Rebecca Gomez, Ph.D., LCSW, to serve as interim social work dean
Rebecca Gomez, Ph.D., LCSW, comes by her passion for the transformative power of higher education naturally – it’s in her genes. Gomez assumes leadership as interim dean of the VCU School of Social Work on May 16, 2022, after serving for nearly two years as associate dean of academic and student affairs. Dr. Gomez succeeds […]
Welcome from the dean, Academic & Student Affairs team
Dear School of Social Work students, Happy FDOC (first day of class)! We are thrilled to welcome you all back – whether in-person on campus or virtually – and are excited for all of the things the new academic year has in store. Below are a few updates related to the 2021-22 academic year. Last […]
Celebrating Juneteenth and reflecting on the necessary work still to be done
This Saturday, June 19, marks the annual celebration of Juneteenth, recognized with a state holiday here in Virginia on Friday, June 18. Juneteenth represents the first celebration of freedom among formerly enslaved Black Americans in Texas, who were informed of their freedom more than 2.5 years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. This week, […]
Dean’s statement following Chauvin verdict
Dear School of Social Work community, Following a great deal of national attention, collective anxiety and apprehension, the jury in Derek Chauvin’s trial has rendered a verdict of guilty in the murder of George Floyd. I share in the collective relief that I know many in our community feel about the potential step this represents […]
Beth Angell’s origin story: From first-generation student to social work dean
Beth Angell’s social work story actually starts with a chapter focused on psychology. “I have to admit that I had never met a social worker or understood what one was until I was in college,” says Angell, Ph.D., who became dean of the VCU School of Social Work in the summer of 2018. SOCIAL WORK […]
Dean Angell’s response to Atlanta shootings
Dear School of Social Work Community, I was horrified Wednesday morning, as I’m sure you all were, to read of the fatal shooting of 8 people in the Atlanta area Tuesday night. Although the investigation is ongoing, this appears to be a racially-motivated act of gender-based violence. As has been reported in the news, 6 […]
Dean’s update: BHM & our commitment to social, racial justice
Dear SSW Community, February marks Black History Month, when we are invited to celebrate the role and contributions of Black Americans to American history. As Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway reminded us in a recent New York Times editorial, the recognition of Black History Month can be made deeper and more meaningful if it “produces […]
Mid-semester message from dean, associate dean
Dear School of Social Work Students, We reach out to you as we move into mid-semester to acknowledge the heavy weight of this time, and to remind you of ways you can communicate with us as administrative leaders of the School. As you maneuver learning during a global pandemic and during a time when we […]
Social work supporters contribute $3.2 million to Make It Real Campaign
“Giving 110 percent” is one of the oldest cliches in the books. But the VCU School of Social Work’s network of donors, alumni and friends have turned a trite saying into an amazing reality. When the university closed the books on the eight-year Make It Real Campaign at the end of June, giving to the […]
Social Justice in Politics with Dr. Charles Lewis
The VCU School of Social Work welcomed Charles E. Lewis, Ph.D., founder and director of the Congressional Research Institute of Social Work and Policy (CRISP), to a virtual event, Social Justice in Politics: Get out the vote in 2020, on Sept. 16. Lewis, a social worker, discussed the role of social work in the democratic […]