THE HATFIELD PRIZE

The Center for Public Justice has named the recipients of the 2022 Hatfield Prize, a semester-long research project in which students will research social policies that impact the well-being of children, families, and communities. This year’s research will examine the impact of specific social policies on underserved families and communities, with a focus on justice-involved youth and refugee children and families. The recipients’ research will be published as three policy reports in September 2022.

Grace Retz (Houghton College, ‘22), advised by Michael Ritter, Ph.D., is researching the impact of language barriers on the food security of refugees in Buffalo, New York. Kyle Chu (Messiah University, ‘24), advised by Jason Renn, Ph.D., is researching the effectiveness of diversion programs in the juvenile justice system in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Rachel Smith (Toccoa Falls College, ‘22), advised by Piljoo Kang, Ph.D., is researching the accessibility, affordability, and quality of child care services in refugee communities, with focus on the refugee population in Clarkston, Georgia.

About the hatfield prize

The Hatfield Prize advances Christian scholarship on today’s most complex social challenges. Awarded annually to three student-faculty pairs, the Prize facilitates student-faculty research over the course of a semester, and culminates in the publication of three policy reports.

The Prize is made possible through the generosity of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. We thank them for their support, but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions presented in these reports are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of these foundations.