The Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children (Stoops CFC Center) is proud to announce a new nonduty scholarship to recognize graduate students in the College of Social Work at Florida State University who demonstrate outstanding academic performance and a deep commitment to excellence in research and practice.
The college experiences for many are a time of learning and self-discovery, but that time also establishes lifelong friendships, relationships and other connections. Inspired by both Valentine’s Day and part of the theme of the 2026 Social Work Month, “Social Work: Uplift. Defend. Transform.”
Since 2012, the FSU College of Social Work has enjoyed an international partnership with Jönköping University in Sweden, offering an exchange program for both universities’ undergraduate students. Students participating in the program can take a full-time course load for a full semester at their host university.
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.
“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.”
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.
The Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children, a part of the FSU College of Social Work, is partnering with Charlie Ward Champions Ranch, a 112-acre campus founded by Charlie and Tonja Ward, to bring the Center’s Rebound & Recovery program into Champions Ranch programming.
The FSU College of Social Work (FSU CSW) participated in the 2026 Society for Social Work and Research Conference in Washington, DC.
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.
