Dedicated Alum Cassandra Clay (SSW’79) Establishes Dean Emeritus Hubie Jones Scholarship Fund
At the recent Hubie Jones Lecture in Urban Health 2024, Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) announced a new scholarship fund for future social workers established by alum and Professor Emerita Cassandra Clay (SSW’79). The fund provides support to BUSSW macro practice students and was named in honor of Dean Emeritus Hubie Jones’ continued excellence and leadership in advocacy. “The fund will support students who are particularly interested in building strong communities and identifying and repairing systemic issues that impact citizens who live in those communities,” says Clay.
Clay was inspired to establish the fund to help address the widening void between higher education costs and people who pursue social work degrees. “Funds that support social work students are a huge need. The cost of graduate school education continues to rise thus limiting access to so many. Unlike STEM fields, there are fewer generous sources of funds for social work, despite the value of a social work perspective in boardrooms, in health care delivery, in community organizations, and in local, state, and national political arenas.”
The decision to name the scholarship after Dean Emeritus Jones was easy for Clay, who has followed his extensive career in social work as his student and mentee. “I can think of no one better whose career and life’s work as a social worker demonstrates the breadth of what the profession is committed to,” she says. “Among his most significant contributions has been his capacity to be a founder and leader of numerous organizations in Boston. It is his vision for institutional capacity-building and organizational collaboration that we hope is a guiding star for social workers entering the profession.”
Clay currently serves as a member of the BUSSW Dean’s Advisory Board and the Boston University Board of Trustees. She uses her social work perspective as a member of the Board of Trustees Executive Committee, Health Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committees. Previously, she was a BUSSW faculty member, teaching courses in clinical practice, as well as serving as the chair of clinical practice at the School for over 20 years. She also served on the BU Advisory Board from 2011 to 2021.
Donations for the fund are open now.