Sam Harrell (they/them) is a doctoral candidate in Social Work and Social Research at Portland State University. They received their BSW and MSW from Indiana University.

Sam has experience in child welfare, prison and jail re-entry, low-barrier shelter services, LGBTQ+ youth services, violence prevention, and crisis intervention. Their doctoral research explores social work's role in the Progressive Era expansion of the US prison system.

In addition to teaching, Sam serves as the Editorial Assistant for "Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work” and as an Editorial Board member for "Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work.”