Ben Lough, PhD

Ben Lough is the Dean of the School of Social Work, a professor of Social Work and Business Administration, and the Director of Social Innovation at Gies College of Business. He received his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and his B.A. and MSW degrees from Brigham Young University. Prior to joining the University of Illinois, he was a Senior Researcher at the Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section at United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in Bonn, Germany. He teaches courses on nonprofit management, social enterprise, and social entrepreneurship. His research examines the practices of transnational voluntary organizations that promote community development and social innovation.
I am driven by the belief that people have the power to change the world. Much of my work aims to inspire and empower people to recognize their potential and take action to create spaces that foster innovation, collaboration, and social impact. Whether through volunteering in our communities or by launching a social enterprise, I believe people have the capacity to drive change.



Education

BS in Sociology, 2000, MSW, 2003 – Brigham Young University
Ph.D. in Social Work with a Doctoral Certificate in New Institutional Economics, 2010- Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis



Research

Dean Lough’s teaching focuses on community development, nonprofit management, and social innovation. He has taught courses on the nonprofit sector, social entrepreneurship, social work theory, organizational strategies for social change, and international social work and development.
Dean Lough is working with the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) to create a global mental health policy. He also continues to study the comparative advantages of hybrid social-purpose organizations over traditional nonprofits.



Selected Publications


Lough, Benjamin J. (2022). Decentering social innovation: The value of dispersed institutes in higher education. Social Enterprise Journal 18(1) 12-27.
Lough, Benjamin J. (2022). Unpacking reciprocity in international exchange cooperation. Førde, Norway: Norec.
Lough, Benjamin J. (2021). Voluntary “organic” leadership for community resilience. Voluntary Sector Review 12(1): 81-98.
Lough, Benjamin J. (2021). Social development. In the Encyclopedia of Social Work. National Association of Social Workers (NASW Press) and Oxford University Press.