Rank is the Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work and the author of One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All, the title of his address.

He is widely recognized as a leading expert on issues of poverty, inequality, social justice and social policy.

In One Nation, Underprivileged (Oxford Press, 2004), Rank argues for a new way of thinking about American poverty and offers strategies to combat it.

"The manner in which we have traditionally thought about poverty has been misguided," he said. "The root causes of this nation's poverty lie in our economic structure and political policies, not in the failures of our citizens and our families."

Critics have hailed Rank's book as "emotionally moving, intellectually stimulating" and "a passionate treatment of poverty that will benefit and inspire the practitioner and citizen activist alike."

In his talk, Rank will expand upon the themes in his book by discussing the rise of inequality and economic divi-sions in America, and why addressing these trends is of utmost importance to the country's future.

"Poverty and economic inequality are two of the most important issues facing us right now, and how America will look in the future will hinge on the manner in which we deal with these issues today," Rank noted.

One Nation, Underprivileged has served as a centerpiece of discussion and debate for many groups. As part of the University's Freshmen Reading Program, incoming students read and discussed the book with peers and faculty. Many community, religious and social justice groups across the country have read and discussed the book as well.

Rank is also the author of Living on the Edge: The Realities of Welfare in America (Columbia University Press, 1994). His research has been widely published in both prestigious academic journals and top-rated news media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education and National Public Radio.

He has provided his research expertise to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as to many national and state organizations.

Rank has been honored with the Founders Day Distinguished Faculty Award from the University's Alumni Board of Governors, the Faculty Award to Improve Learning from the William T. Kemper Foundation, the Outstanding Research Award from the Society for Social Work and Research, the Feldman Award from the Groves Conference on Marriage and the Family and the Outstanding Faculty Award from the Brown School Alumni Association.

He also has been listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who Among America's Teachers: The Best Teachers in America Selected by the Best Students.

Rank earned bachelor's (1978), master's (1980) and doctoral (1984) degrees in sociology from the University of Wisconsin.

Assembly Series lectures are free and open to the public.

For more information, call 935-4620 or go online to assemblyseries.wustl.edu.