From the Dean

SOCIAL WORK matters

The University of Utah College of Social Work 2020-2021

Dean Martell Teasley, PhD, MSW

Editor Jennifer Nozawa

Art Direction University Marketing & Communications

Contributing Writers Emily Breen Stephanie Dawson Pack Lisa Himonas Jennifer Nozawa Martell Teasley

Contributing Photographers Ana Belmonte Austen Diamond iStock Richie Landward Merritt Loomis Jennifer Nozawa Reggie Pack Dave Titensor Brooke Tittle

Social Work Matters is published annually by the University of Utah College of Social Work

socialwork.utah.edu

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A Message from the Dean

My first job was collecting soda bottles in the bingo hall where my grandfather worked. I’ve worked in a major league baseball park and a steel mill, for the U.S. Army, and at two other large universities. None have been quite as special as the College of Social Work at the University of Utah. While I am very pleased with the hard work the College has done since I arrived in Salt Lake City, I am especially proud of how our faculty, staff, and students responded in the face of uncertainty this year.

The College as a whole has stepped up to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. Faculty and staff have worked diligently to transition to online learning and working remotely, while offering the best possible opportunities to the individuals who inspire us to work in higher education—the students.

During this unusual time in our lives, I am incredibly proud of the students in the College of Social Work and am overjoyed to congratulate the Class of 2020! Most students likely did not expect their academic journey in the BSW, MSW, or PhD program to end with a mandatory quarantine, online classes, and virtual graduation ceremonies—yet they completed their degrees in stunning fashion. Their tenacity and resiliency in the face of unprecedented challenges is a promising indication of the excellent social workers they will become.

The world of social work that these recent graduates are entering looks a bit different than the world we were used to. This pandemic has altered everything, yet I have tremendous confidence that our students are going to excel, even as treatment modalities change and the profession itself adapts. I look forward to seeing the new heights these students will reach.

As a College and as individuals, we will follow the example of our students and find a way to push through this pivotal moment in our lives. We will emerge from this experience different than we entered it—but we must keep moving forward, embracing the challenges as opportunities, seizing the chance to define the future we want to build together.

Martell Teasley, PhD, MSW Dean and Professor President, National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work