Katherine Briar Lawson

The Lifetime Achievement Award in Social Work Education is presented to Dr. Katherine Briar-Lawson, dean of the State University of New York, Albany, School of Social Work. What she has accomplished in her more than 50 years in the social work profession is not only impressive, but also has left a lasting legacy for social work education and the social work profession. Her breadth and depth of knowledge are reflected in her nine books and more than 80 book chapters and journal articles. Her work on diversity, addiction, poverty, aging, international social work, community organization, social work education, clinical work, and many other areas has opened new doors of knowledge and practice. The confidence that funding agencies have had in her research and practice has resulted in more than $50 million in grants.
 
Dr. Briar-Lawson’s career has expanded the substantive academic contributions reflected in the social work journals for which she has provided guidance. Her leadership in the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work has fostered the expansion and creative reconceptualization of social work education.

Katherine Briar-Lawson is an exceptional and charismatic human being, who is highly respected by peers and students. She has been a role model for thousands of social workers, students, and faculty members throughout her career in academia and in governmental and not-for-profit venues. Her naming as a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers confirms the critical path she developed for other social work professionals.
On the basis of her contributions to social work education, the social work profession, and the most vulnerable among us, Dean Briar-Lawson has met the highest standards of this lifetime achievement award.