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**Research leaders.
Committed practitioners.
Proven educators.**
1. 
2. Faculty
# Faculty
---
Our faculty are recognized nationally and internationally for their research and practice. Dedicated to mentorship, these scholars, clinicians, scientists, and leaders draw on diverse disciplines—from social work and sociology to public health, epidemiology, and neuroscience—in their teaching and work.
## By the Numbers
32
**Full-time faculty**
87
Part-time faculty
48%
Faculty diversity
$10M
In grant expenditures (2024)
### **Faculty Expertise**
Current faculty members conduct research that promotes maternal and child well-being, reduces mental health disparities, and improves our understanding of how policies and public services impact low-wage workers, refugees, and immigrants. Their expertise spans areas such as food security in resource-poor households, parenting and male caregiving, the effects of longer working lives, social-behavioral responses to environmental changes, and more.
### Global Practice
#### Theresa S. Betancourt *Salem Professor in Global Practice*
Research interests include the developmental and psychosocial consequences of concentrated adversity on children, youth and families; resilience and protective processes in child and adolescent mental health and child development; refugee families; and applied cross-cultural mental health research.
### Latinx Communities
#### Rocío Calvo *Professor*
Using a community-centered approach in the design and implementation of interventions that address the needs identified by the community, Professor Calvo's research focuses on understanding how to improve access to social services for diverse Latinx populations (especially in health care and education).
### Workplace Equity
#### Samuel Bradley, Jr. *Assistant Professor*
Expertise lies in diversity and inclusion, public health, and program innovation. He is particularly passionate about utilizing design thinking as a strategy for developing innovation in higher education as well as leveraging higher education programs to support community outcomes in marginalized communities.
## Meet Our Faculty
Our renowned faculty are researchers and scholars as well as practicing clinicians, policymakers, and nonprofit directors who specialize in a variety of critical topics such as mental health, global migration, child protection, and productive aging.
Play
### Robin Warsh
#### Professor
### Alejandro Olayo-Méndez
#### Assistant Professor
### Summer Sherburne Hawkins
#### Associate Professor
### Tyrone M. Parchment
### Scott Easton
### Theresa S. Betancourt
#### Salem Professor in Global Practice
### Rocío Calvo
### Jessica M. Black
## Faculty News
#### Christopher Salas-Wright named fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare
Salas-Wright, the inaugural Barry Family Professor in Social Work, will be inducted into the honorific society of distinguished scholars and practitioners at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference on January 18.
#### Boston Celtics name BCSSW professor ‘Hero Among Us’
Assistant Professor Ed-Dee G. Williams was honored at a recent Celtics game for creating an application that helps Black youth with autism talk about their mental health.
#### BCSSW researcher named Social Work Pioneer
Karen Bullock, the Louise McMahon Ahearn Endowed Professor, an acclaimed researcher in health-related equity and inclusion issues, has been recognized by the National Association of Social Work Foundation.
#### How does early childhood trauma affect the lives of adults incarcerated for violent crimes?
Assistant Professor Robert O. Motley Jr. plans to survey and interview a total of 350 inmates in Massachusetts to find out.
#### BC researchers explore effect of cannabis legislation on teen substance abuse
The study, co-authored by BCSSW Professor Summer Sherburne Hawkins, found limited associations between recreational cannabis legalization and retail sales with adolescent substance use.
#### Latinx Leadership Initiative marks 10th anniversary with daylong symposium
BCSSW leaders convened nearly two dozen experts in social work, education, and policy to discuss the LLI’s strengths, challenges, and potential future paths.
## Global Symposium on Forced Migration
"“BC is a global university, and opportunities to come together and talk about issues that extend far beyond our campus are critically important.”
At a time when the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide has reached unprecedented levels, the Boston College School of Social Work’s Research Program on Children and Adversity (RPCA) and the Trinity College Dublin Centre for Forced Migration Studies gathered together at a symposium in Dublin to discuss the spectrum of resources and services necessary to aid such populations in remaking their lives.
## Featured News Publications
#### CBS News
Ed-Dee G. Williams, *Assistant professor*
#### BBC News
Theresa S. Betancourt, *Salem Professor in Global Practice*
#### Hispanic Outlook on Education
Rocío Calvo,*Professor and Director, Latinx Leadership Initiative*
#### The Boston Globe
Maryanne Loughry, *Part-Time Faculty*
#### Yahoo Money
Cal Halvorsen, *Assistant Professor*
#### CNN
## Announcements
###
* All
* Research
* Publication
* Award
* In the media
## Get to Know Our Newest Faculty
*Assistant professor*
*Louise McMahon Ahearn Endowed Professor*
*Assistant professor of Practice*
## Research at BCSSW
As an **R1-designated research university**, Boston College has abundant connections and affiliations that catalyze research partnerships with human service providers (such as health care institutions, community organizations, nonprofits, schools, and government offices) throughout Greater Boston and in Mexico, Venezuela, Rwanda, India, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Nepal.
Our **PhD and MSW students partner with BCSSW faculty** on myriad shared research interests and research projects. Current faculty members conduct research that promotes maternal and child well-being, reduces mental health disparities, and improves our understanding of how policies and public services impact low-wage workers, refugees, and immigrants.
Our researchers are committed to fully **engaging with people to understand their lived experiences** to co-design the most effective interventions and programs. From our various labs, centers, and research programs, our faculty focus their attention on communities that experience disproportionate social, health, and economic disparities around the globe.
## Impact Reports
### Tackling Complex Global Challenges: Our Collective Response
Humanitarian crises are increasingly an outcome of complex emergencies. Millions of families, women, and children are aﬀected and displaced by war, civil strife, climate and environmental risk, famine, and epidemics around the globe, including those arriving on the doorstep of the U.S. border.
The world needs a community of practitioners to rise and meet these challenges. For the past 18 years, faculty and staﬀ of the Boston College School of Social Work (BCSSW) have been preparing social work practitioners for careers in global social work with a particular focus on systems strengthening, capacity building, and accompaniment.
### Serving Latinx Communities: Our Collective Response
The demand for social workers trained to respond to the needs and aspirations identified by Latinx communities, from culturally and linguistically appropriate social services to accessible mental health and healthcare, is urgent. Through award-winning academic programs and research, the BCSSW has established a community-centered approach to meet these aspirations and needs.
### Crisis Migration: Our Collective Response
Ten faculty members in the Boston College School of Social Work are working to address the compound needs of migrants who have been forced to flee their homes because of war, natural disasters, political upheaval, and other problems around the world.
## Commitment to Equity, Justice, and Inclusion
### Faculty Diversity \*
\* Percentage of faculty who self-identify as AHANA (African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native American)
The Pinderhughes Diversity Lecture Series, which launched in 2007, is named in honor of Elaine Pinderhughes, a professor emerita of the School of Social Work whose seminal research revealed that race, ethnicity, and power strongly influence how social workers interact with clients. The series has featured doctors, anthropologists, and journalists, among others, who have reflected on topics like poverty, racism, and same-sex marriage.
> “Engaging in place-based work and transcending disciplines to tackle complex social problems amplifies and strengthens the contributions of the School of Social Work. When we are in partnership with communities and with scholars from across our universities, our work not only has translational impact, but solutions to the world’s most complex problems are within closer reach.”
Gautam N. Yadama,  Dean
## Faculty Books
##
## Research With Impact
Our faculty are engaged in research that improves peoples' lives, from former child soldiers in Sierra Leone, to homeless families in Massachusetts. Read more about the projects taking place in Boston and around the world.
## Quick Links
Back To Top
Boston College School of Social Work
140 Commonwealth Ave
McGuinn Hall
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-552-4020
#### Follow Us
Copyright © 2025 Trustees of Boston College
### Passionate people committed to the Common Good.
2. Community
   1. 
   2. 
   3. 
   4. 
   5. 
# Community
A focus on empathy, collaboration, and innovation fosters an environment of support and success. Annual events bring the community together and dedicated spaces—including our Social Work Library and student lounge—provide venues to connect, study, and relax.
## Community Voices
BCSSW's Core Committments
At the School of Social Work, we are committed to equity, justice, and inclusion. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to helping every student flourish through an emphasis on empathy, collaboration, and innovation.
## BCSSW Events
* Main
## BC School of Social Work Student Collective
The governing body for BCSSW students works to enhance the quality of student life and facilitate communication between students and administration as well as promote a culture of acceptance and inclusion through groups and committees that serve a range of interests.
### UNIDES
The Unides group is the student organization for people who want to share their Latino/a/e/x cultures, center shared experiences, intersecting identities and different outlooks to provide a supportive group and strives to increase the awareness of the SSW community around issues related to the Latin
### Umoja
Umoja, meansing “unity,” amplifies the voices of people of color and increases awareness of issues related to race.
### Social Work and Spirituality
Explore the intersection of your personal and professional beliefs with students of varying spiritual backgrounds.
### Social Work Executive Board
Serve on the legislative body of five student representatives who work alongside administrative leadership.
### Spectrum
LGBTQ+ students and allies have a space for education, discussion, and support in Spectrum.
### Macro Social Work Student Group
Students interested in macro social work discuss professional growth and community involvement.
### Three-Year Program Student Group
Students in both the three-and four-year programs find support to succeed from their colleagues through this group.
### Doctoral Outreach and Community
The DOC plans social and academic events that build community at all stages of the PhD program.
> “I am surrounded by a community and team who are asking questions, challenging the status quo, and seeking to be the best practitioners possible. I feel I can easily tap a professor on the shoulder for guidance as easily as I can collaborate with my peers on outreach and advocacy.”
Yorlady Corredor-Purcifull,  MSW '22
## Explore Our Campus
* !
  #### McGuinn Hall, home of the Boston College School of Social Work
  #### The School of Social Work Library, McGuinn Hall
  #### Burns Library, Middle Campus
  #### Gasson and Devlin Halls, Middle Campus
  #### Gargan Hall, Bapst Library
  #### Devlin and Higgins Halls, Middle Campus
  #### Commonwealth Avenue, connecting BC's campus to downtown Boston
### 
# School of Social Work
Top Stories
[#### Christopher Salas-Wright named fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare
[#### Boston Celtics name BCSSW professor ‘Hero Among Us’
[#### Here’s how this flight attendant landed at BCSSW
Jamelia Willock, M.S.W.’24, chose the Boston College School of Social Work for its Black Leadership Initiative, a cohort-based program that ended up shaping her career trajectory.
[#### More than three dozen BCSSW researchers to showcase work at 29th Annual SSWR Conference
Students, faculty, and staff will present research on a range of topics at the event, including adverse childhood experiences, firearm violence, and heroin use.
[#### This graduate is working to reduce HIV rates in Latinx communities
Micaurys Guzmán, M.S.W.’24, discussed her approach to addressing the prevalence of HIV in Latinx communities at a recent summit held at the White House.
[#### Join BCSSW to address systemic issues at the community, organizational, and policy levels
The school’s macro social work program prepares students to drive social change and advance the common good in Boston and beyond.
## Quick Facts
#8
ranked school of social work (U.S. News & World Report, 2024)
100%
of master's students receive financial support
1,000+
field agency partners
in grant expenditures (2024)
## Academics
[### Master of Social Work (MSW) Program
Our top-ranked Master of Social Work (MSW) program offers a strong foundation in social work theory, practice, policy, and research by combining clinical and macro coursework with field education placements at organizations serving vulnerable individuals, families, and communities. Our in-person program offers:
* Full-time (two years)
* Part-time (three or four. years)
* Dual degrees (MSW/JD, MSW/MBA, and MSW and  Master in Theology and Ministry)
* Advanced Standing (12-month or 16-month)
* Over 1,075+ ways to tailor your degree with 6 fields of practice, 12 certificates, 3 initiatives, 50+ electives, and 1,000+ field agency partners
The MSW application for a Fall 2025 start is now open.
[### PhD Program
BCSSW prepares tomorrow’s faculty scholars and researchers to advance the field of social welfare and social work practice through a highly individualized PhD program that promotes original research and the creation of new knowledge.
* The full-time PhD program typically takes four years.
* Each student is assigned a faculty mentor with similar research interests.
* Students spend two years gaining research skills, and then two years conducting independent scholarly research.
* 30 required credits and 15 elective credits (45 credit hours) required for PhD in Social Work.
* PhD applicants are fully funded with a doctoral fellowship valued at more than $200,000 over four years.
The PhD application deadline is December 1.
## Our Approach: Pioneering Practice and Research
Reflect, discern, and grow—in the classroom and in the field.
The Boston College School of Social Work (BCSSW) is a global leader in social work education, dedicated to finding solutions to the pressing social issues of our time through pioneering practice and research. Grounded in Boston College’s 160-year tradition of service, BCSSW pursues the highest standards of intellectual rigor alongside a deep commitment to social justice, developing practitioners who think in new ways to improve the lives of others.
## Events
## The BC School of Social Work Difference
We do more than talk about inclusion—programs like our Black Leadership Initiative and Latinx Leadership Initiative are redefining diversity education and expanding access to opportunities for historically marginalized groups.
Students spend time in the field, working with real people. Our 1,000+ field placements—both locally and abroad—allow you to put your learning into practice, gain hands-on training, and form valuable relationships.
Our faculty are recognized nationally and internationally for their research and practice. They draw on diverse disciplines—from social work and sociology to public health, epidemiology, and neuroscience—in their teaching and their work.
## Transform lives. Build a lifelong community.
A degree that serves others. A school that serves you.
**Do the work that matters most**
At BCSSW, we believe social work is more than a career—it's a calling to listen to the needs of individuals and communities and create real change.
**Mission-driven**
As a Jesuit, Catholic University, Boston College is rooted in a worldview that calls us to learn, search for truth, and live in service to others.
**Equity, Justice, and Inclusion**
Our equity, justice, and inclusion initiative is committed to courageous conversations, strategies for dismantling racism, and an anti-oppressive social work practice.
**Life-long Network**
Our supportive and inclusive culture begins on our campus and extends to our alumni network, where more than 9,000 BCSSW grads continue to uplift one another after graduation, offering career guidance and networking opportunities.
*The only dedicated social work library in New England is found at BCSSW. Our library connects students and alumni to a robust collection of books, journals, and databases.*
## Initiatives With Impact
> “To solve the most intractable problems of our day—and of tomorrow—we must draw upon a diversity of disciplines and partner with those who actually experience the problems. Only then can we create and scale up appropriate evidence-based interventions.”
Gautam N. Yadama,  Dean, Boston College School of Social Work