News


Thu, 05/25/2023

New tenure-track faculty to start at School of Social Welfare for the 2023-2024 academic year

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is excited to announce two new tenure-track faculty. The new faculty bring with them innovative research knowledge and expertise to the School. Please take a moment to read more about our new scholars. ...

Mon, 05/22/2023

Celebrating Dr. Mahasweta Banerjee’s career at KU

Dr. Mahasweta Banerjee will retire from the School of Social Welfare at the end of June, after 31 years at KU. Read about Dr. Banerjee's career accomplishments, research and significant contributions to the School of Social Welfare.
Mon, 05/22/2023

2023 Dean's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching and Mignot Award Granted to Heather Bradley

The 2023 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching and the Mignot Award was awarded to Heather Bradley-Geary, M.S.W. for the 2022-2023 academic year. Heather is an adjunct professor and a field liaison for the KU School of Social Welfare. As an adjunct professor, Heather Bradley-Geary teaches undergraduate courses in...

Mon, 05/22/2023

Dr. Pegah Naemi Jimenez awarded 2023 Suzanne & Harry Statland Research Staff Award

For the first time ever this year, the School is proud to present a new annual award recognizing the outstanding research and scholarship work of research staff. The inaugural recipient of this award is Dr. Pegah Naemi Jimenez. ...

Mon, 05/22/2023

Dr. Juliana Carlson awarded 2023 Suzanne and Harry Statland Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship

To acknowledge outstanding contributions in our School to the advancement of science and knowledge through scholarship and research, we are proud to announce that this year’s Suzanne and Harry Statland Award recipient is Dr. Juliana Carlson. ...

Mon, 05/22/2023

Dr. Nancy Kepple awarded 2023 Gene A. and Gretchen Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching

The KU School of Social Welfare is pleased to announce the 2022-2023 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. Nancy Kepple is honored with the Budig Award for Excellence...

Fri, 05/12/2023

2022-2023 Margo Award Winners Announced

The Margo Awards are named for Margaret Schutz Gordon, Professor Emeritus who served with distinction as Professor and Director of Field Education at KU SSW from 1970 to 1983. ...

Tue, 05/09/2023

KU Announces New 2023-2024 Self Memorial Scholars

LAWRENCE – Nineteen students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year. ...

Fri, 05/05/2023

Scholars Outline Responsibilities of Schools of Social Welfare in Era of Anti-Trans Legislation

LAWRENCE — Through workshops and scholarly writing, experts from the University of Kansas are guiding conversations about the roles and responsibilities that schools of social work have to educate the next generation of social workers serving LGBTQ+ individuals in an environment of expanding anti-trans legislation across the country. Adding weight...

Mon, 05/01/2023

School of Social Welfare Center will Host 2023 LGBTQ Research Symposium

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare Center for LGBTQ+ Research and Advocacy will host its annual LGBTQ Research Symposium next month. This virtual event will take place June 1-2, offering live sessions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...

Tue, 04/25/2023

New faculty member gleans insight for preventing domestic violence from work in Nepal

Domestic violence (DV) is a global health issue that impacts the well-being of survivors, families, and future generations. Claire Willey-Sthapit, Ph.D., assistant professor in the KU School of Social Welfare, has studied responses to DV both in the United States and Nepal, gaining insight into community responses that empower survivors and hold those who use violence accountable.
Mon, 04/24/2023

Racial Equity Collaborative will present community forum

LAWRENCE — The Racial Equity Collaborative will host a community forum from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 3 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. Forum guests will discuss the confusion of neglect and poverty, the progress of kinship care in the state of Kansas and how to make meaningful...

Tue, 04/04/2023

Study shows link between wealth, health differs across race, ethnicity in young adulthood

Tue, 02/28/2023

KU part of project to train future social workers to recognize domestic abuse

Wed, 01/25/2023

Study shows pandemic put duties of employers on those directing own in-home care without added resources

LAWRENCE — As the U.S. population ages, the number of people receiving long-term services and supports in their own home has grown, including the use of self-directed care. Self-directed care enables long-term care recipients to hire and manage their own workers, rather than using a home care agency. The COVID-19...

Wed, 01/18/2023

Grand Challenges for Social Work Events Spotlight Progress on Complex Social Issues

A series of Grand Challenges for Social Work events spotlights the work of KU faculty and the progress they are making with their community partners.
Tue, 01/17/2023

Study shows SMART Recovery holds potential to help LGBTQ population with alcohol, substance use

LAWRENCE — People looking for help in reducing their alcohol and other substance use often turn to 12-step programs. But while research shows that LGBTQ individuals are more likely to struggle with substance use issues than their peers, they also often face barriers to engaging in traditional treatment programs. A...

Tue, 01/10/2023

Pandemic-forced shift to online education can be boon for future social workers; researcher offers framework

LAWRENCE — The COVID-19 pandemic forced education, services, health care and many other aspects of everyday life online. For social work, that transition started as a challenge, but it can actually be an opportunity for educators, social workers and the people they serve. A University of Kansas professor has published...

Thu, 12/01/2022

School of Social Welfare launches Master of Social Work partnership with K-State Salina

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare will begin offering a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at the Kansas State University Salina campus.
Mon, 11/14/2022

Financial capability predicts more positive health outcomes, study shows

LAWRENCE — We hear often about things that can be detrimental to our health, but the lists seldom contain anything financial. New research from the University of Kansas has found that financial capability can in fact be a social determinant of health and those who have it are more likely...

Wed, 10/19/2022

Alumna focuses social work career on giving voice to the voiceless

Throughout her career, and even in retirement, Cynthia Schendel has been an advocate for the field of social welfare and for those it touches. She established the Cynthia A. Schendel Scholarship in Clinical Social Work in 2020.
Tue, 10/11/2022

KU launches online Master of Social Work through Jayhawk Global education innovation center

To help meet the growing demand for social workers nationwide, the University of Kansas is now delivering its highly ranked Master of Social Work (MSW) program in a convenient, online format.
Mon, 10/03/2022

School of Social Welfare Launches New Center for Research to Transform Systems for Family, Community and Social Justice

The new center focuses on a multisystem, multi-sector approach to child welfare.
Thu, 09/22/2022

KU School of Social Welfare announces 2022-23 cohort of MSW Research Scholars

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare’s Research Office is excited to announce the 2022-23 cohort of MSW Research Scholars. These students work closely with an academic researcher on their research for 22 weeks (11 weeks each semester) for an average of eight hours per week. They are exposed...

Mon, 09/19/2022

Three social work doctoral students seek employment

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare currently has three doctoral candidates seeking employment. The candidates showcase a broad variety of social work teaching and research interests. This year the candidates are scholars studying youth activism and marginalization youth, mental health treatment and the intersection of physical and mental...

Wed, 08/17/2022

2022-2023 Sigler Aging Scholars Announced

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is pleased to announce the Sigler Aging Scholars Program has selected three students as the 2022-2023 Sigler Aging Scholars. ...

Thu, 08/04/2022

KU-led study explore predictive factors of youths who run from foster care

In a new study conducted by University of Kansas researchers, youth reported running away to have a say in their own lives, to connect with family and to escape untenable placement environments.
Mon, 08/01/2022

New Programs Equip Rural Social Workers With Much-Needed Resiliency Skills

Center for Community Engagement & Collaboration supports workforce development in underserved areas of Kansas.
Mon, 08/01/2022

Center for Research to Transform Systems for Family, Community & Social Justice Launches

A team of KU School of Social Welfare researchers is working to bring about that kind of child welfare system transformation. They envision a new approach, focused on family well-being, where systems listen to the needs and aspirations of communities and work collaboratively to create a proactive, responsive, and equitable network of services and supports.
Mon, 08/01/2022

Faculty Member Works to Elevate Unheard Voices to Influence Social Work Practice

Learn about Dr. e alexander's research and path to social work.

Media Contacts

Margaret Hair

School of Social Welfare

785-864-9876