Dear Alumni,
Greetings! It’s a great honor to join the UConn School of Social Work as its 15th dean. I am deeply humbled to lead such an outstanding institution with its 75 years of history preparing the next generation of social workers. I joined the School in early August and have been warmly welcomed by our dynamic community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. I’m excited to learn about all the innovative and creative work taking place here.
My initial focus will be on supporting the School’s strategic plan that addresses diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism; inclusive and impactful research and scholarship; student-centered teaching and learning; flexible and forward-looking field education; and emerging areas of excellence in social work. I’m particularly looking forward to building on the School’s strong foundation and leadership in generating knowledge about some of the most pressing social issues of our times – child mental health, substance use, violence prevention, LGBTQ issues, disability, aging, and diversity and cultural competence. I’m confident with our vibrant community of researchers, clinicians, educators, staff and students, we’ll continue to serve communities and inform social policy and practices that improve human well-being.
Alumni are key to a vibrant educational community. This is particularly true in social work, where alumni serve as mentors and role models to the next generation of social workers as supervisors, field instructors, and adjunct faculty. As the new dean, I am very much looking forward to getting to know our alumni, now more than 8,800 people strong worldwide. While I hope to meet many of you at our upcoming events, please feel free to reach out and introduce yourselves. I’d love to learn more about your social work path and your experiences at UConn.
Best,
Laura