March 18, 2026
Each year, the Stanford University–Elsevier study identifies the world’s leading scientists whose published work ranks among the top 2% globally for research impact. In its most recent 2024 and 2025 updates, several scholars from the University of Washington School of Social Work earned this prestigious distinction.
Top UW Social Work Scholars (2024–2025)
- Michael S. Spencer: The School of Social Work’s Ballmer endowed dean is renowned for his high-impact research in health equity and culturally grounded interventions. His research examines health and wellness among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, focusing on interventions that promote health among Native Hawaiians through Indigenous practices and values.
- Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen: A professor and director of the Goldsen Institute, Fredriksen-Goldsen is an internationally recognized scholar whose research has investigated health and caregiving in historically marginalized communities worldwide. She has led multiple landmark studies, including Aging with Pride®: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study (NHAS), the first national 15-year longitudinal study of sexual and gender diverse older adults. She has also authored more than 150 scholarly publications, seven books and special issues.
- David T. Takeuchi: A professor and former associate dean for faculty excellence, Dr. Takeuchi is noted for his extensive work on racial and ethnic health disparities. He has broad experience in research design, sampling strategies for diverse populations, and data analyses using a variety of statistical methods. Takeuchi received two awards from the American Sociological Association: the Leonard Pearlin Award for his contributions to the sociological study of mental health and the Distinguished Contributions to the Study of Asian American Communities.
- Peter J. Pecora: A professor and the managing director of research services at Casey Family Programs, Pecora has worked with social service departments in the United States and across the globe to refine foster care programs, implement intensive home-based services and design risk-assessment systems for child protective services. His co-authored books and journal articles focus on child-welfare program design, administration and research.
- Rona L. Levy: A professor and the associate dean for research, Levy is widely recognized for her work in behavioral medicine. Her primary research interests focus on the psychosocial aspects of health, including women’s health issues, chronic pain, the intergenerational transmission of illness behavior, childhood and adult obesity prevention and treatment, and behavioral medicine. Dr. Levy has been elected to fellow status in several organizations, including the American Pain Society, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
- Dan Goldhaber: An affiliate research professor, Goldhaber’s work focuses on the economics of education and teacher quality. He studies issues of educational productivity and reform at the K-12 level, the broad array of human capital policies that influence the composition, distribution, and quality of teachers in the workforce, and connections between students’ K-12 experiences and postsecondary outcomes.
These recognitions reflect not only the outstanding contributions of individual faculty members but also the School’s broader commitment to advancing knowledge, transforming practice and promoting equity through evidence‑driven scholarship.