The Beautiful Social Research Collaborative is a community-engaged writing program within the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Saint Joseph’s University.

 We are motivated by the beautiful, social, and collaborative aspects of working side-by-side with those who are driven to make transformative change. We practice community-led design – where we involve stakeholders in all aspects of the design research process to ensure their needs and perspectives are represented, shifting the traditional power dynamic of design research and allowing for a more equitable distribution of power and greater diversity of views.

Over the past fourteen years, we’ve engaged in 129 projects in new media and social web consultancy, training, professional writing, social media management, online survey design, web design, and web-based video free of charge with communities in the Greater Philadelphia Area — and beyond.  

“I have nothing but the highest forms of commendation for the students who went above and beyond in their dedication to elevating the visibility and storytelling of former life-sentenced children.”

Abd’Allah Lateef, Co-Founder of Life After Life

“The team really helped demystify the social media space in a way that was easy to understand, and after careful evaluation of our current efforts, provided a strategy that was well thought out and easy to implement, given our budget and resource limitations.”

Jeniffer Riley, Communications Manager at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House

The group did a great job capturing the goal of the project, that featured a video that provided an overview of the programs we provide for families. I wish we had a few students for an entire semester to be on site.”

Jeanine Glasgow, Executive Director at the Juvenile Justice Center of Philadelphia 

  • Anneliese Ashley '25

    Foley Fellow

  • Carsen Vespe '24

    Foley Fellow

  • Hannah Madeya '24

    Foley Fellow

  • Charlotte Ashley '25

    Foley Fellow

  • Aimée Knight

    Director | Professor | aimeeknight.com