Greg Harden, MSW ‘91, dedicated his career to the practice of social work with the objective to challenge every person to achieve excellence in every aspect of life. Greg possessed the unique gift of seeing one’s potential and discerning how their understanding of themselves hindered their performance. Although Greg was renowned for his impact on the careers of elite athletes and C-suite executives, he also empowered and nurtured potential in individuals who were hampered by substance use disorder, criminal convictions, and personal trauma. He encouraged a genuine sense of hope and self-appreciation in everyone he encountered. He was a practitioner, teacher, and speaker who carried a powerful, targeted message to audiences, clients, and friends.
Greg Harden derived great satisfaction from working with people and provided non-judgmental, yet provocative guidance in self-reflection and personal insight. He was resilient and taught others to be resilient. He was intuitive and freely shared his insights. He was a master of self-reflection and exemplified the excellence that can emerge from understanding oneself. Greg was known by his family and friends for embodying social work values “to his core”; together, they have chosen to honor Greg’s legacy by establishing the Greg Harden Early Career Professorship at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. This is Greg Harden’s Legacy.
The Greg Harden Early Career Professorship* will honor Greg’s legacy by supporting early career social work faculty to reach their potential. Named, endowed professorships are one of the highest honors a faculty member can hold in academia. For an early career professor, holding the Greg Harden Early Career Professorship represents an investment in their potential through their academic career. The Greg Harden Early Career Professorship will be awarded to an early career faculty who reflects Greg’s legacy and passion for learning, teaching, and transforming lives through social work education, research, and/or community change.
If you are interested in learning more about the Greg Harden Early Career Professorship, please reach out to the U-M School of Social Work Office of Development and Alumni Relations at [email protected] or (734) 763-6886.
You can support the Greg Harden Early Career Professorship in a variety of ways, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss your philanthropic goals. Gifts may be made as a one-time contribution or a multi-year pledge through a Donor Advised Fund, retirement account, stock transfer, check, or online via the QR code. Please contact us to explore the giving option that is right for you.
*The Fund constitutes a gift for endowment, and distributions from it shall be made in accordance with the University’s then-existing endowment distribution policy and used as provided in the documents establishing the Fund, including that if the full amount required to establish an early career professorship is not reached by December, 2030, the funds raised will instead be used to establish the Greg Harden Early Career Faculty Research Fund for Excellence.
