Of the 100 most impactful social work scholars, eleven are affiliated with UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare, according to an updated ranking in Research on Social Work Practice. The School of Social Welfare’s doctoral alumni, current professors, affiliated researchers, and emeriti faculty populate the list.
David R. Hodge and Partricia R. Turner’s “The 100 Most Impactful Global Contributors to Social Work Publications: An Update Based on 2023 Data” ranks scholars by the number of citations in peer-reviewed journals. The list accounts for co-authorship, notes the number of publications each researcher has contributed between 1960 and 2022, and measures scholars’ rankings within the overall global scientific community. Hodge and Turner leveraged an algorithm to minimize skewed impact measures (e.g., self-citations).
“We’re thrilled to see our alumni, faculty, and emeriti faculty well-represented among these inspiring scholars,” said Dr. Linda Burton, Dean of the School and Eugene and Rose Kleiner Chair for the Study of Processes, Practices and Policies in Aging. “They’re shaping the discourse around solutions to pressing social issues.”
Berkeley Social Welfare alumni, faculty, and emeriti faculty on the list include:
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Laura Abrams: Professor of Social Welfare and Department Chair, University of California, Los Angeles Luskin School of Public Affairs. Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: MSW, PhD. Alumna profile of Dr. Abrams.
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Michael J. Austin: Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: BA, MSW, Emeritus Professor and Professor of the Graduate School.
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Richard P. Barth: Professor at the School of Social Work, Dean Emeritus, University of Maryland. Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: MSW, PhD; former chaired professor.
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Jill Duerr Berrick: Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: MSW, PhD; Distinguished Professor and the Zellerbach Family Foundation Professor of Social Welfare.
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Mark Courtney:Samuel Deutsch Professor Emeritus; Principal Investigator, California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study, University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: MSW, PhD; Distinguished Researcher/ Transition-Aged Youth Research and Evaluation Hub (TAYHub) housed at UC Berkeley's California Child Welfare Indicators Project.
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Eileen Gambrill: Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: Emeritus Professor and Professor of the Graduate School.
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Melissa Jonson-Reid: Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work Research, Associate Dean for Transdisciplinary Faculty Affairs, Washington University in St. Louis Brown School of Social Work. Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: PhD.
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James Midgley: Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: Emeritus Dean and Professor and Professor of the Graduate School.
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Michàlle Mor Barak: Dean's Professor of Social Work and Business, University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: PhD.
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Christina Newhill: Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. Berkeley Social Welfare affiliation: PhD.
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Yu-Wen Ying: Berkeley School of Social Welfare affiliation: Emerita professor.
Shared Dr. Susan I. Stone, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Catherine Mary and Eileen Clare Hutto Chair for Social Services in Public Education: “The alumni and faculty represented here demonstrate the depth of scholarship, breadth of specializations, and global reach of our School.”
Under the umbrella of social work, these scholars represent diverse specializations: Culturally responsive practices, child welfare and well-being (including foster care and supporting formerly incarcerated youth), evidence-based practice, human services management, professional ethics, international social work, workforce diversity, mental health, immigrant family relationships, and violence prevention.