The Department of Social Work at Ball State University is stronger than ever! The success of our programs would not be possible without our diverse student base, the tireless work of our faculty and staff, and the support of university administrators. Because of Ball State we celebrate our successes, embrace our tradition of excellence in preparing future leaders for the field!
Over the years, you each helped us achieve our fundraising goals that created endowed scholarships for social work legends and helped us meet the need of an ever-changing educational landscape.
You’ve helped us to retain amazing faculty who are creating meaningful experiences for our students. Here are just a few of the wonderful things our faculty staff and students have been doing recently.
This year, our faculty is seeking your support in two ways:
a) Support learning opportunities for students. Your support will help us expand the breadth and depth of social work education through supporting learning experiences.
b) Expanding long term support efforts such as the MariSon fund. Your support will help our department provide consistent resources to students.
This year, in honor of Greta Slater's retirement after 22 years of service to BSU, Greta's Grand Challenge, support these two initiatives and match those gifts!
Here's a glimpse of how we are connecting students to social work learning:
Dr. Mary Provence, assistant professor of social work at Ball State University, spearheaded an Immersive Learning course where students administered grants to local agencies in Delaware County. She also led departmental efforts to integrate the ethical use of AI in our classrooms!
Dr. Mary Provence, and BSW students work on their projects. Dr. Ronald Dolon, Professor of Social Work, has created a police social work course. Here, students learn about the important role social workers are increasingly playing in providing trauma-informed services to both law enforcement and vulnerable populations.
Professor Judy Gray is approaching 40 years of service and continues to play a lead role in advancing interprofessional education across the College.
Dr. Jerry Reynolds is leading a statewide effort, called Coach Beyond, to educate youth coaches at all levels in Indiana in positive youth development practices. We also have launched an Integrated Athlete Services graduate certificate program that supports students who work on teams caring for athletes.
Dr. Jonel Thaller and Dr. Joe Bartholomew continue their work to support the local Addictions Coalition of Delaware County and research to increase the numbers of social workers equipped to addressed today's challenges in this arena.
Dr. Lindsay Bennett joined our faculty as a tenure line professor this fall and continues her innovative research on complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
Panelists from social service agencies, law enforcement and individuals in recovery answer community questions.
Professor Shannon Staton, Professor Kerri Hogue, and Professor Kim Taylor lead our practicum education efforts where we place over 100 students in agencies to gain real world experiences in agencies located both within and outside of Indiana!
Professor Brandon Evans leads our student social work organization and continues to provide education to our community on addressing the challenges of domestic violence.
During the past academic year, we welcomed Professors Tiffany Anton, Jess Hoffman, Amanda McKinley, and Krissy Ray-Bennett to our team and they provide a wealth of expertise in multiple social work capacities for our students.
Professor Angie Dailey is spearheading our departmental role to increase and refocus our community engagement efforts, aligned with the university's strategic plan updates.
We know that sometimes it’s hard to give, and we are extra thankful for our donors who have given to scholarships, general funds, and supported us over the years. We are grateful to have 50 years of Alumni in practice in the state of Indiana and beyond, and we can’t wait to see what happens next. We hope you will continue to support our faculty, staff and students who are the future of Social Work.
