One of the country’s leading social science researchers on homelessness and assisted housing policy, Dr. Dennis P. Culhane, will discuss his recent work at 7 p.m. Monday, April 14, at St. Bonaventure University’s Rigas Theater in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

The program, “Understanding Homelessness: A Conversation with Dr. Dennis Culhane” is free and open to the public.

Culhane is the Dana and Andrew Stone Chair in Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice. Culhane’s research has contributed to efforts to address the housing and support needs of people experiencing housing emergencies and long-term homelessness.

Following an address by Culhane, St. Bonaventure President Dr. Jeff Gingerich and Vice President for Mission Integration Fr. Stephen Mimnaugh, O.F.M., will lead a question-and-answer session.

Culhane’s most recent research has focused on using linked administrative data to gain a better understanding about the service utilization patterns of vulnerable populations, including youth exiting foster care and/or juvenile justice, as well as people aged 55 and older who are experiencing homelessness.

His research also focuses on homelessness among veterans. From 2009 to 2018 Culhane served as director of research at the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Culhane also co-directs Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP), an initiative that promotes the development, use, and innovation of integrated data systems by states and localities for policy analysis and systems reform.

Culhane graduate summa cum laude in 1985 from St. Bonaventure with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and earned his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Boston College.

During his visit to the Olean area, Culhane will also meet with local stakeholders to discuss homelessness. Last fall, Olean Mayor William J. Aiello formed a Homelessness Taskforce consisting of representatives from several city of Olean departments, social service and medical organizations, and educational institutions.

Culhane’s visit is sponsored by St. Bonaventure’s Office for Mission Integration, its Visiting Scholars Committee, and the Olean Area Charter for Compassion.

The Olean Area Charter for Compassion was founded in 2017 when a group of seven residents established the initiative amid heightened community division fueled by political tensions. Despite these challenges, they recognized Olean’s inherent compassion, evident through countless acts of care across the community.

Inspired by the International Charter for Compassion, the initiative embarked on a two-year campaign of symposiums and forums to promote unity and understanding. By 2018, the city of Olean formally embraced the charter, joining a global network of Compassionate Communities. By 2019, with the support of more than 2,000 local signatures and endorsements from over 30 area organizations, the Olean Area Charter for Compassion solidified its place as a unifying force in the community.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).