Image of Dr. Barbara W. Shank
Award: Established Faculty Service and Leadership in Social Work Education Award
Dr. Barbara W. Shank graduated from Macalester College with a BA in sociology, and earned her MSW and PhD from the University of Minnesota. She was engaged in social work administration for over forty years, starting as BSW Field Coordinator and ending as founding Dean and Professor of the School of Social Work at the University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University.
Her research interests included sexual harassment in the workplace and academe, social work curriculum and program development and "teaching to mission."
Barbara served BPD as Program and Conference Chair; NADD as President, Vice President/Program Chair, Treasurer and Co-Chair of the International Task Force; ICSD as Newsletter Editor and President; Catholic Charities USA as Participating Observer on the Board of Trustees; NASW, MN Chapter as President and Secretary; on the Board of Directors of NASW National; CSWE on the COA, Educational Policy, Global Education, and Information Management and Research, as a certified site visitor, as Treasurer and Chair of the Board of Directors both for two terms; and as Secretary of the IASSW for two terms She is a member of the International Advisory Board for the Global Institute - Singapore and was named a Fellow in 2017. She currently serves on CSWE's Katherine Kendall Institute Advisory Board.
Dr. Shank with Dr. Julia A. Watkins founded the Southeast European Women's Leadership Initiative in 2013 with the goal of developing leadership within early career academic women in social work from the transition countries of Southeast Europe. Since 2008, Barbara has been honored to host two international doctoral students, one from Croatia, one from Italy, as well as a senior faculty scholar from Brazil.
In 2015, Dr. Shank was appointed as Conservator and Trustee for the Estate of an elderly friend. She had the responsibility of distributing over $6 million dollars in donations from his estate.
Dr. Shank is recipient of the following recognition awards: Social Worker of the Year, NASW, MN Chapter (1993); Distinguished Citizen Citation, Macalester College (2000); Presidential Award, BPD (2008); Named as one of the 125 Most Interesting and Influential People in the 125 Years of the University of St. Thomas (2009); presented the Commencement Address, Graduate College, St. Catherine University, Five Rules for Commencing a Professional Career, (2014); NASW National as Social Work Pioneer (2015); Significant Lifetime Achievement Award, BPD (2016); delivered the 4th William “Bill” Culp Endowed Lecturer, Abilene Christian University (2017); Distinguished Service Award, University of St. Thomas (2017); Lifetime Achievement Award, NASW, MN Chapter (2019) and Named as one of 50 Notable Social Workers in US History (2019).
She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the See Them Grow Foundation, Uganda, the Highland Park Montessori School, St. Paul, and as a member of the Women's Christian Association Foundation (WCA) Signature Fund, Minneapolis Foundation.
Under her leadership, the School of Social Work at St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas grew from 50 students to over 600, 4 to 34 full-time faculty and one to five programs. In 2014, the School of Social Work launched a DSW online program with a focus on "Education as Practice." Dr. Shank retired in 2018 and now holds the title of Dean and Professor Emerita. She endowed the BWS Scholarship Fund for indigenous doctoral students at the University of St. Thomas.
Dr. Shank is married to Richard Shank, MD, and has two adult children, Katherine and Daniel, and two grandchildren.
Her research interests included sexual harassment in the workplace and academe, social work curriculum and program development and "teaching to mission."
Barbara served BPD as Program and Conference Chair; NADD as President, Vice President/Program Chair, Treasurer and Co-Chair of the International Task Force; ICSD as Newsletter Editor and President; Catholic Charities USA as Participating Observer on the Board of Trustees; NASW, MN Chapter as President and Secretary; on the Board of Directors of NASW National; CSWE on the COA, Educational Policy, Global Education, and Information Management and Research, as a certified site visitor, as Treasurer and Chair of the Board of Directors both for two terms; and as Secretary of the IASSW for two terms She is a member of the International Advisory Board for the Global Institute - Singapore and was named a Fellow in 2017. She currently serves on CSWE's Katherine Kendall Institute Advisory Board.
Dr. Shank with Dr. Julia A. Watkins founded the Southeast European Women's Leadership Initiative in 2013 with the goal of developing leadership within early career academic women in social work from the transition countries of Southeast Europe. Since 2008, Barbara has been honored to host two international doctoral students, one from Croatia, one from Italy, as well as a senior faculty scholar from Brazil.
In 2015, Dr. Shank was appointed as Conservator and Trustee for the Estate of an elderly friend. She had the responsibility of distributing over $6 million dollars in donations from his estate.
Dr. Shank is recipient of the following recognition awards: Social Worker of the Year, NASW, MN Chapter (1993); Distinguished Citizen Citation, Macalester College (2000); Presidential Award, BPD (2008); Named as one of the 125 Most Interesting and Influential People in the 125 Years of the University of St. Thomas (2009); presented the Commencement Address, Graduate College, St. Catherine University, Five Rules for Commencing a Professional Career, (2014); NASW National as Social Work Pioneer (2015); Significant Lifetime Achievement Award, BPD (2016); delivered the 4th William “Bill” Culp Endowed Lecturer, Abilene Christian University (2017); Distinguished Service Award, University of St. Thomas (2017); Lifetime Achievement Award, NASW, MN Chapter (2019) and Named as one of 50 Notable Social Workers in US History (2019).
She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the See Them Grow Foundation, Uganda, the Highland Park Montessori School, St. Paul, and as a member of the Women's Christian Association Foundation (WCA) Signature Fund, Minneapolis Foundation.
Under her leadership, the School of Social Work at St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas grew from 50 students to over 600, 4 to 34 full-time faculty and one to five programs. In 2014, the School of Social Work launched a DSW online program with a focus on "Education as Practice." Dr. Shank retired in 2018 and now holds the title of Dean and Professor Emerita. She endowed the BWS Scholarship Fund for indigenous doctoral students at the University of St. Thomas.
Dr. Shank is married to Richard Shank, MD, and has two adult children, Katherine and Daniel, and two grandchildren.