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The 2025 Professional Award recipients, as chosen by the organization’s Board of Directors, are:
Allan Barsky, PhD, JD, MSW
Significant Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Education Award
Dr. Barsky is a professor with Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Sandler School of Social Work in Boca Raton. He has written several books, including Ethics and Values in Social Work, Clinicians in Court, Essential Ethics for Social Work Practice, Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions, and Interprofessional Practice with Diverse Populations. His accolades include the FAU Scholar of the Year Award (2020) and the FAU Alumni Association Impact in Teaching Award (2024). Dr. Barsky chaired the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) National Ethics Committee, as well as its Code of Ethics Review Committee, which updated the code to reflect growing use of technology in practice. He was also awarded NASW’s Excellence in Ethics Award.
Tyler M. Argüello, PhD, DCSW
Distinguished Recent Contributions to Social Work Education Award
Dr. Argüello is a scholar-activist-leader who has been a practicing social worker for more than 30 years, primarily around community mental health, HIV, and 2LGBTQIANPK+ communities. Tyler’s scholarship is a transdisciplinary project that concerns communicative practices and the production of intersectional identities, sexualities, and health inequities, namely HIV. He is a professor at the California State University, Sacramento, maintains a recognized psychotherapy practice, and is a Diplomate in Clinical Social Work. In 2023, Dr. Argüello was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter. In 2025, he was named the Moya M. Duplica Distinguished Alumni from his alma mater, the University of Washington, Seattle, recognizing his leadership, behavioral health pedagogy, queer scholarship, and clinical practice.
Sherron Wilkes, DSW, MSW
Early Career Faculty Service and Leadership in Social Work Education Award
Dr. Wilkes is the BSW Program Director and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama School of Social Work. She has made significant contributions to the profession through her leadership, teaching, research/scholarship, and service. A committed member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Dr. Wilkes actively participates in advocacy and professional development initiatives. For the past 2 years, she served as NASW Alabama Conference Chair. She coordinated social work month activities and proclamations from the Mayor of Tuscaloosa to proclaim March as Social Work Month for 3 consecutive years. She also plays a vital role in the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, serving the past 2 years on the conference and student conference planning committee and as the membership committee chair.
Lisa Reyes Mason, PhD, MSW
Established Faculty Service and Leadership in Social Work Education Award
Dr. Mason is a social worker, scholar, educator, and advocate for climate justice. She finds purpose and passion in engaging social work in confronting the climate crisis to create a thriving and regenerative world for all. At the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work, Dr. Mason co-created a Master’s in Social Work concentration in Ecological Justice and served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Interim Dean. Nationally and internationally recognized for her climate justice work, Dr. Mason co-edited the book People and Climate Change: Vulnerability, Adaptation, and Social Justice, a collection of lived experiences and case studies in climate injustice from the Global South and North. She also served as co-lead of Social Work’s Grand Challenge to Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment for 5 years, and she served the City and County of Denver as an inaugural member of its sustainability advisory council.
University of Michigan School of Social Work
Field Education/Practicum Excellence in Innovation Award
The University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Office of Field Education embraces a transformative approach to disability equity by seeking to address the challenges and barriers faced by students with disabilities and by integrating accessible and inclusive practices within its field education program. The office coordinates over 1,200 placements across the United States, collaborating with more than 1,500 dedicated field instructors and task supervisors. They have spearheaded an approach that integrates disability-affirming practices into all aspects of the program. These efforts include policy updates, digital accessibility enhancements, and student, agency, and field faculty support. One of the program’s most significant advancements is the Anti-Ableist Practices for Field Students: Understanding Social Work Ethics of Accessibility and Disability Social Justice training, aimed at equipping field instructors with the essential skills to support diverse learning needs. This initiative reflects a broader commitment to anti-ableism, providing valuable insights into creating inclusive environments and fostering disability justice.
Founded in 1952, CSWE is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include more than 900 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs and their affiliated social work educators, students, and staff, as well as practitioners and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education. Through its many initiatives, activities, and centers, CSWE supports quality social work education and provides opportunities for leadership and professional development so that social workers are empowered to play a central role in achieving the profession’s goals of social and economic justice. CSWE’s Board of Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories.
Published on : June 2, 2025
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Today the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) announced the recipients of the organization’s annual Professional Awards. These awards are among CSWE’s highest honors and recognize outstanding educators for significant contributions to social work education. The awards will be presented at CSWE’s 71st Annual Conference on October 23–26, 2025, in Denver, CO.The 2025 Professional Award recipients, as chosen by the organization’s Board of Directors, are:
Allan Barsky, PhD, JD, MSW
Significant Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Education Award
Dr. Barsky is a professor with Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Sandler School of Social Work in Boca Raton. He has written several books, including Ethics and Values in Social Work, Clinicians in Court, Essential Ethics for Social Work Practice, Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions, and Interprofessional Practice with Diverse Populations. His accolades include the FAU Scholar of the Year Award (2020) and the FAU Alumni Association Impact in Teaching Award (2024). Dr. Barsky chaired the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) National Ethics Committee, as well as its Code of Ethics Review Committee, which updated the code to reflect growing use of technology in practice. He was also awarded NASW’s Excellence in Ethics Award.
Tyler M. Argüello, PhD, DCSW
Distinguished Recent Contributions to Social Work Education Award
Dr. Argüello is a scholar-activist-leader who has been a practicing social worker for more than 30 years, primarily around community mental health, HIV, and 2LGBTQIANPK+ communities. Tyler’s scholarship is a transdisciplinary project that concerns communicative practices and the production of intersectional identities, sexualities, and health inequities, namely HIV. He is a professor at the California State University, Sacramento, maintains a recognized psychotherapy practice, and is a Diplomate in Clinical Social Work. In 2023, Dr. Argüello was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter. In 2025, he was named the Moya M. Duplica Distinguished Alumni from his alma mater, the University of Washington, Seattle, recognizing his leadership, behavioral health pedagogy, queer scholarship, and clinical practice.
Sherron Wilkes, DSW, MSW
Early Career Faculty Service and Leadership in Social Work Education Award
Dr. Wilkes is the BSW Program Director and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama School of Social Work. She has made significant contributions to the profession through her leadership, teaching, research/scholarship, and service. A committed member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Dr. Wilkes actively participates in advocacy and professional development initiatives. For the past 2 years, she served as NASW Alabama Conference Chair. She coordinated social work month activities and proclamations from the Mayor of Tuscaloosa to proclaim March as Social Work Month for 3 consecutive years. She also plays a vital role in the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, serving the past 2 years on the conference and student conference planning committee and as the membership committee chair.
Lisa Reyes Mason, PhD, MSW
Established Faculty Service and Leadership in Social Work Education Award
Dr. Mason is a social worker, scholar, educator, and advocate for climate justice. She finds purpose and passion in engaging social work in confronting the climate crisis to create a thriving and regenerative world for all. At the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work, Dr. Mason co-created a Master’s in Social Work concentration in Ecological Justice and served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Interim Dean. Nationally and internationally recognized for her climate justice work, Dr. Mason co-edited the book People and Climate Change: Vulnerability, Adaptation, and Social Justice, a collection of lived experiences and case studies in climate injustice from the Global South and North. She also served as co-lead of Social Work’s Grand Challenge to Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment for 5 years, and she served the City and County of Denver as an inaugural member of its sustainability advisory council.
University of Michigan School of Social Work
Field Education/Practicum Excellence in Innovation Award
The University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Office of Field Education embraces a transformative approach to disability equity by seeking to address the challenges and barriers faced by students with disabilities and by integrating accessible and inclusive practices within its field education program. The office coordinates over 1,200 placements across the United States, collaborating with more than 1,500 dedicated field instructors and task supervisors. They have spearheaded an approach that integrates disability-affirming practices into all aspects of the program. These efforts include policy updates, digital accessibility enhancements, and student, agency, and field faculty support. One of the program’s most significant advancements is the Anti-Ableist Practices for Field Students: Understanding Social Work Ethics of Accessibility and Disability Social Justice training, aimed at equipping field instructors with the essential skills to support diverse learning needs. This initiative reflects a broader commitment to anti-ableism, providing valuable insights into creating inclusive environments and fostering disability justice.
Founded in 1952, CSWE is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include more than 900 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs and their affiliated social work educators, students, and staff, as well as practitioners and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education. Through its many initiatives, activities, and centers, CSWE supports quality social work education and provides opportunities for leadership and professional development so that social workers are empowered to play a central role in achieving the profession’s goals of social and economic justice. CSWE’s Board of Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories.