John Robertson

Dr. John Robertson is a policy expert who teaches Social Welfare Policy, Policy Practice, and Advocacy in Social Work Practice at the Columbia School of Social Work. He is a longtime resident of Bushwick, Brooklyn, where he practices social work at the Duncan Genns elder housing development and works in two community gardens alongside other Bushwick residents. His interests include community development and organization, employment and family issues, and treatment for people struggling with substance abuse. He has also worked with newly released federal inmates as they return to family, employment, and their communities. Dr. Robertson has worked on several national policy research initiatives related to poor families, their employment, family formation, and receipt of public assistance. He spent ten years teaching a lobbying course at the Missouri State Legislature and was part of a group that met with every member of New York City’s congressional delegation to rally support for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. A former monk, he continues to live by the Franciscan values of humility, love, and joy, and the belief that “if you want to find hope, you have to be present with and move with and live with people who are struggling, not just for them but for yourself.” He holds a BA in Economics from St. John’s College, University of Manitoba; an MSW from Rutgers University; and a PhD in Labor Economics and Social Policy from the Columbia School of Social Work.