About our authors

Philip R. Popple earned a BS from the University of North Texas, an MSW from Washington University (St. Louis), and a Ph.D from Washington University (St. Louis). Dr. Popple has seven years social work practice experience as a child welfare worker, a program evaluator, child welfare training specialist, and training administrator. He began his academic career in 1976 and has served as an advanced standing program coordinator, a baccalaureate program director at two schools, a school director/chair at two schools, and is currently serving as Baccalaureate Program Director at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he served as Interim Dean in 2008/2009. Dr. Popple is co-author of three social work texts: Social Work, Social Welfare, and American Society, 9th ed., 2020 (with Leslie Leighninger); The Policy Based Profession, An Introduction to Policy Analysis for Social Workers, 5th ed., 2011; and Child Welfare Social Work: An Introduction, 2007 (with Francine Vecchiolla).

Leslie Leighninger is a Professor Emerita at the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. She has degrees from Oberlin College, Syracuse University, and the University of California at Berkeley. She is the author of Social Work: Search for Identity and Creating a New Profession: The Beginnings of Social Work Education in the United States. Her research specialty is social work and social welfare history. She was a Vice President of the National Association of Deans and Directors of Social Work and the Council of Social Work Education.

Robert Leighninger is Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University, and currently a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. Bob is the author of Long Range Public Investment: The Forgotten Legacy of the New Deal, the first comprehensive study of New Deal public works as a whole, and Building Louisiana: The Legacy of the Public Works Administration. Bob recently recorded an interview on the PWA in Louisiana for the website, Louisiana Anthology. He serves on the Living New Deal non-profit board of directors.