The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) announced Dr. Catherine Cubbin as the recipient of the 2025 Faculty Award for Educational Leadership in Social Work Doctoral Education.
Cubbin, who serves UT Social Work as the Clara Pope Willoughby Centennial Professor in Community Safety, specializes in mentoring doctoral students in quantitative methods, specifically to better inform health and social policy. She recently stepped down as the longest-serving associate dean for research in the history of UT Social Work, during which time funding levels tripled. During her term, she also secured the school’s first-ever T32 award funded by NIH and mentored dozens of impactful doctoral graduates.
“We produce world-class researchers and educators at UT Social Work, and our success is inseparable from the high-quality leadership and mentoring found within our doctoral program,” said Dean Cole. “Professor Cubbin is among the most effective mentors and leaders in doctoral education, and I am pleased that she is being recognized for her important contributions to our school, the academy, and the larger social work landscape.”
The award is the newest accolade in Dr. Cubbin’s accomplished career. In 2021, she was inducted into the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. She also won the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award from the Graduate School at UT Austin in 2022 and was named in the top 30 of “Best Scientists — Social Sciences and Humanities” at UT Austin in 2023 by Research.com.