Alumni spotlight on Yu-Ling Chang: Leveraging research to strengthen social safety nets
Dr. Yu-Ling Chang studies the relationships among poverty, inequality, and social safety net programs.
Drawing on her early experiences as a frontline social worker and her University of Washington (UW) doctoral training in social welfare and public policy — including a CSSS social work track — Dr. Chang works to bridge academic research and policy to better support families.
Chang, an assistant professor in the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley, spoke with CSSS about her academic journey and professional passions. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Question: What led you into your current work?
Answer: I earned my undergraduate and master's in social work at National Taiwan University. After graduating in 2006, I began my career as a frontline social worker at a local social welfare center in Taipei. My time there coincided with the 2008 global financial crisis, and my work was primarily serving low-income and economically vulnerable families. I witnessed many workers who had lost their jobs and started taking unpaid leave, and many families who fell through the cracks of the social safety net into poverty. I started wondering — how can government build more robust social safety-net systems?
Then, I received an award from the Taiwanese government to pursue a PhD in the United States. I chose UW because it has the West Coast Poverty Center (WCPC) and many faculty with expertise in income security and social welfare programs.
The UW School of Social Work’s emphasis on social justice and policy change resonated with me, and there were so many additional learning opportunities across campus. For example, I took additional courses at the Evans School and completed the CSSS track.
In my third year, I received a WCPC Social Policy Fellowship, which supported a one-year placement at the Washington State Budget & Policy Center. There, I gained firsthand policy-advocacy experience during the state legislative process, working on issues such as raising the minimum wage. That experience reaffirmed my commitment to use research as a tool for policy reform.
Initially, I had planned to return to Taiwan after my PhD, but life took another path when I received an offer from the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley. They were looking for a new assistant professor with expertise in poverty and inequality — a great fit. This position transformed my career trajectory because it allowed me to bridge academic research and social policy.
Now, I study social safety nets — like welfare, unemployment, and basic income — and how we can best support families to stabilize their lives and improve their economic well-being after job loss or important life events. My career goal is to use research to strengthen those social welfare programs to ensure no one falls through the cracks.
Q: How did you initially get involved with CSSS?
A: Discussing my study plan with my primary advisor and the PhD program chair, they encouraged me to pursue the CSSS certificate to strengthen my quantitative and methodological foundations, because they knew I was interested in poverty and public policy. So, I followed their advice!
One particularly relevant course was Elena Erosheva’s multivariate data analysis for social sciences (CSSS 589). It covered cluster analysis and principal-component analysis — methods that were essential for research I was doing with my advisor, Marcia Meyers. Together, we examined variation across the 50 states’ social safety net systems, classifying them across ten programs and three decades of policy indicators. The multivariate data analysis course helped me learn how to use cluster analysis and reduce the multidimensional information in large datasets. I also took data-visualization and hierarchical-modeling courses — very important skills that helped me complete my dissertation.
Q: What from your CSSS training have you found most helpful?
A: Data visualization has been especially valuable in my career — specifically the course I took with Chris Adolph. I learned key techniques and the philosophy behind presenting data so I could communicate important messages to policymakers and practitioners in ways they can see, understand, and act on the data.
Coming from my social work background, overall it was also helpful to learn how statisticians think and get exposure to the languages they use across CSSS courses. At first, I wasn’t confident with math or statistical languages, but my training with CSSS made a big difference. Now, when I read academic papers, especially those by economists or statisticians, I can better understand their thinking and how it might differ from social work perspectives.
Q: Your research has explored different areas. What’s a project you would highlight?
A: I have a five-year research partnership with the California Department of Social Services focused on advancing racial equity in CalWORKs welfare-to-work service delivery. The project is supported by the Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Scholars Network through the U.S. Administration for Children and Families.
One research question I’m examining is how different counties provide their welfare-to-work programs. Some emphasize “work first,” others focus on human-capital building or barrier removal, and some rely on more punitive approaches such as welfare sanctions. My study explores how these county-level approaches are associated with participants’ long-term earnings outcomes — and whether racial disparities exist.
I’ve recently begun disseminating results. I published a policy brief and created an interactive data dashboard that visualizes disparities across California. These tools help state and county leaders identify equity gaps and think about strategies to strengthen outcomes for participants.
I also shared the results with county leaders and frontline workers from 58 counties across the state at the County Welfare Directors Association of California Annual Conference. I feel these findings are connecting to reforms happening here in California, shifting from a more punitive approach to more family-centered, equity-focused models. It’s been very rewarding to see research informing policy direction and practice.
Q: If you could go back and give yourself advice during your PhD, what would you say?
A: I would tell myself to be more confident in sharing my ideas and perspectives! It’s important to engage with people from different disciplines and not be afraid to share your research — even if it’s incomplete or you feel unsure. Those conversations often spark new insights and help you develop your scholarly voice earlier in your career.
Q: What were some of your favorite spots around the UW campus or the university district in Seattle?
A: One is the Quad, especially in spring with the cherry blossoms — enjoying the beauty and the sense of community it brings. It’s also personally special because I took my wedding photos there!
Another favorite spot is Red Square. When I was at UW, there was an overseas Taiwanese student movement, and I sang and performed there with friends to raise awareness of Taiwan’s democracy and global visibility. That experience showed me that UW is not only a place to study but also a place for social engagement and global connection.
Q: What have you been reading, watching, or listening to lately that you’d recommend?
A: I’ve been practicing morning meditation for almost three years, and I want to recommend the Great Meditation YouTube channel. They offer short, 10-minute guided meditations that are perfect for starting the day. Even just a few minutes helps clear my mind, ground me, and set a focused intention before busy work and family time.
Learn more about follow Chang’s work on Google Scholar.
Left to right: Chang at the UW School of Social Work, Chang and her family at University of California, Berkeley, Chang and her PhD cohort in the quad at UW
