Kit Hinga, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Western Connecticut State University
Department of Social Work
Contact Information
Postal Address
Department of Social Work
Western Connecticut State University
181 White St
White Hall
Danbury, CT 06810
Office location
White Hall Suite 101
Phone and e-mail
hingak@wcsu.edu
203 837-8409
Current Courses
Biographical Information
From the 2007-2008 Student Handbook
Dr. Kathleen Hinga, MSW, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Hinga arrived at WestConn in August 2005 from Western Massachusetts. She holds a bachelor degree in biology from the Elms College, and a master’s degree in Social Work from Boston University School of Social Work. Dr. Hinga received an interdisciplinary doctorate in Sociology and Social Work (Social Policy) from Boston University in May 2005.
Dr. Hinga served as a doctoral teaching fellow at Boston University School of Social Work from 1999-2005, and has taught for several years as adjunct social work faculty at Elms College, Greenfield Community College, and Smith College of Social Work. She brings over 30 years experience as a social worker in the field. This work has included efforts to provide for the immediate needs of individuals and families, as well as social change efforts addressing the structural causes for poverty, family and community violence, and inadequate health care and literacy. Kathleen is especially interested in the use of family support approaches, which incorporate social work strategies that enable individuals and families to take power over their own lives as they work to address community issues from a social change perspective. She has served on the national board level in the areas of work for legislative change, the promotion of community control and the just allocation of economic resources. Her research interests have focused on the implementation of welfare reform, and more recently, the factors involved in the mobilization of women at the grassroots level as activists.
She currently serves on the advisory committee for the WestConn American Democracy Project, represents the Social Work Department in the Faculty Senate, and is the SPS representative to the university Information Technology Committee. Dr. Hinga is also a member of the QPR Suicide Prevention Training Team and is the faculty advisor to the Social Work Club.