Faculty & Research News


Faculty Member Named NASW Social Work Pioneer
Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Distinguished Research Professor Bruce Thyer was honored at the NASW 2026 National Conference among the ten social workers nationwide to be named a 2026 NASW Social Work Pioneer. 

Posted Under: CSW General, Faculty & Research

FSU names Kirk Foster dean of the College of Social Work
Monday, June 08, 2026

Florida State University has named nationally recognized scholar and academic leader Kirk A. Foster as the next dean of the College of Social Work.

Foster currently serves as dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington and will begin his role at Florida State on Aug. 17.

Posted Under: Alumni & Friends, CSW General, Faculty & Research

Social Work Faculty Receives 2026 Society of Behavioral Medicine Award
Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Dr. Amy L. Ai, a Florida State University (FSU) Distinguished Research Professor at the College of Social Work, was recognized by the Society for Behavioral Medicine (SBM) as a 2026 recipient of the society’s Cardiovascular Disease Group (CVD SIG) Kenneth E. Freedland Founder’s Award.

Posted Under: Faculty & Research

When Home Changes, Support Shifts: What Research Can Tell Us About Mothers and Why Support Matters
Tuesday, March 31, 2026

A recent study published in the journal Family Relations found that household structure composition and residential stability are factors that influence mothers’ perceptions of available supports.

Posted Under: Faculty & Research

Faculty Member Receives FSU Community-Engaged Teaching Award
Monday, March 30, 2026

Erika Cuffy, an assistant teaching professor at the College of Social Work, was awarded a 2025-26 University Teaching Award for Community Engaged Teaching.

Posted Under: Alumni & Friends, Faculty & Research

Art, Healing and Resilience: How Creative Expression Promotes Health and Growth
Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Florida State University’s Ukraine Task Force at the Learning Systems Institute, College of Social Work, Resilience Institute for Strength and Empowerment and 

Posted Under: CSW General, Faculty & Research

Florida State University and Apalachee Center Enter Partnership to Advance Behavioral Health Research
Thursday, March 19, 2026

Florida State University and Apalachee Center have established a new partnership to improve mental health care across the state, with a particular focus on Northwest Florida.

Posted Under: CSW General, Faculty & Research

FSU College of Social Work Launches New Institute Focused on Justice and Health Innovation Research
Thursday, March 12, 2026

The College of Social Work at Florida State University is establishing the Justice and Health Innovation Research Institute (JHI) to address disparities between the justice system and the fields of behavioral health and substance abuse care. 

The institute will draw from the college’s legacy of scholarship and instruction in substance use, behavioral health and criminal justice. 

Posted Under: CSW General, Faculty & Research

FSU Social Work and Florida Institute for Child Welfare Participate in AI Day in the Capital
Monday, February 23, 2026

On January 22, the FSU College of Law hosted the 2026 FSU AI Day in the Capital event, which brought together leaders in government, law, technology, and academia from across the university to examine the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for public institutions, civic infrastructure and ethical governance.

Posted Under: Alumni & Friends, CSW General, Faculty & Research

Faculty Member Elected as Society for Social Work and Research Director-At-Large
Friday, January 23, 2026

Dr. Lisa Schelbe, associate dean for Academic Affairs and Jeanene M. Janes Professor in Child Welfare at the FSU College of Social Work, was elected to serve as director-at-large for the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). Her three-year term begins February 1, 2026.

Posted Under: CSW General, Faculty & Research