Bio
Environmental injustice and climate change are urgent issues globally, disproportionately impacting the health and wellbeing of vulnerable and oppressed communities. Dr. Krings explores how members of marginalized communities come together to prevent, mitigate, and resist environmental and other social injustices in ways that increase health equity. Her research reveals opportunities for political and social change, including within the social work profession. A leading scholar in the fields of macro and environmental social work, her research questions and participatory methods are grounded in more than six years of practice experience as a community organizer and non-profit manager in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Dr. Krings received her Ph.D. from the Social Work and Political Science Joint Doctoral Program at the University of Michigan. She is the recipient of prestigious awards, including the Article of the Year Prize in International Social Work (2020) and the Journal of Community Practice (2019). The Student Organization at Loyola University of Chicago School of Social Work recognized her as the Faculty Member of the Year (2018) and she was honored by the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA) as their 2014 Emerging Scholar (2014). Dr. Krings is a co-lead of the Grand Challenge Advisory Council: Social Responses to a Changing Environment and an elected board member of both ACOSA and Influencing Social Policy (ISP). She was a Visiting Scholar through the University of Jyväskylä, Finland (2021) where collaborated with international scholars to integrate environmental justice theory and practice within ecosocial work.
As part of the RAISE Initiative, Dr. Krings will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and community organizations to mitigate and prevent environmental hazards in Ohio and beyond. She will continue to develop social work pedagogy and curriculum so that social workers can identify and prevent environmental impacts while also promoting sustainability. Her goal is to support social work students and practitioners grow their capacity and confidence as social change agents.
Education
BSW – Xavier University
MSW – The University of Michigan
Ph.D. – The University of Michigan