New Faculty Spotlight: Melanie Nadon brings passion for child welfare policy research to Wayne State

New to Wayne State University, Michigan, and the city of Detroit, Assistant Professor Melanie Nadon brings with her a strong dedication to advancing equity within the child welfare system. As a new faculty member in the School of Social Work, Nadon is focused on understanding how poverty, place, and race shape social policy implementation and influence outcomes for children and families. She is eager to build connections across campus and within the community as she begins this next chapter of her career.

Before joining Wayne State, Nadon served as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Children and Family Research Center, where she conducted mixed-methods research on the sociopolitical factors that affect child welfare policy and practice. Drawing on her professional experience in nonprofit child welfare policy, her research provides applied insights into how systems can improve outcomes for low-income children, youth, and families.

"I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Nadon to our faculty," said School of Social Work Dean Sheryl Kubiak. "Her focus on system-level factors in access to services is so critical in advancing our knowledge of ensuring people get the supports they need to be successful in their quest to be the best parents they can. This perspective aligns so well with our emphasis on 'macro' level social work practice."

Nadon's journey to social work began in an unexpected place: her high school debate team. As a first-generation college student from California, debate opened doors to higher education and shaped her passion for advocacy and critical thinking. With a scholarship to the University of La Verne, she graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Speech Communication with a concentration in Gender, Law, and Policy. After earning a master's degree in public policy, Nadon realized she wanted to explore not only how policies are created but how they affect people in practice. That realization inspired her to pursue her Ph.D. in Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago's Crown Family School, which she completed in 2024.

"Wayne State's School of Social Work has a great reputation, and it feels warm and welcoming to non-traditional students in the same way that the University of La Verne did to me as an undergraduate," Nadon said. "I'm really looking forward to giving students the safe haven of a respectful and engaging institution of higher education, especially for those who might feel like they don't fit the mold at other schools."

At Wayne State, Nadon is eager to continue her research on how social and political factors shape policy outcomes, with a particular emphasis on improving the child welfare system for families who are most affected by poverty and racial inequities. Her work aligns closely with the School of Social Work's mission to promote social justice and advance community well-being through research and practice.

While Nadon taught classes in a part-time capacity at the University of Chicago, she is particularly excited about the opportunity to teach and mentor undergraduate students at Wayne State. "I'm looking forward to building long-term relationships with students and helping them connect what they're learning in the classroom to real-world systems and communities," she said.

Because child welfare laws and systems vary widely across states, Nadon is also eager to learn more about Michigan's policies and practices and to conduct research that reflects the unique needs and strengths of the region. She has been spending her first semester here meeting with Michigan child welfare experts to get acquainted with the state's unique system, and applying for grant funding to launch a few research projects focused on Michigan child welfare professionals.

Outside of her academic work, Nadon has enjoyed getting to know Detroit and its surrounding communities. She's explored the Detroit Riverwalk and the Detroit Zoo and looks forward to discovering more of what Wayne State and the city have to offer. A new bike has become her favorite way to explore - she often cycles to campus during the week and to Eastern Market on weekends, where she's quickly grown fond of the neighborhood's vibrant community and food scene.