News
Mon, 09/28/2026
DSW Spotlight: Kaila Anderson
Anderson, who is now in the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program, witnessed the lack of care available in rural areas of Kansas, particularly for farmers. So she co-founded and co-developed the LandLogic model, providing training to healthcare providers and collaborating with researchers working with agricultural communities.
Fri, 08/28/2026
Lisa Street named associate program director for the Doctor of Social Work program
Street, a social work educator for 18 years, teaches in the DSW program. Street leads the development of the school’s approach to DSW capstone projects.
Wed, 05/13/2026
Graduating Student Spotlight: Afton Salas
Learn more about graduating Doctor of Social Work student Afton Salas.
Tue, 05/12/2026
Graduating Student Spotlight: Pam Twohill
Get to know more about graduating Doctor of Social Work student Pam Twohill.
Wed, 12/17/2025
KU DSW graduates complete capstone projects
Eight students in the online Doctor of Social Work program defended capstone projects in summer and fall 2025, taking the final step to earn their doctoral degrees in social work. Learn more about the real-world solutions developed by the first cohort of KU DSW graduates.
Wed, 05/28/2025
National conference presentation highlights KU DSW program
DSW Program Director Ed Scanlon highlighted the KU DSW program's focus on translating research to practice during a national conference presentation. “We build on what is called implementation science to help our graduates become leaders in community and agency settings as idea disseminators - people who translate research into practice," Scanlon said.
Thu, 05/15/2025
Graduating DSW Spotlight: Sharilyn Ray
Sharilyn Ray will be in the first cohort of students to graduate from KU's online Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program. Ray, who is the founder and CEO at Restoration Family Services in Wichita, entered the program with decades of experience in social work.
Thu, 04/24/2025
Graduating DSW spotlight: Rebecca Beeler
Beeler, who is the director of social services at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri, has a soft spot for her DSW cohort. She said their time together in the program is something she will always cherish. Beeler and the 2025 cohort will be the first to graduate from the DSW program.
Wed, 12/18/2024
Student Spotlights: Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program
Gaining leadership experience, applying research to their day-to-day work, and building advocacy skills are some of the reasons KU DSW students give for joining the program. Watch video interviews with students about why they chose the online DSW at KU.
Fri, 12/15/2023
DSW program welcomes first cohort of online students
The 23 students in the inaugural KU DSW class come from seven states and hold MSWs from 11 universities, including KU. Meet four students and learn about their career goals and reasons for choosing a DSW at KU.