Faculty & Research

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.”

This summer, Dr. John Mathias was the keynote speaker at a one-day Workshop on Qualitative Research and Ethnography at the Central University of Kerala, Department of Social Work in southern India.

This year, Dean David Springer was selected as a National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Social Work Pioneer. The program honors members of the social work profession who have made significant contributions to the growth and enrichment of the profession, as well as their exceptional dedication, commitment and determination to improve social and human conditions.

“My inspiration to pursue social work stemmed from a commitment to human rights and desire to address disparities at a systems level, particularly for vulnerable children and families,” shared Dr. Kaela Byers. “I was particularly drawn to the potential for research to inform policy and practice changes that lead to more supportive and accessible systems.”

“My passion for pursuing a career in social work stems from the field’s unique integration of human rights and justice into its values and multi-level frameworks,” expressed Dr. JaNiene Peoples. “Social work, especially within research, offers the opportunity to build collaborative, transformative partnerships that drive change.”

After twenty-four years as a faculty member of the FSU College of Social Work, Dr. Dina Wilke will retire at the end of the summer 2025 semester.

Throughout Dr. Wilke’s tenure, she served in numerous leadership positions at the college, including as associate dean for academic affairs from 2007 until 2014. She has also been a long-standing faculty affiliate of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW).

Workplace burnout is a frequent cause of turnover for child welfare workers.  Burnout is a multifaceted phenomenon and, research suggests that almost 65% of child welfare workers experience it. Burnout includes co-occurring physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that is often related to organizational, or work-related, factors.

Florida State University researchers are working with Wisconsin-based Ventris Learning to move new tools into elementary school classrooms that will help teachers identify children who are at risk for reading difficulties.

The Florida Institute for Child Welfare recently hosted an experiential Faculty Demo Day, inviting FSU faculty, many from the College of Social Work, to engage with state-of-the-art educational technologies.

Trauma-informed care for youth in foster care has long fallen short of the urgent need despite overwhelming evidence of the long-term consequences of untreated trauma. A multisite randomized control trial led by Dr. Tanya Renn (FSU College of Social Work) and Dr.