The Moritz Center for Societal Impact

08/21/2026

Read More! Graduate researchers take a closer look at Austin’s Homelessness Response System. 📚

Taught by Moritz Center Housing Program Director Dr. Akram Al-Turk, this year-long Policy Research Project through the The LBJ School of Public Affairs examined four interconnected components of Austin’s Homelessness Response System—from initial assessment and housing placement to case management and the providers supporting people throughout the process.

Working closely with Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations (AHSO), the student researchers explored gaps in current knowledge and practice and identified opportunities to strengthen Austin’s response to homelessness.

Read the full report on our here:

Collaborative research on housing insecurity and its intersection with health, policy, and social work.

08/18/2026

Our fall Lunch & Learn lineup is set! 🍂

Join us for three great conversations this fall. Bring your lunch, grab some charcuterie, and settle in for a casual hour of learning and conversation.

📍 Walter Webb Hall- 2nd Floor Commons
🕦 11:30 am–12:30 pm

📅 September 9- Dr. Claborn
📅 October 14- Dr. Choi
📅 November 11- Dr. Hernandez

Mark your calendars, we’ll see you this fall!

08/14/2026

The countdown is ON! We’re about a month away from the Social Impact Challenge! 🎤

Our finalists are in pitch-prep mode, working hard to turn their ideas into presentations they’re ready to bring to the stage. We can’t wait to see how they bring their projects, creativity, and passion for social impact to life!

📅 Save the date: September 15!

Join us as our finalists compete live and pitch their ideas for a chance to win $5,000 to bring their project to life.

We’ll see you at the Challenge! 🙌

08/07/2026

🍳 What did you eat in college?

For many of us, the answer is some combination of ramen, cereal, fast food, and whatever was cheap and easy. But what if college could also be a time to build confidence in the kitchen and discover a love for cooking?

In our latest Insight, PhD student and Societal Impact Award recipient, Lauren Bell, shares the story behind CHEFS a 5-week culinary program designed to help students build cooking skills, explore new foods, and learn alongside their peers.

From learning how to safely use a knife to discovering that kale can actually taste good, CHEFS showed how hands-on cooking can be about more than just making a meal-it can be an opportunity to learn, experiment, and connect.

Read the full Insight here: https://moritzcenter.utexas.edu/fueling-students-through-community-and-culinary-arts/

07/31/2026

The conversation around AI in social work is nuanced, and our national survey reflects that. 💻

Behind every response is a social worker navigating the opportunities, uncertainties, and ethical complexities of bringing artificial intelligence into their work. From excitement about new possibilities to concerns about client protections, bias, and professional responsibility, the findings paint a complex picture of how the profession is approaching this evolving technology. 💡

📊 Read the full report here: https://moritzcenter.utexas.edu/focus-areas/health-technology/report-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-social-work-practice/

07/24/2026

🎉 Meet the 2026 Social Impact Challenge Finalists!

Lights, Camera, Action
Ellen Alley, 2027
Karissa Hernandez, 2027

Creative Calm
Dylan Robinson, 2027
Danny Espinosa, 2027

Access in Performance: The UT Audio Description Pilot
Madison Jackson, 2028
Beatrice Huang, 2029

Place to Belong
Xiaoya Geng, 2029
Hailing Wong, 2029
Maria E Cardenas, 2029
Yeonjeong Seo, 2028

Historias que Resuelven Problemas
Denise Minte de Almeida, 2028
María Paula Yávar Calderón, 2027

These five outstanding teams are developing innovative projects at the intersection of the arts & humanities and behavioral health. On September 15, they'll take the stage at Walter Webb Hall to pitch their ideas for the chance to receive $5,000 in funding to bring their projects to life.

Congratulations to our finalists, and thank you to everyone who applied! We were inspired by the creativity, passion, and bold ideas shared by graduate students from across the Forty Acres. 👏🧡

07/15/2026

We are two months away!! 🎉

Applications may be closed, but the momentum is just getting started!

Join us for the Social Impact Challenge on September 15 at Walter Webb Hall as graduate student teams pitch innovative ideas to address behavioral health challenges through the arts and humanities.

Mark your calendars! More details coming soon. 🧡

07/10/2026

To wrap up our PSI video series, meet TIES! 👏

The Texas Initiative Enhancing Rural-Border Solutions (TIES), led by Dr. Noёl Busch-Armendariz, is a community-engaged initiative designed to improve behavioral health outcomes for children and families in rural border communities like Uvalde, Texas.

By establishing a coordinated team model and centralized social work contact, TIES aims to enhance access to care, reduce stigma, and assess the role of telehealth. Through partnerships with schools, libraries, and health centers, the project is building trust, expanding outreach, and creating a scalable model for addressing behavioral health disparities in underserved rural communities.

A huge thank you to all of our 2025 PSI grantees for their passion, innovation, and commitment to creating meaningful social impact. We can't wait to share more of their work—stay tuned!🧡

07/07/2026

AI is changing the way social workers approach documentation, research, and more, but what does that mean for the future of the profession? 📚

Our latest report, Use of Artificial Intelligence in Social Work Practice: Results from a National Survey, explores how social workers are using AI today, the challenges they're facing, and where they believe the field should go next.

Read the full report here: https://moritzcenter.utexas.edu/focus-areas/health-technology/report-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-social-work-practice/

06/30/2026

Applications due tonight!! 🎉

If you've been thinking about applying to the Moritz Center's Social Impact Challenge, today is your final opportunity to submit. We're looking for graduate students with creative solutions that use the arts and humanities to address behavioral health challenges.

🏆Chance for $5,000 to fund your project
🤘Open to graduate students from any school at UT Austin
🧡 Get faculty mentoring and pitch coaching
🎤 Present your idea live on campus this September

Applications close tonight. Take the leap and share your idea with us.

Apply here: https://moritzcenter.utexas.edu/programs/social-impact-challenge/