School of Social Work

William Elliott III

Assistant Professor
Faculty Associate for the Center of Race and Social Problems

Faculty Member

Biography

William Elliott II received his PhD and MSW from Washington University in St. Louis as well as a BA in philosophy from Geneva College.


An assistant professor in the School of Social Work, he serves as a faculty associate for the school’s Center on Race and Social Problems. He also is a faculty associate for Washington University’s Center for Social Development.

Research Interests

  • The study of economic disparities and children’s educational outcomes. In particular, the study of assets and the potential impact children’s development accounts may have on their educational outcomes.
  • The development of a theory of performance expectations and how they may help explain the different circumstances under which norm driven motivations and rational choice motivations may be used in the decision making process, under what circumstances one may be more dominant than the other, and how they may be integrated into the self and internalized as automatic responses to the environment.
  • The study of race and it implications for children’s educational outcomes.

Funded Grants:

  • Principal Investigator. (Summer, 2009 – Summer 2010). Central Research Development Fund. The direct and indirect effects of homeownership on boy’s antisocial behavior and academic achievement by race and family income: A longitudinal analysis based on the Pittsburgh youth study (PYS). University of Pittsburgh, Office of Research.
  • Principal Investigator. (Summer, 2009). Pittsburgh Youth Study, Small Grant Award. The direct and indirect effects of homeownership on boy’s antisocial behavior and academic achievement by race and family income: A longitudinal analysis based on the Pittsburgh youth study (PYS). University of Pittsburgh. 
  • Co-Principal Investigator. (Summer/Fall 2008). (Ralph Bangs, PI). Study on Eligibility Requirements for the Pittsburgh Promise. Faulk Foundation.
  • Co-Principal Investigator. (Summer/Fall 2008). (Ralph Bangs, PI). Potential Effects of the Pittsburgh Promise on Students Expectations and Academic Achievement. Pittsburgh Foundation.

Classes:

  • SWWEL 2081--Social Welfare, MSW, Fall term.
  • SWBEH 2063--Human Behavior and the Social Environment, MSW, Fall term.
  • SOCWRK 1058/ SWWEL 2051 -- Economics and Social Work, BSW & MSW, Spring term.
  • SWGEN 3053 -- Theory II, PhD, Spring term.

Selected Publications:

  • Elliott, W. (In print). Math achievement and children’s savings: Implications for child development accounts. Journal of Family and Economic Issues.
  • Elliott, W. (2008). Children’s college aspirations and expectations: The potential role of college development accounts (CDAs) Children and Youth Services Review, 31(2), 274-283
  • Sherraden, M. S., Johnson, L., Elliott, W., Southwell, P., Peterson, S., and Johnson, S. (2006). I Can Save: School-Based Children’s Saving Accounts for College. Children & Youth Services Review 29, 294-312