December 2025 Dean's Note

As we conclude the 2025 calendar year, it is a perfect time to reflect on the accomplishments and milestones of the past year. We introduced a new ecological resilience MSW certificate, received multiple major gifts from donors, and our faculty were recognized nationally and internationally for their innovative research and significant scholarly impact. GSSW has much to celebrate. Please read our “2025 Year in Review” story to learn more about highlights from the past year and the many ways GSSW is leading the charge for social change.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to staff and faculty, who are the heart of GSSW and why we are one of the nation’s premier graduate schools of social work. Among those crucial staff members is Patty Schroeder, a longtime GSSW employee who retired in 2025 after many years shepherding our expansive funded research portfolio.

I want to also acknowledge Professor Johnny Kim. He is an award-winning researcher who focuses on solution-focused brief therapy and is among the top 2% of world scientists. He recently authored “Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with Families: A Training Manual,” which is a definitive resource on this powerful therapeutic approach. (You can learn more about solution-focused brief therapy and Professor Kim’s efforts to expand mental health care access for youth in a previous podcast episode.)

I am also deeply appreciative of our alumni. Many generously share their knowledge and time to train, mentor and inspire GSSW students through field placements, adjunct teaching, guest lecturing and volunteering in other ways. I recently discussed how to cultivate critical hope with GSSW alumna Yesenia Silva Estrada (MSW ’17), vice president of planning and chief of staff for Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs. In our most recent Brave Ideas for Social Change podcast episode, she shares her experience as an immigrant and first-generation college student and discusses how social work can cultivate critical hope during these difficult times.

Finally, thanks go to our many generous donors. Whether gifts are large or small, every dollar makes an impact, allowing us to provide scholarships, invest in innovative research that informs and shapes practice, and expand partnerships with the communities we serve. Please consider supporting our endeavors, including our students. You can contribute to the Dean’s Scholarship here.

We have many exciting changes and opportunities on the horizon in the year to come. I hope you enjoy a happy, restful and restorative winter break and welcome 2026 with renewed enthusiasm for the work ahead.

Henrika McCoy, MSW, MJ, PhD
Milton Morris Endowed Dean of Social Work and Professor