Alumni & Friends

Dr. Walter Hudson was a highly regarded faculty member at the FSU College of Social Work during the 1980s and came back in the 1990s. When Dr. Hudson passed away in 1999, he was posthumously honored by colleagues, family, and friends who contributed to fund a scholarship for future doctoral students. More than a dozen students were supported by the scholarship over the years. Eventually, however, the funds were depleted, and the fund was on the verge of being closed.

"My vision for my career began when I was seventeen years old," reminisced Edlin Hernandez. "I met a trained social worker who shared his journey working in a hospital-based program supporting young teen mothers, connecting them with resources to help them succeed."

“I have always been fascinated by human behavior,  our relationships with others and what contributes to our individual and collective well-being,” recalled Leslie Langbert (BS ’93, MSW ’95), “and the Master of Social Work program was an ideal opportunity for me to gain the training to work in behavioral health with clients from a lens of recognizing their resilience, and also understanding the environmental and structural factors that shape their experiences.”

MSW student Sarah Lovins Bacani is both an FSU student and an FSU employee working within FSU Advising First, a part of the Division of Undergraduate Studies. "I currently work in the Center for Academic Guidance, where we specialize in early response interventions for students who are beginning to show signs of academic disengagement or risk of dropping out," she shared.

Florida State University is commemorating a rare and historic achievement, marking 175 years since its founding. This milestone celebrates the university’s longstanding tradition of excellence and highlights its continued growth and significance as a leader in higher education.

Dean David Springer will conclude his deanship at the FSU College of Social Work in the summer of 2026. He will rejoin the faculty of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) as a Centennial Professor in Leadership for Community, Professional, and Corporate Excellence and as a University Distinguished Teaching Professor in August 2026.

The Florida Institute for Child Welfare at the FSU College of Social Work was featured on ABC 27 - WTXL Tallahassee for its virtual reality training program for social work students, which helps prepare them for working with children and families. Virtual reality immerses social work students and child welfare workers in simulated real-life case management scenarios, providing a controlled environment where they can practice and refine their skills.

Watch the video and read the transcript by clicking the button below.

One year post-launch, an innovative, self-paced program created by the Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children (Stoops CFC Center) at Florida State University's College of Social Work is helping individuals involved with the criminal justice system build healthier lives and reduce substance-related harm—without adding to staff workload.

Dr. Donald Ray Bardill, who served as a social work faculty member at FSU and as a dean for the then School of Social Work (1979–1994), passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on November 23, 2025.

“Dean Bardill will be remembered as a pivotal person in shaping the College of Social Work at Florida State University,” reflected Dean David Springer. “He led by example through his commitment to service and clinical practice. Ray cared deeply about this community, and his spirit and legacy carry on through our collective work in the College.”

Jails in the United States hold more than half a million people daily, with more than 80% of them experiencing multiple forms of trauma in their lifetime. Research has established a strong link between trauma and multiple forms of mental and behavioral health issues, including but not limited to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and substance use disorders.