April 22, 2025
Dear Society for Social Work and Research Colleagues,
As the academic year progresses towards its conclusion, I want to share an update on the Society for Social Work and Research’s (SSWR) strategic plan and address the significant landscape of challenges and opportunities facing higher education and our profession.
The SSWR Board of Directors remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing social work science – our core mission – while diligently safeguarding our collective values, the integrity of our work, and the strength of our scientific community. This includes vigorously defending the best interests of our members and partners against any threats. We firmly believe that a vigorous national social work research association is essential for accurately representing the vital contributions of our profession and the positive impact of our evidence-based efforts. SSWR is resolutely focused on expanding its national and global presence, actively leading critical conversations and initiatives that underscore the indispensable value of social work science in addressing complex social problems.
The SSWR Board of Directors and dedicated Committees are working with unwavering focus to achieve the ambitious goals outlined in our Strategic Plan 2024-2028, which directly aligns with SSWR’s mission, vision, and values of advancing social work science through impactful research. I extend my sincere gratitude to them and to all of you who have contributed your time and expertise to this crucial endeavor. We are pleased to share the following progress and eagerly invite your continued input, innovative ideas, and active involvement.
Strategic Plan 2024-2028: Implementation Progress
Goal 1: Improve SSWR’s Operational Excellence
A comprehensive national search is underway for SSWR’s next Executive Director. As announced at our 2025 annual conference in Seattle, WA, our esteemed and long-serving Executive Director, Jennifer Lewis, will be stepping down this year. Jennifer’s dedicated leadership over two decades has been pivotal in establishing SSWR as the preeminent research association within our profession, and we are deeply grateful for her service.
To ensure a seamless transition and identify an exceptional successor, SSWR has partnered with Armstrong McGuire, a nationally recognized executive search firm. The incoming Executive Director will play a critical role in shaping the future of our organization, collaborating closely with the Board, our diverse membership, and our national and global partners. We strongly encourage you to share this important opportunity within your professional networks and across relevant social platforms. The detailed description is available at Executive Director Position Profile.
Furthermore, SSWR is strategically implementing a new operating and management infrastructure to enhance our efficiency and effectiveness. Thanks to our sustained efforts to grow SSWR’s revenues and assets, we have made significant investments in hiring full-time professionals to lead and manage our core operations. The new Executive Director will assume a full-time, dedicated role, working in close partnership with our Director of Membership and Conference, whose position will also transition to full-time. To provide robust administrative, financial management, accounting, information technology, membership support, and annual conference support, the Board is in the final stages of contracting with a leading national association management company specializing in higher education and professional associations, selected after a rigorous competitive bidding process.
SSWR is confident that these transformative changes to our operations and infrastructure will significantly enhance our capacity to serve our members and advance our collective work. The transition of leadership and the onboarding of the new Executive Director and management team are strategically planned for late summer.
I am also pleased to acknowledge the fully seated SSWR Board of Directors, a truly dedicated and hardworking group of individuals representing the best of our profession: President-elect, Dean Kirk Foster, University of Texas Arlington; Vice President, Dr. Hyeouk “Chris” Hahm, Boston University; Vice President-elect, Dr. Rocío Calvo, Boston College; Past Vice-President, Dr. Mary Olmer, University of Pittsburgh; Secretary, Divisional Dean David Becerra, Boise State University; Treasurer, Dr. Virginia “Ginny” Ramseyer Winter, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Early Career Director-at-Large, Dr. Justin Harty, Arizona State University; Student Director-at-Large, Ms. Fatima Mabrouk, Doctoral Candidate New York University; Director-at-Large, Director Joan Blakey, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Director-at-Large, Dr. Karen Bullock, Boston College; Director-at-Large, Dr. Tamara Cadet, University of Pennsylvania; Director-at-Large, Dr. Kelli Canada, University of Missouri; Director-at-Large, Dr. Shuang Lu University of Central Florida, and our five newly elected Directors-at-Large: Dr. Adrienne Baldwin-White, Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Youseung Kim Clark Atlanta University, Dr. Joyce Lee, The Ohio State University, Dr. Abha Rai, Loyola University Chicago, and Dr. Samantha Teixeira, Boston College. This exceptional group will guide SSWR through the 2025-2026 term.
Goal 2: Strengthen and Diversify SSWR Membership Composition, Benefits, Engagement, and Conference Experience
Planning for SSWR’s landmark 2026 annual conference is well underway. Scheduled for January 14-18, 2026, this conference marks SSWR’s 30th annual conference anniversary – a significant milestone for our association. The conference theme, Leading for Transformative Change: Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice, underscores our commitment to ensuring that rigorous research informs effective solutions to pressing social issues. Dr. Chris Hahm of Boston University and the dedicated conference planning committee are working diligently to curate a program that showcases the most impactful and innovative work in our field. The overwhelming response, with nearly 2,600 abstracts received and currently under review, demonstrates the vibrant engagement and commitment of our members to convene, network, foster professional growth, and engage in critical dialogue grounded in the best of social work science.
Beyond our annual conference, SSWR’s Board remains committed to diversifying and expanding our educational and research dissemination efforts through year-round summits, webinars, and other convenings. We are actively planning our inaugural international summit for the summer of 2027, an initiative spearheaded by a special planning group led by Dr. Shuang Lu of the University of Central Florida, in collaboration with esteemed research partners at various international universities. We anticipate sharing further details about this exciting development in the coming months.
Goal 3: Advance Individual and School Members’ Research Capacity and Skills to Inform Solutions to Complex Social Problems
In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, shaped by new federal, state, and university-level compliance policies, the importance of social work research has never been more critical. As a united social work community, we must intensify our efforts to gather evidence, educate one another, develop strategic responses, and champion the advancement of rigorous social work research. Our proactive response to these challenges requires sustained and multifaceted action, including: (1) the provision of regular and informative communications and updates regarding federal developments and their potential impact on social work research; (2) a clear and compelling articulation of the inherent value of social work research, its profound impact on society, and its intrinsic connection to our core professional values and ethical principles; (3) the strategic sharing of vital resources, including a comprehensive catalog of ongoing educational opportunities such as webinars and toolkits designed to equip students, faculty, social work leaders, community partners, and university officials with the essential information and knowledge to advance their research programs and careers amidst uncertainty; and (4) maintaining a strong and unified voice to advocate for the critical importance of social work research and the communities we serve.
Recognizing the urgency of these issues, SSWR has established a dedicated taskforce co-led by Dr. Mary Ohmer of the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Justin Harty of Arizona State University. This taskforce is actively engaging SSWR Fellows and our government relations partners to develop effective strategies. Their immediate focus is on our next webinar, which will be of value to early career professionals and those who provide mentorship and support for their work. The taskforce is also developing broader advocacy strategies to defend SSWR’s integrity, image, and reputation, countering any government threats and misinformation that could undermine social work research and its impact. If you are passionate about these issues and wish to contribute your expertise, we warmly welcome your involvement in this vital taskforce.
Goal 4: Enhance SSWR Communications and Publications
In December, we welcomed Rex Whisman of the BrandED Consultants Group as our new communications and marketing consultant. Rex is leading a two-phase strategic communications and marketing plan aimed at strengthening SSWR’s brand, developing more effective strategies for communicating the significant impact of social work research, and translating research findings into meaningful policy and practice opportunities. Currently, Rex and his team are developing SSWR’s first brand platform and are actively testing draft concepts with both members and non-members to ensure broad resonance and impact. To date, 135 stakeholders have engaged in the process, in person or online. We extend our sincere thanks to those who have participated in this important process thus far, sharing invaluable insights and feedback regarding SSWR’s brand reputation, our core value propositions, and recommended communication strategies. At the same time, the BrandED team is engaged in the early stages of refreshing the SSWR website.
In the coming weeks and months, you will be hearing more from SSWR’s revitalized Communications Committee, expertly led by our new Director-at-Large, Dr. Youseung Kim of Clark Atlanta University. We encourage you to be on the lookout for exciting enhancements to our website, a strengthened presence in media and social media channels, consistent and informative communications, and updates, and much more as we work to amplify the reach and impact of social work research.
Integration of Grand Challenges for Social Work
In addition to the progress of our strategic plan, I want to remind you of another important development. During the 2025 annual conference opening plenary in Seattle, WA, Dr. Carrie Pettus, Chair of the Grand Challenges for Social Work Executive Committee, and I, had the pleasure of announcing the integration of SSWR and the GCSW. The integration process will take place over the course of this year to ensure that GCSW is effectively assimilated into SSWR’s annual conference, journal, infrastructure, and culture. This collaboration enables SSWR to expand its ability to translate social work science into practice, policy, and community impact, while providing greater visibility and a sustainable platform for the Grand Challenges for Social Work. I hope you will join us at the 2026 SSWR annual conference when we celebrate the 10th anniversary of GCSW, and stay tuned for further progress on this important initiative.
Thank you for your unwavering support and profound dedication to the Society for Social Work and Research. Together, we will continue to advance social work science, uphold the highest standards of research integrity, and make a lasting and positive impact on our profession and the communities we are privileged to serve.
All the best,
Ramona Denby-Brinson, PhD, ACSW, LMSW
President, Society for Social Work and Research
Dean & Wallace H. Kuralt, Sr. Distinguished Professor of Public Welfare Policy and Administration
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work