University of Washington Ph.D. students Vania Buck and Jon Torres were recognized this past weekend at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Conference as recipients of the 2025 Minority Fellowship Program. Current UW Ph.D. students Joanna La Torre and Juliann Li Verdugo were also selected as MFP fellows in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The newest cohort of Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare (BASW) juniors has completed their first week in the program and they are already feeling inspired, challenged and deeply connected to their goals. Asked to reflect on their early impressions, three BASW students shared what has stood out most during this important transition.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has selected Bree Martinez, a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of Washington School of Social Work, as one of its 2025 Health Policy Research Scholars. HPRS helps scholars establish and strengthen professional ties to public health and policy leaders, provides training in health equity and policy process, and grants an annual award of up to $30,000 for up to four years or until the scholar completes their doctoral program.
Nominations for the School of Social Work 2026 Alumni Recognition Awards are now open and nomination forms will be accepted until November 15. If you know of an alumni who should be considered for the Early Career Achievement Award, Established Impact Award or Social Work Legacy Award, nominate your selection today.
The University of Washington School of Social Work is excited to announce that Kamryn Morris, Melanie Morris and Lauren White will join the School as assistant professors this fall quarter. Their research interests span prevention science, oral health equity and mental health in Indigenous communities. We are proud to welcome these outstanding scholars to our faculty and social work community.
Sarah Fatemeh Porter, Ph.D. candidate at the UW School of Social Work, was selected as one of 14 recipients of the prestigious 2025 Grand Challenges for Social Work Doctoral Award. Founded in 2012 by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, the Grand Challenges for Social Work is a groundbreaking initiative to identify and collectively take on our nation’s toughest social problems.
Professor and Associate Dean for Research Rona Levy has been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences. WSAS members are nationally recognized for their scientific and technical expertise and Dr. Levy is among 36 scientists and educators across the state, 12 of which are University of Washington faculty, announced on July 17 as new members.
At the 2025 University of Washington School of Social Work Graduation, keynote speaker Dr. Kirk “Jae” James delivered a powerful and deeply personal message of resilience, justice and transformation, detailing his journey from growing up in Jamaica to becoming the director of the Doctorate in Social Work program at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. Watch James’ speech in its entirety here.
The University of Washington School of Social Work is thrilled to share that J’May Bertrand Rivara, associate teaching professor emerita, has received the 2025 UW Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award. Created in 2017, this award celebrates legacies of transformational teaching and honors a UW teacher who influenced and inspired students long after they left the classroom.
The University of Washington School of Social Work is proud to offer our new Online MSW Program Option beginning in the fall of 2026. This is a part-time, fully online Master of Social Work (MSW) program option designed to expand access to high-quality graduate education for students across Washington State and the broader Pacific Northwest region.