Research Interests
Professor Lough is Professor and Dean at the School of Social Work and Director of Social Innovation at the Gies College of Business. He also holds positions as Senior Research Associate with the Center for Social Development, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, and Faculty Director of International Service at the Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis. He is also the associate editor of Voluntaristics Review. Dr. Lough earned his BS in Sociology in 2000 and his MSW in 2003 from Brigham Young University, and his PhD in Social Work with a Doctoral Certificate in New Institutional Economics from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis in 2010. Dr. Lough also worked as a clinical social worker and therapist. His teaching interests focus on community development, nonprofit management, and social innovation. He currently teaches courses on the nonprofit sector, social enterprise, and organizational strategies for social change. He previously taught courses on the management of human service organizations, social welfare policy, and international social work and development.
Education
Social Work, PhD, George Warren Brown School of Social Work
BS, Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2000
MSW, Brigham Young University, 2003
PhD, Social Work, Washington University, 2010
Additional Campus Affiliations
Dean, School of Social Work
Professor, School of Social Work
Director of Social Innovation, Gies College of Business
Professor, Business Administration
Professor, Program in Jewish Culture and Society
Professor, Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity
Professor, Russian, East European and Eurasian Center
Professor, Center for African Studies
Professor, Center for Global Studies
Highlighted Publications
Lough, B. J., & Tiessen, R. (2018). How do International Volunteering Characteristics Influence Outcomes? Perspectives from Partner Organizations. Voluntas, 29(1), 104-118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-017-9902-9
Lough, B. J. (2022). Decentering social innovation: the value of dispersed institutes in higher education. Social Enterprise Journal, 18(1), 12-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-08-2020-0059
Lough, B. J. (2021). Voluntary ‘organic’ leadership for community resilience. Voluntary Sector Review, 12(1), 81-98. https://doi.org/10.1332/204080519x15694108231812
Paine, A. E., Allum, C., Beswick, D., & Lough, B. J. (2020). Volunteering and the sustainable development goals: An opportunity to move beyond boundaries. Voluntary Sector Review, 11(2), 245-254. https://doi.org/10.1332/204080520X15884252988018
Tiessen, R., & Lough, B. J. (2019). International Volunteering Capacity Development: Volunteer Partner Organization Experiences of Mitigating Factors for Effective Practice. Forum for Development Studies, 46(2), 299-320. https://doi.org/10.1080/08039410.2018.1529701
Recent Publications
Compion, S., Lough, B. J., & Jeong, B. G. (2025). Gendered Disparities in Funding for Non-Profit, Hybrid, and for-Profit Start-Ups. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 16(1), 169-182. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2022.2143871
Lough, B. J. (2025). Foreword. In K. Tan, C.-F. Wu, & T. Ostler (Eds.), Social Work and Simulations: Teaching Practice, Research, Policy, and Social Injustices (pp. vii-ix). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197770498.002.0004
Fee, A., Lough, B. J., & Okabe, Y. (2024). Breaking the Iron Cage: Understanding Legitimacy Claims for State-Sponsored International Voluntary Services. In State-Managed International Voluntary Service: the Case of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (pp. 237-255). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3615-7_10
Lough, B., & Chowa, G. (2024). Engaging Stakeholders in Framing and Solving Problems in Global Social Work. In G. Chowa (Ed.), Global Social Work: Preparing Globally Competent Social Workers for a Diverse and Interconnected World (pp. 121-143). Springer Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826153128.0009
Lough, B. J., & McFadden, A. (2023). Do founders attribute their success to skill or luck? Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), Article 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-023-00313-z