Center for Societal Impact Named for Moritz Family
The Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin renamed its newest research and scholarly center as the Moritz Center for Societal Impact, thanks to a significant gift from Leslie B. and John David Moritz. The funding will help support the center’s groundbreaking work across critical social work disciplines that will affect the everyday lives of people in Texas and beyond.
The Moritz family’s generous gift provides financial support for UT students and faculty members. This support will occur through a fellowship program, a summer-intensive research program focused on faculty collaborations with students and community stakeholders, and other initiatives aimed at helping solve critical social problems.
Estate of Dr. David H. Johnson Creates New Endowed Professorship in Social Work
A significant gift from the estate of Dr. David H. Johnson, a graduate of The University of Texas School of Social Work’s doctoral program, created the newest endowed professorship at the school and provide new scholarship funding for its doctoral students.
An additional gift from Dr. Johnson’s estate will initially be utilized to help fund doctoral students engaging in research and study on a global scale. Subsequently, this gift may be used in support of a wider range of interests and opportunities in the doctoral program.
Jas Sethi Honors Sister’s Life with an Endowed Scholarship
To support students interested in careers helping those with substance use disorders, Jas Sethi created the Simran Sethi Memorial Scholarship in Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work.
Named after his sister, Simran, who was lost to suicide at age 19, Jas’ work supports the future of social workers who are often the first line of care providers for people with substance use disorders and mental illness. Students at Texas Social Work are taught a patient-centered approach one that considers the interaction of people and their environments. Additionally, researchers at the Steve Hicks School have recently engaged in nearly 200 projects focused on mental health issues and substance use disorders, from prevention to recovery.