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UK Social Work Faculty Address Grand Challenges at Council’s Annual Meeting

For 85 years, University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) faculty have conducted cutting-edge research aimed at addressing society’s most challenging social conditions. The impact of that research was on full display at the 2023 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (APM), held in Atlanta on October 26th.

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For 85 years, University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) faculty have conducted cutting-edge research aimed at addressing society’s most challenging social conditions. The impact of that research was on full display at the 2023 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (APM), held in Atlanta on October 26th.  

CSWE APM is the largest gathering of social work educators, researchers, and academic administrators in the United States. This year, CoSW faculty conducted more than 20 juried presentations, spanning an array of topics, including health disparities, trauma and family adversities, school bullying, child wellbeing, and pedagogical approaches for meeting the needs of online learners, among other topics.

“Having the opportunity to share and present our work at CSWE is such an honor,” explained Dr. Shelby Clark, an assistant professor in CoSW. Clark and CoSW assistant professor Taylor Dowdy-Hazlett presented their research exploring innovative ways to support foster families. Clark shared that she, “felt excited and encouraged to have other professional social work educators engage and discuss how this research impacts their work”. 

As part of the Forward, Together Strategic Framework, CoSW has made substantive investments in supporting research efforts consistent with UK’s Research Priorities Initiative. CoSW pilot initiatives to bolster support for submitting extramural proposals, expand professional development opportunity, and strategically disseminate resources that have been central to this effort. 

The positive outcomes of these endeavors are increasingly apparent.

From 2018 to 2023, CoSW’s extramural research funding has grown over 350%. From 2018 to 2022, proposal submissions increased nearly 200%. Faculty scholarship and dissemination activities – such as presentations at CSWE – have also continued to grow.

You can learn more about CSWE, and see a full list of CoSW presenters, by visiting the APM website.

For 85 years, the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) has been a leader in social work education. As a college, we promote community and individual well-being through translational research and scholarship, exemplary teaching, and vital community engagement. We are committed to the people and social institutions throughout Kentucky, the nation, and the world. Like the University, CoSW is an organization that cultivates a diverse academic community characterized by interpersonal fairness and social justice. We are fiercely committed to developing outstanding social work professionals — leaders who will serve individuals, families, and communities through innovative and effective practices that are guided by cultural competency, systematic ethical analysis, and a keen and pragmatic understanding of the human condition.  

UK Social Work Faculty Address Grand Challenges at Council’s Annual Meeting

For 85 years, University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) faculty have conducted cutting-edge research aimed at addressing society’s most challenging social conditions. The impact of that research was on full display at the 2023 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (APM), held in Atlanta on October 26th.  

CSWE APM is the largest gathering of social work educators, researchers, and academic administrators in the United States. This year, CoSW faculty conducted more than 20 juried presentations, spanning an array of topics, including health disparities, trauma and family adversities, school bullying, child wellbeing, and pedagogical approaches for meeting the needs of online learners, among other topics.

“Having the opportunity to share and present our work at CSWE is such an honor,” explained Dr. Shelby Clark, an assistant professor in CoSW. Clark and CoSW assistant professor Taylor Dowdy-Hazlett presented their research exploring innovative ways to support foster families. Clark shared that she, “felt excited and encouraged to have other professional social work educators engage and discuss how this research impacts their work”. 

As part of the Forward, Together Strategic Framework, CoSW has made substantive investments in supporting research efforts consistent with UK’s Research Priorities Initiative. CoSW pilot initiatives to bolster support for submitting extramural proposals, expand professional development opportunity, and strategically disseminate resources that have been central to this effort. 

The positive outcomes of these endeavors are increasingly apparent.

From 2018 to 2023, CoSW’s extramural research funding has grown over 350%. From 2018 to 2022, proposal submissions increased nearly 200%. Faculty scholarship and dissemination activities – such as presentations at CSWE – have also continued to grow.

You can learn more about CSWE, and see a full list of CoSW presenters, by visiting the APM website.