Rosemary A. Sarri

Rosemary A. Sarri joined the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Social Work in 1959 as a lecturer. She was promoted to assistant professor in 1962, associate professor in 1964, and professor in 1966.

Scholars and professional practitioners the world over consider Professor Sarri to be a leading expert in the areas of child/family welfare policy and juvenile and criminal justice systems. She has contributed to international social welfare programs throughout the world, including a collaboration with universities in Australia and Korea on the topics of child welfare and adoption, and an appointment by the minister of education to the Russian Social Welfare Commission to help develop educational standards and curriculum guidelines for social work education programs in Russia.

Professor Sarri has done extensive research and published widely on public policy issues related to families, children, women, and justice systems. Among her teaching areas were gender studies, deviant behavior, executive leadership, social policy, and families and children in poverty. She has also served the School of Social Work, the university, and many government agencies through her extensive committee, consulting, and community activities. She served in several important administrative positions at the school, including head of the doctoral program, director of admissions, and head of the social welfare administration program.

Honors to Professor Sarri include a Fulbright Senior Scholarship, honorary DHL degree from Western Maryland College, Significant Life-Time Achievement Award from the Council on Social Work Education, School of Social Work Distinguished Alumni Award, NASW Presidential Award for Research, and the University of Michigan Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award.

She was named professor emerita of social work in 1993, at which time the Rosemary Sarri Scholarship was established. She continues to carry out research as faculty associate and senior research professor emerita at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

She has engaged in an extensive amount of international social work, teaching in Australia, the Philippines, Korea, Hungary, China, and Ethiopia. She continues to be involved in training faculty at schools of social work in China.
She is a fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.