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Just Released: The Hatfield Prize 2024

The Center for Public Justice (CPJ) is thrilled to introduce this year’s Hatfield Prize reports! We want to thank Megan Brock (‘25 Grove City College), Jackson Boone (‘26 Baylor University), and Addison Ream (‘25 Wheaton College) for their dedicated efforts in researching and writing these reports. We would also like to extend our thanks to Lisa Hosack, Ph.D., Colby Humphrey, Ph.D., and Keith Johnson, Ph.D. for their valuable guidance and support.

In their reports, Megan, Jackson, and Addison examine and explore how the government and surrounding institutions can better support unaccompanied migrant children, workforce development programs, and families experiencing food insecurity.

The reports positively contribute to social policy conversations centered around the flourishing of children, teenagers, families, and especially vulnerable and disadvantaged groups or individuals. By integrating faith-based concepts and principles with comprehensive research, these research teams outline practical recommendations to government and civil society on how they can better promote human flourishing.

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What is the Hatfield Prize?

The Hatfield Prize is awarded annually to three student-faculty pairs. Recipients conduct research on social policies that impact vulnerable children, families, and communities, and explore the impact of these policies in their local communities. This semester-long research project culminates in three policy reports that make recommendations for both government and civil society institutions in contributing to policies that promote flourishing communities. The Prize honors the legacy of the late Senator Mark O. Hatfield, who served as a United States senator from Oregon for three decades. Hatfield was known for his principled Christian faith and for his commitment to working across differences to find common ground.

Read Previous Reports

The 2024 Hatfield Prize Recipients

Addison Ream is a junior at Wheaton College (IL) studying Biblical and Theological Studies with a double minor in Social Work and German. She is a student employee for the college’s Center for Vocation and Career and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Addison’s professional aspirations reside in pursuing justice in the division of social policy, particularly pertaining to child and family welfare. Her long-term career aspirations now reside at the intersection of policy and advocacy, specifically utilizing research as a means of fostering social change.

Keith L. Johnson is Professor of Theology and chair of the undergraduate Biblical and Theological Studies department at Wheaton College in Illinois. His recent books include The Essential Karl Barth: A Reader and Commentary (Baker Academic 2020) and Theology as Discipleship (IVP Academic, 2016). He also has co-edited several volumes, including Kenosis: The Self-Emptying of Christ in Scripture and Theology (Eerdmans, 2023) and Balm in Gilead: A Theological Dialogue with Marilynne Robinson (IVP Academic, 2019). He received the Senior Teaching Award at Wheaton in 2022.

Lisa Hosack serves as an Associate Professor of Social Work and the Calderwood Assistant Dean at Grove City College in the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania. She teaches and researches in the areas of international child welfare, social welfare policy, and clinical social work. Dr. Hosack is married with three grown daughters and an accommodating cat named Felix.

Megan Brock is a junior at Grove City College studying social work. She is from the Pittsburgh area and is passionate about working with children and teens in her community who suffer from trauma. Megan hopes to learn about the problems faced by youth in her community and help improve the lives of children through trauma informed practice. Megan aspires to work with youth who struggle with behavior problems and to empower them toward future flourishing.

Jackson Boone, a native of Calvert City, Kentucky, is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Baylor University in Waco Texas. He is a William Carey Crane Scholar and a Baylor Engaged Fellow, both programs which seek to understand how faith shapes learning and civic engagement. His small town background and previous experience as a residential carpenter has shaped his interest in workforce development efforts.

Colby Humphrey is Lecturer at Baylor University, where his teaching surrounds American government and public policy. His current research focuses on infrastructure challenges and the role of federalism in addressing such issues, particularly related to broadband and telecommunications infrastructure.

Humphrey received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University, a master’s in public service administration from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in government from the University of Texas at Austin.

With Thanks

The Hatfield Prize is made possible through the generosity of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. We thank them for their support, but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions presented in the reports are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of these foundations.