Nathanael J. Okpych

Nathanael J. Okpych is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Okpych’s professional experience includes providing mental health services to youth in residential, school, and community settings, as well as working for several years in college residence life. His career experience in social services and higher education dovetail to inform his research on factors that influence postsecondary education outcomes for youth with experience in foster care. His work focuses on youth characteristics (e.g., social networks and social support), policies, and programs that promote postsecondary education entry and completion. Dr. Okpych has published widely in this area, including a 2021 book titled Climbing a Broken Ladder: Contributors of College Success for Youth in Foster Care. Most of Dr. Okpych’s work involves using quantitative methods to analyze administrative data and survey data while he is also involved in mixed methods studies that draw on the experiences of young people who were involved in foster care. Dr. Okpych holds a PhD in policy and practice from the and an MS in biostatistics and epidemiology jointly from the University of Chicago along with an MSW in nonprofit management from Rutgers University, an MA in clinical psychology from Duquesne University, and a BA in psychology from Rutgers.

updated 2024