For Immediate Release

November 13, 2009

Dr. Ronald Mincy Wins the 2009 Raymond Vernon Memorial Prize

New York, NY – The 2009 Raymond Vernon Memorial Prize was awarded to Dr. Ronald Mincy, Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Policy and Social Work Practice at the Columbia University School of Social Work by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM). The award is given annually to the authors of the best research article published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.

The Raymond Vernon Memorial Prize will be shared with co-authors Jennifer Hill of New York University and Marilyn Sinkewicz of the University of Michigan who co-authored the article entitled, “Marriage: Cause or Mere Indicator of Future Earnings Growth,” with Dr. Mincy. The article examined whether married men earn significantly more than single men, specifically low-income, unmarried fathers.  The authors concluded that while government programs such as “Building Strong Families” may help increase marriage rates and sustainability of those marriages, it is not clear that participation in such government programs would result in higher earnings for the fathers.  The Vernon Prize Committee noted that the article is “an excellent example of an area where policy analysis suggests a different course from the one policy makers are pursuing and highlights the important role analysis can play in policy debates.”

The Raymond Vernon Memorial Prize, named in honor of the founding editor of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, annually recognizes an outstanding research contribution to the Journal.

Dr. Mincy and his co-authors were awarded with the prize on November 5, 2009 at the annual conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM). 

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For 110 years, the Columbia University School of Social Work has been a leader in the education of professionals for careers in practice, policy, and administration. Located in New York City, the School offers a master’s and a doctoral program which are nationally and internationally recognized for their excellence. With a signature curriculum that features multidisciplinary courses taught by leading scholars and practitioners and rich field education, CUSSW continues to be at the forefront of clinical and community practice, social policy, and social enterprise administration education, research and innovation in the 21st Century.