Three long-standing and cherished faculty members will retire over the next few months but each will be back this fall on a part-time basis. They are Jon R. Conte, J. David Hawkins and Marcia K. Meyers.
The remarkable professional achievements and the many contributions made by Jon, David and Marcia will be spotlighted during the School’s annual faculty and staff recognition event on June 6, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Room 305.
Jon Conte joined the School in 1990 as a professor, after serving on the faculty at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. Throughout his distinguished scholarly career, he has maintained a part-time private practice as well. As the founding president of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Jon was named professor emeritus for life by that association in 2012. He is also a lifetime member of the APSAC board and a recipient of the Ron C. Laney Award for Distinguished Service. Jon will return part-time in the fall to teach and mentor as well as advance certain projects, such as the Joshua Center on child sexual abuse.
“Jon’s reputation as a master clinician and educator is nearly as impressive as his preeminence as a scholar in the fields of interpersonal violence, child abuse and trauma,” said Dean Eddie Uehara. “Among his many seminal works is his recent three-volume publication, Child Abuse and Neglect Worldwide, which examines classic, current and emerging research in child abuse in countries around the world.”
David Hawkins joined the School in 1976 as a research assistant professor, becoming full professor in 1987. The following year, he founded the renowned School's Social Development Research Group, serving as its inaugural director. For more than 30 years, David and his SDRG colleagues helped establish the field of community-based prevention science, pioneering such ground-breaking projects as the Seattle Social Development Project, Community Youth Development Study and Communities That Care. David will retire Sept. 1 but will return to the School part-time beginning Sept. 15.
“David’s work has had tremendous impact on the School as well as on youth and the world of prevention science,” said Dean Uehara. “In 2000, he was the recipient of the School’s first endowed professorship and the first School faculty member to deliver the highly competitive UW annual faculty lecture. His influential work has contributed significantly to the field of social work, both nationally and internationally.”
Marcia Meyers joined the School in 2001 following an extensive nationwide search for a senior policy scholar qualified to hold a joint appointment with the Evans School of Public Affairs. In 2005, she launched the West Coast Poverty Center and served as its inaugural director. From 2008 to 2011, she was the School’s associate dean for academic affairs. Marcia received the Society for Social Work Research’s Excellence in Research award and was named the Narramore Scholar of Poverty and Inequality Studies. She retires in August but will return part-time in the fall to teach and mentor.
“During her time at the School, Marcia brought with her substance, stature, leadership and a capacity for sophisticated policy analysis,” said Eddie Uehara. “A profound yet accessible author, her work has informed some of our best thinking in the areas of poverty, inequality, and family and work policy.”