Quienton Nichols, PhD, MSW, BSW

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.