2029 EPAS Public Information Session

Collina D. Cooke, PhD, LCSW-C, is the Executive Director of Accreditation at the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). In this role, she provides leadership and oversight to ensure that accreditation continues to uphold the highest standards and promote access, representation, and student success in social work education programs nationwide. She previously served as Director of CSWE’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), where for two years she advanced mentorship, leadership development, and advocacy for emerging social work professionals committed to addressing the mental health and substance use needs of underserved communities. Dr. Cooke brings extensive expertise in program management, compliance, grant writing, counseling, qualitative research, and data administration to her role at CSWE.

Dr. Shirley Gatenio Gabel is a Professor and holds the Quaranta Chair for Justice for Children at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service. Dr. Gatenio Gabel’s research focuses on human rights and social policies, particularly those affecting children and families. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Gatenio Gabel worked on children’s issues as a caseworker, policy and legislative analyst, lobbyist, and community organizer in both public and private organizations. She has served as a consultant to UNICEF, UNESCO, and UN member countries on child poverty and advocacy strategies, and social protection in developing countries. Dr. Gatenio Gabel studies comparative social policies for children and their families. She represents the International Association of Schools of Social Work at the United Nations and chairs Social Work Day at the UN. Her work with the United Nations made her aware of the importance of human rights in social work education. Dr. Gatenio Gabel chairs CSWE Commission on Educational Policy and a member of CSWE’s Board of Directors.

Dr. Ramirez has over 25 years of service in the field of social work. He holds the academic rank of Professor and is currently the MSW Program Director at Fort Hays State University. Dr. Ramirez obtained his clinical license in 2009 and currently provides clinical care for patients at Hays Medical Center. In 2025, Dr. Ramirez was elected Chair of the Board of Accreditation for CSWE.

Quienton L. Nichols, PhD, MSW, BSW, is CSWE’s Vice President of Education. In this position, he leads strategic development of programs, products, and services for CSWE membership development in teaching and learning, leadership and curriculum development, and educational research and policy. Dr. Nichols previously served as Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Social Work in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Fayetteville State University (FSU), where he provided academic leadership across eight academic units and two military-affiliated programs. A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Nichols has spent more than twenty years building a career that spans clinical social work practice, faculty teaching and scholarship, and senior academic administration—with a particular focus on advancing student success, faculty development, and equity-centered institutional transformation at public and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

His academic career began at Kennesaw State University, where he directed the university's MSW Field Education Program and Child Welfare Scholars Program before moving into full-time faculty and program leadership. He joined Fayetteville State University in 2013. Under his leadership, Dr. Nichols has secured major external funding to advance workforce development and research, including a significant grant from the U.S. Department of Education to build a pipeline of school-based mental health professionals and a $200,000 North Carolina Collaboratory grant examining the role of xylazine in the opioid crisis. He recently concluded a three-year term on the CSWE Board of Directors as the Graduate Program Representative.

Prior to his academic career, Dr. Nichols built an extensive clinical practice background, including work as a medical social worker, child protective services caseworker, Social Security claims representative, and pastoral counselor directing a large-scale counseling ministry. He is the author of two books on social work core competencies and a prolific contributor to peer-reviewed journals and national conferences on topics including HIV/AIDS prevention, social and emotional learning, HBCU student success, and faculty mentorship.

Dr. Nichols earned his PhD in Social Work Policy, Planning, Administration and Social Science from Clark Atlanta University, along with a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Georgia.