Biography
Lauren B. Gates is the Director of the Workplace Center and a Senior Research Scientist at the Columbia School of Social Work (CSSW). Dr. Gates conducts research and evaluation, provides training, develops policy and programs, and offers consultation around workplace issues for people at risk of not being able to secure or sustain employment such as individuals with physical or psychiatric disability, youth transitioning from foster care, youth with juvenile justice involvement, caregivers of children with chronic illness, older people or victims of domestic violence. With projects throughout the United States, her current projects focus on strategies that best promote young adults transitioning from foster care, youth in the juvenile justice system and individuals with disabilities into the world of work, the translation of research into practice, and the use of technology in opening access to workforce preparation for those at-risk with respect to successful labor force participation. As an adjunct professor she taught courses at CSSW in research methods and vocational issues. Her publications include Disability Management: A Complete System to Reduce Costs, Increase Productivity, Meet Employee Needs, and Ensure Legal Compliance co-authored with S. H. Akabas and D. Galvin as well as numerous articles on vocational evidence-based practice, disability, labor force diversity and neighborhood planning. Dr. Gates holds a Ph. D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Masters of Science in Environmental Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
For a list of publications and reports, click here.