Welcome From The Dean

I am so thrilled to arrive at Michigan and am honored to serve as dean of the School of Social Work.

The last two years have been a time of upheaval, changing our routines and expectations. The University of Michigan, like everywhere in the country, has to figure out what social work looks like in the wake of the “twin pandemics” — COVID-19 and our country’s reckoning with its history of racism. We are still comprehending the ways that these traumas have affected our lives, and how our polarized society stymies our efforts to reach mutual understanding.

As the leading U.S. school of social work, we are uniquely positioned, and obligated by our social work values, to lead the way in responding to these challenges. Michigan will supply the thought leadership to transform our field in the future. We need to consider:
How social work will play a role in shaping society’s future?
How do we advocate for sustainable social work careers, which will allow our students to do good and find solutions to society’s most pressing problems?

As we move forward, these are the types of high-level challenges we will face together as a community. I am excited to work to build our new future together.

Go Blue!

Beth Angell
Dean and Professor of Social Work