The CSWE Commission on Global Social Work Education is pleased to announce the 20th annual Partners in Advancing International Education (PIE) Awards program, honoring the contribution of social work faculty members, social work students (BSW, MSW, or PhD), and organizations as partners in advancing education for international social work. The PIE awards are given in recognition of conceptual, curricular, and programmatic innovations in education for international social work. All nominations must be U.S.-based actively working on international issues.
The PIE Awards presentation will precede the Hokenstad International Lecture at the 2024 CSWE Annual Program Meeting in Kansas City, MO.
Eligible Recipients
Up to three awards are given annually, one for each of the following categories of contributors to education for international social work.
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Social work faculty member (current members of the Commission on Global Education and those who are within a year of completing their term on this Commission are not eligible to apply for the award).
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Social work students or student group (BSW, MSW, or PhD level; social work graduates within 2 years of graduation, relative to the timing of the APM conference, are eligible to apply).
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Local (APM host city), national, or international organizations.
CSWE membership is an eligibility requirement for all commission and council awards. To check your membership status, or link your membership your social work program visit https://www.cswe.org/membership and click Link to Program/Join CSWE.
2024 PIE Award Winners
Individual Winner
Rebecca L. Thomas, PhD
Professor, School of Social Work
Director, Center for International Social Work Studies
University of Connectict
Rebecca L. Thomas, Ph.D., is Professor at the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Social Work, and Director of the Center for International Social Work Studies. She teaches in the Policy Practice Concentration and is the Chair of the focused area of International Social Work. She directs a joint academic program exchange between UConn and Yerevan State University in Armenia. Her current research and scholarship include issues related to forced migration including climate induced migration, social entrepreneurship, remittances, international development, poverty, and human rights. She has a well-established publication in these areas and is a reviewer for many academic social work and related journals.
Dr. Thomas serves on the board of the Katherine Kendall Institute of Council of Social Work Education and represents the International Association of the Schools of Social Work on the NGO Committee on Migration at the United Nations. Currently, she is serving as the Chair of NASW Book Committee. As a member of social work U21 she has a large network of colleagues working together to enhance global social work. At the local level, she serves on the City of Hartford Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.
Dr. Thomas is a Fulbright Scholar in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is lecturing at various University but is housed in New Bulgaria University in Sofia and is conducting research with service providers and Ukraine refugees in Bulgaria. Her expertise in Social Enterprise and Economic development has been a unique draw. I have presented at the Schools of Business and Economics in Sofia, Bulgaria and was awarded an intercountry Fulbright to teach at the School of Business and Economics in Prague, the Czech Republic. She has joined the Southeast Europe Academic Women’s Leadership Network.
Organization Winner
Gold Coast Medical Foundation (GCMF)
The Gold Coast Medical Foundation’s board of directors is a testament to its comprehensive approach to healthcare. It includes a renowned chief, entrepreneurs, public health professionals, social workers, nurses, and medical doctors from various disciplines. With its understanding of the importance of team-based treatment and a commitment to Interprofessional Education, this diverse team mobilizes social work and a wide variety of allied health student volunteers and professionals to deliver culturally responsive healthcare.
Gold Coast Medical Foundation volunteers are actively engaged in a wide range of activities. They work to improve education and literacy, advance disease prevention and treatment, foster economic and community development, and enhance maternal and child health. Their initiatives also extend to eliminating stigma against cerebral palsy and obstetric fistula, demonstrating the organization's commitment to addressing diverse healthcare challenges.
While GCMF primarily operates in Ghana, its initiatives extend to other countries, including the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Malawi. With a commitment to sustainable healthcare solutions and inter-professional education, GCMF strives to be a leader in advancing global healthcare.
Student/Student Group Winner
Elvia Y. Mata Ortega, IHM
University of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley School of Social Work
My journey led me to immerse myself in education, believing fervently that it holds the key to a fairer society. In 2005, I was missioned to India, where the stark contrasts I first noticed as a child paled in comparison to the inequalities between nations. After a time as a missionary in India, I returned to Mexico and continued working in the education field to provide support and safe learning environments for children who were extremely vulnerable due to the economic and social conditions within their families. Recently I embarked on a master’s in social work at the University of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, focusing on aiding migrants along the Mexican-United States border. Through it all, I have witnessed firsthand the anguish wrought by an unjust world, igniting within me an unwavering commitment to forging a brighter future for vulnerable children and their families.
Previous Awardees
| Year | Individual | Organization | Student 2015–Present/Program 2004–2014 |
| 2023 | Karen S. Rotabi-Casares Professor, Department of Social Work California State University, Monterey Bay |
Regina Wu 伍嘉嫣 New York University Silver School of Social Work |
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| 2022 | Dr. Rosemary Barbera Associate Professor, Department of Social Work Chair and Program Director, Social Work Lasalle University |
Human Rights & Social Work Special Interest Group (SIG); Founders: Dr. Jane McPherson & Dr. David Androff | Green Social Work Student Group California State University Britney Hayes Lisa Raimondo Samantha Keiser Nohely Padilla-Aguiar Monica Salgado Jocelyn Garcia Lea Carrasco Jovana Perez-Hernandez Rachel Riojas |
| 2021 | Robin S. Mama, Monmouth University |
The American Place, Hartford Public Library | |
| 2020 | Martha Bragin, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, City University of New York |
California State University, Fullerton Department of Social Work/Universidad Tecnológica de Chile (INACAP) CSUF/INACAP Service-Learning Program |
Julie Wright, California State University, Fresno, School of Social Work |
| 2019 | Mashura Akilova, Columbia University |
Fresno State University Student Group Ewan Duarte, Cynthia Reyes, Carina Garsilazo, Mariah Torres, Miryam Ayala, Jessica Camarillo, Marissa Carrillo, Lourdes Nungaray, Phong Moua, Romylyn Teale, Alejandra Rodriguez Perez, James Borunda, Christine Andrew, Romyna Teale, Lourdes Nungaray Quezada, and Sarah Carr |
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| 2018 | Shirley Gatenio Gabel, Fordham University | Hispanic Family Counseling | Sherise Truman, University of Connecticut |
| 2017 | David Engstrom, San Diego State University | Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation | Carlos A. Reyes-Ruiz, University of Southern California |
| 2016 | María Vidal de Haymes, Loyola University, Chicago | Brittany’s Hope | Patricia Talisse, Fordham University |
| 2015 | Julia M. Watkins, Southeast Europe Academic Women’s Leadership Initiative |
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation | Bonita B. Sharma, University of Texas-Arlington |
| 2014 | Susan Mapp, Elizabethtown College |
Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services, Refugee Services | University of Connecticut, Center for International Social Work Studies |
| 2013 | Uma A. Segal, University of Missouri–St. Louis |
Buckner International | University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work |
| 2012 | Rich Furman, University of Washington |
Books for Africa | University of Washington/Royal University of Phnom Penh (program) |
| 2011 | Patricia Lager | American International Health Alliance | The Catholic University of America, National Catholic School of Social Service |
| 2010 | Frank Raymond | Society for Haitian Arts, Culture, and Social Support | Florida State University, College of Social Work |
| 2009 | M. C. "Terry" Hokenstad | University of Ljubljana’s International Doctoral Studies | PRONI Center for Social Work Education |
| 2008 | Fred Ahearn, Catholic University of America | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | |
| 2007 | Doreen Elliot and Nazneen Mayadas, University of Texas-Arlington |
Council on International Programs, Chagrin Falls, Ohio |
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| 2006 | James Midgley, University of California–Berkeley |
BSW Mexico Consortium of the Minnesota/South Dakota Area | University of Illinois and University of Addis Ababa, Jane Addams College of Social Work |
| 2005 | Richard Estes, University of Pennsylvania |
Monmouth University School of Social Work | |
| 2004 | Lynne Healy, University of Connecticut |
Council for International Exchange of Scholars |
Washington University, |