Dr. Renee White awarded 2024 Gene A. and Gretchen Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching

The KU School of Social Welfare is pleased to announce the 2023-2024 Gene A. and Gretchen Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching. In recognition of contributions to students and the teaching mission in the KU School of Social Welfare, Dr. Renee White is honored with the Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Dr. White brings her decades of social work practice and teaching experience, deep commitment to social work values, and enthusiasm for building collaborative relationships to the KU School of Social Welfare’s MSW students at all levels. Dr. White teaches courses such as SW811 (Clinical Practice Strategies), SW885 (Professional Development Seminar), and SW712 (Advanced Standing Seminar). Beyond the classroom, her contributions to the MSW program include using a semester-long case study in SW712 to equip BSW graduates for micro, mezzo and macro practice and revising SW885 to include licensure preparation, career development and self-care practices. The overall profession benefits from Dr. White’s publications and presentations about problem-based learning as preparation for multi-level practice. 

But for our students, Dr. White’s dedication to their success is what matters most. One macro student said, “Renee does have high expectations of her class but makes it known that she has no doubt we will be able to meet them if we apply ourselves. She is very encouraging and is always motivating us to take action and speak up!” Dr. White’s students are as effusive in their appreciation of her as she is in life. One shared, “I love Renee’s teaching and have found the time with her SO valuable in my growth as a social worker!” Our School, our students, and their future clients benefit every day from Renee who, as a student said, is “a social worker to the core!”