Michael was also an affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an affiliate at UChicago's Population Research Center.

Michael conducted widely influential research on the problems of homelessness, substance abuse services, and urban poverty, and he held a special interest in the relationship between social institutions and disadvantaged clients. Says Associate Professor Julia Henly, "Mike cared deeply for the most marginalized and disadvantaged in society and I think this concern motivated his insistence on rigorous scientific inquiry in social work and social welfare. He was brilliant and had extremely high standards of scholarship. I don't know that most of us could ever live up to his standards, but his mentorship has motivated many of us to do our best."

One of the hallmarks of Michael's career, representing a major contribution to the profession, was his role serving as editor of Social Service Review (SSR), the oldest and most highly regarded scholarly journal in the profession. During his tenure as editor of SSR from 1998 through 2014, he led major advances to the journal, including enlisting an external review board, editing manuscripts electronically, and making all issues, starting from the first volume in 1927, accessible online.

Many on the faculty remember Michael as a mentor, particularly during their early careers. "Michael would help you see your possibility, your promise. He took your work as seriously as he took his own, and he was willing to invest his time and his substantial intellectual prowess in helping you improve your work. He was never patronizing, was always willing to explain what he knew in a matter-of-fact manner, and was happy to learn from others. These qualities made him such a good mentor to doctoral students and junior faculty, as well as a good editor of Social Service Review," said Associate Professor and the current editor of SSR, Susan Lambert. Associate Professor Yoonsun Choi also remembers, "Mike was an incredible mentor to me and many others. He was an exemplary scholar of excellence, integrity and was committed to social justice. Personally, I greatly benefited and learned from his advice and wisdom in matters of research and career decisions. Mike also fostered independent thinking and opinion, and I felt safe to disagree with him."

"Michael was especially valued for his deeply thoughtful and incisive mind," said the Dean and the Mose & Sylvia Firestone Professor Neil Guterman. "He was committed to those most deeply disadvantaged, as well as to the high standards in his own social welfare scholarship and in his role as editor of Social Service Review. He was a colleague and friend, and he will be sorely missed in the SSA community."

Michael was the beloved son of the late Max and Ida Sosin. He is survived by his sister, Sybil and several cousins.

Funeral services were held on Monday, December 1, 2014 at the Shalom Memorial Funeral Home in Arlington Heights, Illinois.