Elizabeth Lightfoot

About Elizabeth Lightfoot

Elizabeth Lightfoot is Distinguished Professor of Social Policy and Director of the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. An internationally recognized scholar, she focuses her research on disability policy and services, with additional expertise in child welfare, caregiving, aging, and social policy. Her work has advanced research, policy, and practice related to disability, inclusion, and the well-being of vulnerable populations in the United States and internationally. She has published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, along with books, book chapters, and technical reports, and her research has informed policy and practice worldwide.

Dr. Lightfoot has conducted research in Namibia for more than 20 years, collaborating with researchers, practitioners, community organizations, and government agencies on disability, child welfare, caregiving, aging services, and social work education. Her work has resulted in more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications with Namibian collaborators, as well as numerous technical reports. She served as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Namibia and later established an MSW field placement program that placed graduate social work students in health, mental health, disability, and community organizations throughout Windhoek. She also served as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Bucharest in Romania, teaching graduate students and collaborating on research related to disability, caregiving, and social work practice. As Director of the Arizona State University School of Social Work, the largest social work program in the United States, she continues to advance research, doctoral education, and international collaborations. She has chaired more than 25 doctoral dissertations at the University of Minnesota and Arizona State University and is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.