veterans at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Culhane is a nationally recognized social science researcher with primary expertise in the field of homelessness. He is a leader in the integration of administrative data for research and directs the Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy initiative, a MacArthur-funded project to promote the development of integrated database systems by state and local governments for policy analysis and systems reform. His homelessness work has positioned him as an early innovator in the use of administrative data for research and policy analysis, particularly for populations and program impacts which are difficult to assess and track. Culhane’s work has resulted in federal legislation requiring all cities and states to develop administrative data systems for tracking homeless services in order to receive HUD funding.  His work has also been instrumental in a national shift in how cities address chronic homelessness and family homelessness. Culhane’s recent research includes studies of the aging homeless population and vulnerable youth and young adults, including those transitioning from foster care, juvenile justice, and residential treatment services.