Professor Jorge Delva to Step Down as Dean of the School of Social Work at the End of the 2022-2023 Academic Year

From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Professor Jorge Delva, who has served as dean of the Boston University School of Social Work (SSW) since January 2018 and as director and Paul Farmer Professor at the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH), has announced that he plans to step down from both his leadership roles at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 academic year. Following a sabbatical, Dr. Delva plans to return to the faculty in the School of Social Work and to his research and teaching.

Dr. Delva has been an effective and respected leader at SSW over the last four years, guiding the school’s continued ascent as a destination for social work scholarship and practice. He has overseen a host of significant advances during this time, including developing a new strategic plan that strongly positions the school for the future; crafting important new policies and programs designed to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within the school and the field; expanding timely and relevant new lines of social work scholarship; and furthering the development of the CISWH as one of the nation’s premier interdisciplinary centers expanding the impact of social work and social workers in healthcare delivery, public health, and global health. Dr. Delva has been recognized by faculty, staff, and students for an inclusive and collaborative approach that invites members of the community to contribute in meaningful ways, supports scholarly success, and elevates faculty accomplishments.

Among the nation’s leading social work scholars, Dr. Delva arrived at BU from the University of Michigan, where he was the Kristine A. Siefert Collegiate Professor of Social Work and served as director of the Community Engagement Core of the University of Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research – a National Institute of Health (NIH) center for Clinical and Translational Science Awards. His multi- and trans-disciplinary research seeks to reduce health disparities and improve the lives of low-income and racial and ethnic minority populations. His scholarship has made substantial contributions to advancing our understanding of psychosocial-cultural mechanisms associated with substance-using behaviors among Hispanic/Latino, African American, and American Indian populations, as well as with populations in Latin America and is supported by major grants from the NIH, the US Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is an elected Fellow of the Society for Social Work Research, a past editor-in-chief of Social Work, the flagship publication of the National Association of Social Work, and this year was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Society for Social Work & Research.

We will be launching a national search for a new dean of the School of Social Work early this fall, following the process prescribed by the faculty handbook. We will simultaneously launch a separate search for a new director of the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health. We will share more details on the formation of search committees in the coming months. In the meantime, we are grateful for Dr. Delva’s willingness to serve until these searches are complete and for his leadership over these last four years.

Professor Jorge Delva to Step Down as Dean of the School of Social Work at the End of the 2022-2023 Academic Year – 4.25.22