Skip to main content

Rainier Masa

Associate Professor
Research Director, Global Social Development Innovations
L. Richardson Preyer Early Career Scholar

Contact

Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building

402-L

325 Pittsboro Street

Chapel Hill, NC 27599

rmasa@email.unc.edu

O: 919-962-6531

View Website

View CV

Dr. Rainier (Rain) Masa is an associate professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work. He joined the SSW faculty in 2016. He is the research director at the Global Social Development Innovations Center, a research fellow at the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg, and an affiliated investigator with the Philippine Health Initiative Research Service and Training at Brown University. He is also a faculty affiliate of the UNC African Studies Center and a member of the UNC Center for AIDS Research. He is a past recipient of the Matthew O. Howard Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring and the Dean’s Recognition of Teaching Excellence awards. Dr. Masa’s research focuses on the socioeconomic aspects of health in low-resource communities. His work addresses the intersection of economic security, stigma, and HIV among adolescents and young adults. His current research examines how multiple forms of economic insecurity and stigma affect risk for HIV transmission, uptake of HIV prevention services, and progression along the HIV care continuum, particularly among key populations.

Degrees

Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
MSW, Washington University in St. Louis
BA, University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines)

Research Program(s)

Global Social Development Innovations

Licenses and Certifications

Safe Zone
Haven

Research and Professional Interests

Economic Security
HIV Prevention and Treatment
Intersectional Stigma
Positive Youth Development
Health Equity

Co-Investigator

Siyakha Youth Assets and Employability Project (South Africa)

Courses

SOWO 510

Foundations for Evidence-Based Practice and Program Evaluation

Spring 2017-2018, 2020

MSW

SOWO 530

Foundations of Social Welfare and Social Work

Fall 2015-2016, 2018-2019

MSW

SOWO 793

Asset Development Practice and Policy

Spring 2016, 2019

MSW, CMPP

SOWO 834

Advanced Policy Practice

Spring 2018, Fall 2018-2020

MSW, CMPP

SOWO 835

Poverty Policy

Spring 2014-2020

MSW, CMPP

SOWO 910

Research Methods in Social Intervention

Doctoral Program