In September, a standing-room-only crowd of UT Social Work community and partners gathered as The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work marked its 75th anniversary with a full-day symposium celebrating the many ways social workers lead on the Forty Acres and beyond.
State of the School
Dean Allan Cole opened with a State of the School address to an audience that included UT President Jim Davis, deans from across campus, faculty, staff, students, alumni and community leaders. His remarks highlighted partnerships that set UT Social Work apart: direct integration with Dell Medical School, collaboration with the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, and strategic alliances with the School of Nursing and College of Pharmacy.
Celebrating Innovation Through Partnerships
The Hogg Foundation announced new funding for behavioral health research through the arts and humanities. Ten grants of up to $22,000 will support mental health research and tenure-track faculty at social work schools across Texas.
Dell Medical School’s Dr. Greg Wallingford, in a keynote presentation about social work in healthcare, talked about the moments in patient care when clinical knowledge meets human presence. Dr. Kelley Glover, a postdoctoral fellow at the Hogg Foundation, led participants through interactive lectures on utilizing drumming and somatic healing exercises — an experience in how the body holds what words can’t always express.
KUT’s “Two Guys on Your Head” brought the intimacy of public radio into the room, recording a live conversation with Dean Cole and Dr. Octavio Martinez about where mental health, psychology and social work meet.
Spotlight on Student-Led Solutions
Four student teams presented community-based projects to the Moritz Center for Societal Impact, each receiving $5,000 to pursue work they’d designed with community partners: teaching mental health narratives in prison, building bilingual literacy programs that weave in wellness, using creative expression to explore cultural healing.
Honoring Generosity That Fuels Our Mission
The day also brought commitments. A $100,000 pledge allowed 13 students to pursue specialized training in elder care through the GRACE Program (Gerontology Resources and the Aging Community in Education) — work that honors the dignity of aging Texans while preparing the people who will care for them. A member of the School’s Advisory Council and their spouse formalized plans to support the School through their estate, in addition to other gifts pledged during the event.
Art as Advocacy
The day concluded with the opening of the art exhibit, “Into Light — Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories.” Families stood with students, faculty and community members to view portraits and read the personal stories of those lost to addiction. UT Social Work continues to lead efforts to end cycles of substance misuse through research, education and community partnerships.
Seventy-five years of leadership, and the vision remains clear: rigorous inquiry paired with deep humanity. That’s how social workers lead — and how UT Social Work will continue shaping the field for generations to come.