School of Social Work News

Professor Robert Joseph Taylor has received the James Jackson Outstanding Mentorship Award from the Gerontological Society of America. This award recognizes outstanding commitment and dedication to mentoring minority researchers in the field of aging. "I was overjoyed when I was informed that I had received the inaugural James Jackson Outstanding Mentorship Award," said Taylor. "James Jackson was my mentor and he always stressed the importance of mentoring students and junior faculty and including them in his work. I view mentoring as my way of acknowledging James' legacy and ‘paying forward' the investment that he made in me."

"Robert Taylor is a dedicated mentor who has provided resources to advance the careers of dozens, maybe even hundreds, of social work and social science scholars in the U.S. He invests his time and wisdom and creates relationships and social networks that provide support and success throughout the careers of his mentees," said Dean Lynn Videka. "Of special note is the annual summer workshop for scholars who focus on diverse populations; these gatherings create lifelong networks of support for the attendees. Robert's investment in the mentorship of underrepresented scholars is an example of what makes Michigan Social Work great."

Professor Robert Joseph Taylor was quoted in Salon and CNN: "People are talking about the race disparity in COVID deaths, they're talking about the age disparity, but they're not talking about how race and age disparities interact: They're not talking about older Black adults."

Harold R Johnson Professor of Social Work and Sheila Feld Collegiate Professor Robert Taylor received the 2018 Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award from the Office of the Provost for his contributions and service to the development of a culturally and ethnically diverse University of Michigan community

Professor Robert Joseph Taylor gave the 2017 Carl A. Scott Lecture on October 21 at the Council on Social Work Education annual meeting in Dallas. The title of his talk was "Extended Family and Congregational Support Networks Among African Americans."

The Carl A. Scott Memorial Lecture Series was established to continue the legacy of equity and social justice in social work through building knowledge and furthering the well-being of individuals and their communities. Taylor is recognized for his prolific and highly influential research on African American families, and his leading role in mentoring and shaping a new generation of African American scholars. The School hosted a celebration for Taylor at the CSWE meeting in honor of this recognition.

Robert Taylor has been named the CSWE 2017 Carl A. Scott Memorial Lecturer.  Read more about Dr. Taylor's talk "Extended Family and Congregational Support Networks Among African Americans"

Professor Robert Taylor’s article, “Socioeconomic Status, Financial Strain, and Leukocyte Telomere Length in a Sample of African American Midlife Men” was published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

Professor Robert Taylor’s article, “Race and Religious Participation: Introduction to Special Issue” was published in Race and Social Problems.

Robert Joesph Taylor was installed as the Harold R. Johnson Professor of Social Work on March 6. Taylor delivered an installation address "Family and Church Support Networks of Older African Americans" highlighting his research. He is one of the nation’s foremost experts in the informal social support networks (i.e., family, friends and church members) of adult and elderly Black Americans as well as religious participation among African Americans. 

He is the founding editor of African American Research Perspectives and is currently on the editorial boards of the Journal of Marriage and the Family and Race and Social Problems. Taylor was ranked number one in the top 20 most cited African American scholars in social work.