Dr. Barbara Jones Joins BUSSW as New Dean

BOSTON, MASS – Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) has named Dr. Barbara Jones as its next dean. Recognized among the nation’s top scholars in the field of psychosocial oncology and palliative care, Jones joins BUSSW from the University of Texas at Austin, where she has been a member of the faculty since 2004. 

Jones’ appointment as dean of BUSSW, where she will also be a tenured professor in the department of clinical practice, follows a national search and is effective August 1. 

“We sought candidates who would bring a record of distinguished scholarship, dynamic clinical, academic, and administrative leadership, and the energy and vision essential for guiding BUSSW’s continued growth as a destination for social work research and practice,” said Professor Jean Morrison, university provost and chief academic officer. 

“Throughout our extensive discussions, it was quickly evident that Dr. Jones’s energy, impressive track record of cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation in teaching and research, and unique ability to listen and bring people together around common goals were the ideal characteristics we seek to lead the School of Social Work to further excellence.” 

Jones shared, “I am deeply honored to be named dean of the Boston University School of Social Work and to join this outstanding community of diverse faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners committed to academic excellence,  innovative research, interdisciplinary collaboration, social justice transformation, and anti-oppressive social work.”

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to work collaboratively toward the school’s vision to advance a just and compassionate society, dismantle injustice of all kinds, promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, and liberate possibilities. I will dedicate myself to further BUSSW’s impressive national and global leadership and innovation in social work education, research, and practice.”

At UT Austin, Jones served as university distinguished professor, Lockhart Memorial Professor in Direct Social Work Practice, founding director of the Institute for Collaborative Health Research and Practice, and associate dean for health affairs in the university’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work. She is also a distinguished professor and inaugural chair of the Department of Health Social Work at UT Austin’s Dell Medical School – a department she has helped grow to more than 50 professionals as a bridge between social work and medical schools. 

“Dr. Barbara Jones will be deeply missed at the University of Texas, but we are elated to see her lead at Boston University School of Social Work,” said Allan Cole, dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHS). “Barbara’s well-deserved appointment is a testament to both her and the quality of faculty we have at the Steve Hicks School. Her exemplary work at SHS as associate dean for health affairs, chair of the Department of Health Social Work at Dell Medical School, and director of the Institute for Collaborative Health Research and Practice has more than qualified her for this leadership role.”

Jones earned her PhD and MSW in social welfare from the University at Albany (NY). She served from 2004-2011 as core faculty on the Initiative for Pediatric Palliative Care at Boston Children’s Hospital and is currently on the national advisory boards for the Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns Scholars Leadership Program and the American Cancer Society’s Center for Diversity in Research Training. She serves on the national steering committee of the Coalition for Social Work and Health. Her research, which is supported by major grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society, focuses on improving care for children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer and their families. 

In addition to co-editing three acclaimed books in oncology and palliative care and publishing more than 120 articles in top field journals, Jones is a past recipient of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers Social Worker of the Year award and was inducted in 2020 into the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. She was elected to the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare Board in 2022, and last year became the first-ever social worker to receive the American Cancer Society’s Pathfinder in Palliative Care Award.

Professor Jorge Delva, dean of BUSSW and director and Paul Farmer Professor at the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH) since 2017, stepped down from his leadership roles at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 academic year.