The academic year is well underway at the School of Social Welfare. Over 500 students are enrolled in our undergraduate and graduate programs this fall.

We welcomed the first cohorts of the online MSW and online Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programs. In Salina, students began classes over the summer as the first cohort of the MSW partnership program between KU and K-State Salina. You are invited to celebrate the launch of the KU MSW in Salina on Oct. 19 at the KU MSW in Salina Launch Party.

Our programs are already preparing for the next year and are recruiting for 2024. Do you know someone who is interested in pursuing a degree in social work? One of the best ways to encourage their interest is to share how your time at the KU School of Social Welfare has impacted your career. You can also encourage prospective students to sign up for an upcoming info session.

Take good care and Rock Chalk,

Michelle Mohr Carney, PhD, MSSA
Dean and Professor
KU School of Social Welfare

The Toni Johnson Scholars for Racial and Social Justice program supports bachelors, masters and doctoral students through financial support, mentoring, leadership and professional development opportunities.

The program aims to enhance community, retention and success for program scholars. Meet this year's class of Scholars.

2023-2024 Scholars:

MSW: Jurnee Carlene Adams, Traci Dotson

BSW: Leah Loura, William Williams, Cole Harred, Faith Lopez, Kareem Hammoufa, Lexi Whitson, Olivia Sourivong, Payton Smith, Xavier Noriega, Yareli Ortiz

PhD: Kortney Carr

The Sigler Family Aging Scholars program develops students in the field of gerontological social work by offering innovative, individualized, and community-engaged learning opportunities to bachelors and masters students with a passion for serving older adults through multi-level gerontology practice, policy, and research.

Sigler Family Aging Scholars receive support including a scholarship, faculty mentoring, specialized training and leadership development and community networking opportunities.

2023-2024 Scholars:

MSW: Haley Hochstatter, Jennifer Gusewelle, Madi Howard

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is seeking candidates for two tenure-track assistant professor positions to begin Fall 2024 for academic year appointments.

We welcome candidates whose scholarship, teaching, and service would contribute to the School’s mission to promote social, economic, and environmental justice and transform lives and social contexts. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a commitment to the School’s values of relationship building; diversity, equity, and inclusion; practice with integrity; multisystem competency; critical perspective; and empirically informed social work. Faculty candidates with a PhD in Social Work or related fields or a DSW are invited to apply.

Review of applications began on October 5, 2023 and will continue until a pool of qualified applicants is obtained.

Join the KU School of Social Welfare and the K-State Salina Social Work Program to celebrate the launch of the KU Master of Social Work Program in central Kansas.

This MSW program is made possible by a collaboration between Kansas State University Salina and the University of Kansas.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

5 to 6:30 p.m.
Remarks will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Kansas State University - College Center
2310 Centennial Road, Salina, KS 67401

Refreshments and appetizers provided.

In its inaugural year, our Salina partnership site has welcomed nine Advanced Standing MSW students. Applications open on Oct. 1 for students to begin the Advanced Standing MSW or Traditional MSW program at K-State Salina in 2024.

Learn more about each program, our remaining info session dates and other opportunities to connect:

This fall, our recruitment team has been busy meeting with students one-on-one and at various events. Our Virtual Information Sessions are a great option for prospective students starting out in their decision making journey. 

Applications for the MSW, DSW and PhD programs open on Oct. 1. Learn more about how to apply.

Many of our scholars will be participating at the 2023 CSWE Annual Program Meeting. This year's theme is "It's Time to Act: Defining and Reckoning with Anti-Racist Social Work Education." See our list of presenters at this year's Annual Program Meeting. 

Are you attending the conference? Look for the KU School of Social Welfare in the exhibit hall.

Kortney Carr is a doctoral student in the School of Social Welfare’s Ph.D. program. Kortney’s scholarly interests include the health and well-being of Black men, trauma, and hope. The goals of her work include engaging Black men in research and amplifying their voices and experiences due to their unique challenges.

Kortney was recently awarded a CSWE Doctoral Fellowship and the Toni Johnson Scholars for Racial & Social Justice Dissertation Award, both for the 2023-24 academic year.

In addition to participating in her doctoral program, Kortney is an associate professor of practice with the School of Social Welfare. She has taught at the school for 7 years and teaches in our clinical and macro concentrations.

Molly Gratton (MSW 1998), relocated to Idaho from Kansas with her family in 2006, becoming one of three registered play therapists in the state at that time. Molly opened her own practice in 2006 with new locations in 2022 and 2023. 

Margo Townley (BSW 1990, MSW 1998), earned her PsyD in 2015 after more than 20 years of working in child protection services. Margo now runs a private practice in rural Western Massachusetts and serves on the Mass Commonwealth's Forensic Advisory Board to support the Commonwealth's Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) attorneys and providers. 

NaKeya Ashe (MSW 2013), is currently clinical director for the Charlie Health Virtual IOP program in Maricopa, Arizona, and will be celebrating three years in this position this February. 

Tini Lai (MSW 2020), is a medical social worker at Midland Care PACE in Lawrence, Kansas. Midland Care PACE provides home health services from several county-wide organizations for people 55 and older who qualify for home health and nursing care

Whether you just received a promotion or moved across the country, KU Social Welfare wants to keep updated on your life adventures. Please update your alumni record.

We love to run photos with alumni news items in our alumni communications and internal communications. Please email your high-resolution color self-portrait or other photo to Margaret Hair at mhair@ku.edu.

On August 20, the School of Social Welfare welcomed new and current students to the Lawrence campus during our Back to School Bash.

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