Dr. Jessica Pac Honored with Prestigious Vilas Associates Competition Award

CDE is proud to share that Dr. Jessica Pac, Assistant Professor in the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work and Faculty Affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty, has been awarded the prestigious Vilas Associates Competition Award. This university-wide honor recognizes research of the highest quality and significance, providing support for both new and ongoing scholarly work.

Dr. Pac was selected for her innovative research into how social and labor policies, such as the safety net and child welfare systems, shape health, risk, and long-term opportunity for families. Her recent work leverages advanced econometrics and causal machine learning to estimate the impact of foster care placement on the wellbeing of both children and mothers. By identifying which individuals benefit most from specific interventions, Dr. Pac’s research provides policymakers with the evidence needed to target funding and support to the most vulnerable populations.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Vilas Associates Competition award,” Dr. Pac shared. “I am especially grateful for the recognition of my effort to meaningfully improve child welfare policy and practice.”

This award adds to a growing list of national accolades for Dr. Pac, including the 2023 Frank R. Breul Prize and the 2025 CSWE Early Career Award. Her work continues to redefine how we understand child maltreatment prevention and equity in social systems.