PhD Candidate Lea Vugić Earns National Recognition
Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) PhD Candidate Lea Vugić received an Honorable Mention Doctoral Award for the 2025 Grand Challenges in Social Work to Achieve Equal Opportunity and Justice. Vugić’s dissertation entitled “Centering Social Justice in Social Work Education: An exploration of perspectives on how social justice is modeled in an MSW program,” was selected for an honorable mention for the Challenge to Achieve Equal Opportunity and Justice category. The honor recognizes and advances research that promotes equity, dismantles systemic barriers, and drives social progress toward a more just and inclusive society.
Vugić’s work deepens the understanding of how MSW programs prepare and train students to uphold social justice – one of the profession’s core pillars. “Given the unsteady state of our world and the growing need for social workers, this study is an important contribution to social work education and the profession. It aligns with BUSSW’s commitment to social justice that is rooted in action and has the potential to inform program and policy reform, including student, faculty, and placement supervisor training,” says Vugić.