April 21, 2025
The University of Washington School of Social Work is excited to announce that Dr. Kirk “Jae” James, a clinical associate professor and director of the DSW program at the NYU Silver School of Social Work, is the keynote speaker for the 2025 SSW graduation.
Jae is an immigrant, formerly incarcerated black man committed to creating a world in which everyone can self-actualize. In 2013, he completed a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Practice titled The Invisible Epidemic: Educating Social Work Students towards Holistic Practice in a Period of Mass Incarceration. Jae has utilized the content from his research and his lived experience to consult, coach and develop educational content for numerous universities, including The University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, City College, Fordham University, York College and Columbia University. He also sits on the editorial board of the journal Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work.
This year’s graduation celebration will be held on Thursday, June 12th, from 7p.m. – 9:30p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.