Sara Rust

Sara Rust is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas. Ms. Rust has been teaching at KU since 2010, first as an adjunct instructor and then as a faculty member.  

Ms. Rust spent her early career in children’s mental health programming at a CMHC in Kansas. After receiving her MSW from KU, she served in the United States Peace Corps. After returning stateside, she was the director of a substance use recovery center before entering law school. Upon law school graduation and bar passage, she began working at the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV), first as a project attorney and then as the Legal and Policy Director (LPD). As the LPD, Ms. Rust managed legal advocacy projects and spearheaded state policy issues related to domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking in Kansas.  

Ms. Rust has focused her work on the impact of sexual violence (and trauma), healing practices for sexual violence survivors, confidentiality laws, rules, and practices, allyship and policy support for tribal communities, ethics and professional rules, along with an array of social justice-related policy issues.   

Ms. Rust teaches at the BSW, MSW and DSW levels including courses in community practice, social work policy and advocacy, multi-level engagement, and leadership.