School of Social Work

Professor Linda Chatters has received the 2023 Distinguished Faculty Award. This highly esteemed peer award recognizes governing faculty members who demonstrate excellence in domains including longevity of service to the School; national recognition in scholarship and service; excellence in teaching and mentoring; outstanding service to the School and the University; and contribution to the professional community.

Chatters is the Paula Allen-Meares Collegiate Professor of Social Work.  In addition, she is Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education at the School of Public Health and a

Lecturer Laura Yakas has received the 2024 Distinguished Lecturer Award. This highly esteemed peer award recognizes excellence in teaching and mentoring students and the very highest ideal of a School of Social Work lecturer.

Lecturer Brooke Buys was named the 2024 Student Union Teacher of the Year. This award is given by the School of Social Work student government and recognizes faculty who have demonstrated commitment to improving DEI, made an outstanding and positive contribution to the School’s climate, and whose skills, dedication, understanding and caring have made a positive impact on students.

Assistant Professor Odessa Gonzalez Benson has received the 2024 Doctoral Student Organization Faculty Award. The Doctoral Student Organization bestows this award to a faculty mentor who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to mentoring, developing and supporting doctoral students.

Academic Program Analyst Jason Harrison and Field Education Coordinator Talia Ingham received the 2024 Colleen Karim Staff Excellence Award. This award recognizes staff members who accomplish exceptional performance and achievements in their job role, going above and beyond in their day-to-day efforts, championing and supporting the work of others, and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

Congratulations to the following faculty members whose promotions were approved this month by the U-M Board of Regents. Katrina Ellis, Lisa Fedina, Odessa Benson Gonzalez and Anao Zhang were promoted to associate professor with tenure. David Córdova and Terri Friedline were promoted to professor. 

In addition, Lindsay Bornheimer was promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, without tenure, School of Medicine. Katrina Ellis was also promoted to Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, without tenure, School of Public Health.

Congratulations also to

The School of Social Work has again been named the nation’s top social work school in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Graduate School rankings. Since 2012, our School has had the honor to be ranked # 1 in the nation. The rankings reflect the School’s steadfast role as a national leader in developing innovative knowledge, collaborating with communities, and educating the next generation of social workers who will shape practice and policy of the future. To know that the dedication and hard work of our faculty, staff, students and alumni are recognized by our peers is incredibly gratifying

Associate Professor Jaclynn Hawkins was appointed the director of the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training Center, effective January 2024. She has previously served as both associate director (2021-present) and acting director (2022-2023).

Hawkins received her PhD in Social Work and Sociology through the School’s Joint Doctoral Program in 2015 and joined the School faculty in 2018. She brings extensive experience in conducting research on health care disparities. Her research focuses on identifying the causes of physical health disparities between Black

Professor Matthew Smith was appointed the Associate Dean for Research, effective January 2024. In this role, he oversees the Office of Research, which supports faculty research endeavors, fosters a vibrant research culture, and ensures compliance with relevant policies. 

Smith joined the School faculty in 2017. His research and scholarship focus on modifying and delivering behavioral interventions for a broad spectrum of vulnerable and underserved populations. He is the director of the Level Up: Employment Skills Simulation Lab, which develops and evaluates technology-based interventions to

Professor Shawna Lee was appointed the new Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs (ADFA) as of January 2024. As ADFA, she is responsible for all academic personnel processes, including faculty recruiting, mentoring and development, promotion and tenure, and annual merit reviews.  

After receiving five degrees from U-M (including her MSW and PhD in Social Work and Psychology), Lee joined the School faculty as an associate professor in 2012. She is the director of the Parenting in Context Research Lab and was the director of the School’s Program Evaluation Group from 2019-2023. She is the principal