Danielle Maude Littman, PhD, LCSW

Hello! I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah College of Social Work. I use place-based, arts-based, and participatory methods to explore (and reimagine) supportive settings and care practices for young people at the margins. My current research explores third places (community settings) and sense of community among young people in permanent supportive housing, mutual aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, peer support among young people experiencing homelessness, and the impacts of prison arts programming for those who participate in -- and witness -- it. My work has been recognized and funded by the 2023 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Doctoral Fellows Award and I was a 2020-2022 fellow with the Social Work Health Futures Lab funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

Prior to my doctoral studies, I worked as a clinical social worker, teaching artist, and community-engaged facilitator across Chicago -- often traveling to every corner of the city to teach theatre classes, facilitate community meetings at local parks, and hold clinical sessions. I received my BA in Theatre and Creative Nonfiction writing from Northwestern University, my AM (MSW equivalent) from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, and my PhD from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. 

When I'm not working, I love bike commuting, water color painting, arranging flowers, walking my dogs while listening to podcasts, and watching my garden grow.