Board Election

The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work, Inc. Board of Directors serves as the administrative body of the organization. The working Board consists of ten persons elected by the voting membership of the organization. All members must be directors of doctoral programs in member schools/colleges at the time of their election to the Board. Board members serve a 3-year term, for up to two terms.
 

Each member institution can only vote once for the Board election and only those who have paid the 2024-2025 membership dues are eligible to vote. The 2025 election voting period is March 19-25, 2025. Voting will close on March 25, 2025 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

 

Tova Walsh
Anne Wackman Oros Associate Professor and PhD Program Director
University of Wisconsin-Madison
 
Tova Walsh is the Anne Wackman Oros Associate Professor and serves as director of the PhD program in the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on parenting in children’s earliest years of life, in two interconnected lines of study: (1) adjustment among families with young children facing adversity, and (2) strengthening inclusion of fathers in perinatal and early childhood programs. Guided by an equity and inclusion perspective, Dr. Walsh designs and conducts her research to amplify the voices of marginalized parents, deepen understanding of their strengths as well as the challenges they face, and inform the development of interventions that are responsive to their needs. Dr. Walsh’s research draws on her experience working in low-income communities as a home visitor to families with children ages 0-3. Her work has been supported by grants and fellowships from the Doris Duke Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and National Institutes of Health, and covered by media outlets including Reuters, Slate, and National Public Radio. National leadership roles include service as a member of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Developmental Neuroscience Task Force of the Council on Social Work Education and the Board of Directors of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE).
 
Commitment to GADE Mission:
I have been a member of the Doctoral Program Committee at UW-Madison School of Social Work since 2018, and I have served as the Program’s Director since 2021. I deeply value the opportunity to work closely with our PhD students and faculty to support effective teaching and learning, thoughtful and responsive mentorship, and cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment within the PhD program. This experience motivated me to seek election to the GADE Board of Directors three years ago, and my experience as a member of the Board for the past three years inspires me now to seek election as President-Elect. I am honored to work alongside colleagues on the Board to promote excellence and equity in social work doctoral education through dedicated efforts to facilitate networking and capacity building for doctoral (PhD and DSW) program directors. In particular, I am proud of our efforts to create community and facilitate conversations among program directors to share ideas and collectively develop strategies to respond to the needs of our doctoral students in times of change. I hope to continue in this role and continue to support GADE in strategic planning, financial oversight, conference planning, and the planning and implementation of initiatives and events such as GADE’s awards program (I have served on GADE’s awards committee throughout my three-year term and chair the committee in 2024-25) and monthly coffee chats for directors (together with Dr. Rupaleem Bhuyan, I co-facilitated the October 2024 coffee chat about new approaches to JEDI – justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion – training to support student growth and learning and prepare students for their time in the doctoral program). I hope to have the opportunity to continue to serve GADE as President-Elect and subsequently President of the Board of Directors, and to collaborate with all of you in advancing doctoral education in social work and supporting the next generation of social work scholars and leaders.


Christopher Salas-Wright
Barry Family Professor in Social Work and Assistant Dean for Doctoral Education
Boston College
 
Christopher Salas-Wright, PhD, MSW, is the Barry Family Professor in Social Work and the Assistant Dean for Doctoral Education at the Boston College School of Social Work. He earned his PhD from Boston College in 2012, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Addiction Studies at Brown University. Dr. Salas-Wright held faculty positions at The University of Texas at Austin and Boston University before returning to Boston College as faculty in 2020. Dr. Salas-Wright’s research focuses on experiences of stress and resilience among Latin American crisis migrants and their impact on mental health. His work has led to over 250 scholarly publications across multiple disciplines, and he serves as the principal investigator for two five-year studies on crisis migration funded by the National Institutes of Health. Since 2021, he has served as a chartered member of NIH’s Social Psychology, Personality, and Interpersonal Processes Study Section and a member of the Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Social Work editorial board. Dr. Salas-Wright’s scientific contributions have significantly advanced the field, leading to his recognition with the Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award from the Society for Social Work and Research and the National Award of Excellence in Research by a Senior Investigator from the National Hispanic Science Network. He is a Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
 
Commitment to GADE Mission:
In recent years, we have made tremendous strides in social work research, examining new questions, dramatically increasing research output, and developing interventions to address the world’s most urgent challenges. High-quality doctoral education—focused on rigorous research training, substantive and theoretical knowledge development, and pedagogical excellence—has been central to this growth and will continue to be vital as we move deeper into the 21st century. High-quality doctoral education depends on the leadership and efforts of educators committed to promoting excellence and creating programs where all students can thrive. GADE plays an inimitable role in providing a platform for program directors to build connections and deepen their understanding of leadership, pedagogy, and the challenges we face in educating the next generation. As leaders of doctoral programs, we have a responsibility to provide the best education possible for our students and to work together to elevate social work doctoral education. Throughout my career as an instructor, mentor, and program director, I have been deeply engaged in doctoral student formation—a role I find fun, interesting, and meaningful. Now, I am eager to further this work with social work doctoral students by dedicating my time and energy to advancing GADE’s core mission.
 

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At-Large Member Candidates

G. Lawrence Farmer
Professor, PhD Program Director
Fordham University
 
G. Lawrence Farmer, MSW, Ph.D., is a Professor and the Director of the Doctoral Program at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service. He earned his Ph.D. in Social Welfare from Florida International University and holds an M.S.W. and a B.A. in Psychology and Biomedical Ethics from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Farmer's research focuses on the factors that promote the well-being of youth. Specifically, he examines the role of social workers in enhancing the social environment to foster the development of non-cognitive skills in young people, which can lead to positive youth development. He is also interested in psychometrics, implementation science, and advanced quantitative statistical methods. Currently, Dr. Farmer is collaborating with the Urban Assembly to research the development, implementation, and evaluation of social-emotional learning interventions in public schools.
Commitment to GADE's Mission: Promoting Excellence and Equity in Social Work Doctoral Education
Since assuming the role of PhD Program Director, I have been committed to the mission of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE) in Social Work. My dedication to promoting excellence and equity in social work doctoral education is evident in my extensive service on award review committees, conference planning committees, and my leadership roles within GADE, including serving as a Board Member at Large and Co-President. In each of these capacities, I have worked diligently to support GADE’s mission by fostering networking opportunities, building capacity within doctoral education, and ensuring stewardship of the profession.

Commitment to GADE Mission:
My commitment to GADE’s mission is consistent. Through my service on award review committees, conference planning committees, and in leadership roles as Board Member at Large and Co-President, I have worked to promote excellence and equity in social work doctoral education. My efforts have centered on strengthening doctoral training, increasing access and inclusion, fostering professional networks, and ensuring the long-term stewardship of the social work profession.
A particularly impactful contribution has been my work on revising the GADE Quality Indicators Guide. By shaping this critical resource, I have supported institutions in developing and improving PhD programs that align with GADE’s standards for excellence. This work underscores my commitment to providing doctoral programs with the tools needed to sustain high-quality education and training.
As I continue my work in doctoral education, I remain dedicated to advancing the goals of GADE. I will continue to champion initiatives that support high-quality training, equitable access, and professional development within social work doctoral programs. By working collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders, I am committed to ensuring that GADE remains a leader in shaping the future of social work doctoral education.
 

Hyunkag Cho
Associate Professor
Michigan State University
 
Dr. Hyunkag Cho is an associate professor and the PhD program director in the School of Social Work at Michigan State University. Dr. Cho has years of experiences with graduate students and graduate programs since he arrived at MSU. As a PhD program director since 2023, he has led a strategic evaluation of the PhD program for the University Graduate School, mentored and advised numerous doctoral and master's students and doctoral faculty, and run the PhD program from top to bottom. Since working at MSU in 2007, he has served on various committees at MSU as well as outside of MSU. At the university level, he served on the Faculty Senate and University Council; at the college level, he served on the College Graduate Committee, and the College Research Committee. At the School of Social Work level, he has chaired the PhD Program Committee since 2023, had served on the PhD Program Committee for 5 years, and chaired a Human Behavior and Social Environment Sequence Committee (teaching-related) for 8 years. He has been a board member for a few local- and national-level domestic violence service agencies, including Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE) and End Violent Encounter (EVE). Through these experiences, he has demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills, ability to handle complexity and ambiguity, and collaboration. I am committed to GADE’s mission, promoting excellence and equity in social work doctoral education through various venues. To demonstrate, I want to use the recent PhD program evaluation results that I took charge of as part of university requirements. Reviewing various areas of the program, including program contexts, student population goals, learning outcomes, and student support and well-being, we identified three strategic priorities for the coming years: program excellence (e.g., program policy, curriculum, and job market preparation); anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (e.g., recruitment and curriculum infusion), and power-conscious approaches (e.g., mentoring, power-conscious pedagogy). For each of these priorities, short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals/themes were developed. All of these are aligned with the GADE’s mission. I am excited at the prospect of serving on the board, sharing my experiences, exploring innovative ways to improve/change, and collaborate.
 

Louanne Bakk
Clinical Associate Professor and DSW Program Director
State University of New York at Buffalo
 
Louanne Bakk, PhD, MSW, is clinical associate professor and Director of the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work (UBSSW). She has been a faculty member with the UBSSW since 2013, and DSW program director since 2018. Her pedagogical focus is on the use implementation science within social work, research and program evaluation, online learning, macro practice, and aging public policy. Dr. Bakk’s research focuses on programs, policies, and services that are designed to support aging within the community, with an emphasis on racial, ethnic, and gender disparities. Dr. Bakk is committed to providing a high-touch, high-quality educational experience within doctoral education. Most recently, she was invited to serve on CSWE’s Expert Advisory Panel relative to the development of the revised accreditation standards for practice doctorate programs. Dr. Bakk has been involved in GADE since 2020 and is currently serving as co-chair of the DSW Directors’ Caucus. She also served as Secretary on the GADE Board of Directors in 2023/2024, was a member of the GADE Conference Planning Committee from 2020 through 2025, and co-facilitated GADE’s New(ish) Directors’ Orientation in 2020 and 2021. Dr. Bakk is committed to doctoral education and is actively mentoring and supporting both DSW and PhD students. I have assumed leadership roles for over 20 years as an agency director, program administrator, and consultant. I have served as DSW program director at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work (UBSSW) since 2018 and been involved in all facets of the program’s development and management. In addition to serving as Secretary on the GADE Board of Directors for one year and co-chairing the DSW Directors’ Caucus, I have co-chaired the UBSSW’s strategic planning committee and served on numerous boards and advisory councils.


Commitment to GADE Mission:
My commitment to the UBSSW’s DSW program is directly aligned with my commitment to GADE’s mission of promoting excellence and equity social work doctoral education. Since assuming the role of DSW program director, I developed and led a program that maintains high standards of excellence and fosters an atmosphere that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. This has involved working collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, DSW program director colleagues, and community partners. Most recently, I was invited to serve on CSWE’s Expert Advisory Panel relative to the development of accreditation standards for practice doctorate programs. I view participating in the GADE Board as an excellent avenue to help promote rigor in our doctoral programs and prepare and foster student success. It would also enable to utilize my leadership skills addressing issues related to doctoral education. Thank you.
 

Sondra J. Fogel
Associate Professor, PhD Program Chair
University of South Florida

Dr. Sondra J. Fogel interests and funded research include advancing efforts to improve social determinants of health and behavioral health outcomes for vulnerable and marginalized populations specifically those individuals who are unhoused or experiencing housing instability and those incarcerated or who are returning citizens. In addition, she researches factors related to capital punishment decisions and gun violence. She also has published research in important areas including environmental justice research and social work education. As a current member of the GADE Board, Dr. Fogel has served on the Awards Committee and is co-leading a new sub-committee on the Program Review Process for program directors.
 
Commitment to GADE Mission:
I am very committed to the GADE mission. The stated GADE’s mission is of utmost importance at this pivotal time in doctoral education. Many of our traditional ways of ensuring access to doctoral education are being challenged, if not removed. Program directors, whether they are DSW or PhD, need to be able to network together, share information across programs, continue to build their students’ scholarly contributions to the profession, and prepare them as future leaders of the field. GADE’s mission is central to achieving this as more often than not, a DSW or PhD director may not have internal faculty or an administrator to discuss the unique issues that arise while overseeing this level of graduate training. As a “doer”, when my program was up for its 7-year Program Review process in the university, I sought out GADE’s assistance to help me prepare. However, I experienced some areas where I needed more help. As a current member on the Board of GADE, I brought this to the attention of the Board—often. With my tenacity and support from the Board, there is now a subcommittee of PHD and DSW directors looking into how to assist program directors with these responsibilities and collect necessary documentation for input into required reports. I feel like I am just beginning to be able to do something meaningful for the entire membership of GADE. With your support for another term, I will be able to do even more for the membership and to help support their students and program.

 
Viola Vaughan-Eden
Professor & PhD Program Director
Norfolk State University
 
Viola Vaughan-Eden, PhD, MSW, MJ is a Professor and PhD Program Director at the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work at Norfolk State University since 2014. She received a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) approved modification and redesign of the PhD Social Work degree (July 2021) and has served on more than 25 university committees. She also served on the GADE Awards Committee (2019-2023). As a forensic and licensed clinical social worker, Dr. Vaughan-Eden consults on and provides expert testimony in child maltreatment cases, with a specific focus on sexual abuse. She is President Emerita and Fellow of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, President Emerita of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence, and President Emerita of the National Organization of Forensic Social Work. She lectures nationally and internationally to multidisciplinary professional audiences on child welfare and violence prevention. She contributes to several peer-reviewed journals and was an editorial advisor (2013-2019) on the Journal of Social Work Education. She is co-editor-in-chief of the six-volume NPEIV Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan (2022). Her awards include the 2024 Alumni Stars Award from Virginia Commonwealth University, 2023 Outstanding Individual in Academia Award from the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy, and the 2012 NASW-Virginia Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award.
 
Commitment to GADE Mission:
As a professor and PhD program director at Norfolk State University, Dr. Vaughan-Eden provides direct mentorship and leadership to doctoral students. She guides emerging scholars to become ethical, culturally competent, and skilled social work professionals who can lead in academia and practice settings. She contributes to building institutional and programmatic capacities by designing curricula that focus on advanced research methods, social justice, and trauma-informed practice. Through her work at a historically Black university (HBCU) and her national roles, she advocates for inclusive educational environments that address systemic barriers faced by underrepresented groups in higher education. She prioritizes equity-focused research and encourages students to examine social determinants of health, violence prevention, and child welfare issues affecting marginalized communities. Dr. Vaughan-Eden serves on national boards, such as the Beau Biden Foundation and the National Initiative to End Corporal Punishment, where she influences policies and professional standards that shape the future of social work. This stewardship fosters a profession rooted in ethical responsibility, advocacy, and the promotion of human rights. She promotes networking by organizing and participating in national and international conferences, offering students and colleagues opportunities to present research, collaborate on publications, and engage in interdisciplinary dialogues.