We are pleased to announce that after an internal search process, Dr. Yarneccia Dyson has accepted the offer to serve as chair of the Department of Social Work. She will follow strong leadership, as Dr. Melissa Floyd-Pickard steps down from the chair position.
Since Dr. Floyd-Pickard has held the position of chair, the department’s funding has exponentially increased. She was instrumental in establishing the joint doctoral degree in social work (J.Ph.D.) program with North Carolina A&T State University. Dr. Floyd-Pickard has also assumed leadership positions in both the Departments of Social Work and Peace & Conflict Studies, and she successfully transitioned the Gerontology program into the social work department while leading several reaccreditation processes.
Thank you, Dr. Floyd-Pickard, for your leadership and service!
Dr. Dyson is an award-winning thought leader and higher education strategist with over 18 years’ experience in supervisory and leadership roles. She is passionate about inclusive and equity-centered practices in higher education administration and her research interests focus on improving the health, access, and well-being of historically oppressed communities, mentoring experiences for Black women and women of color, as well as improving the sexual and reproductive outcomes among women and girls.
Dr. Dyson is well known within social work education organizations, such as the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, Inc. (BPD) for her tenacity, keen emphasis on details, and servant leadership qualities. She has been recognized since 2016 as an “Emerging Leader” within social education professional organizations, and most recently, she won the CSWE 2021 Early Career Faculty in Service and Leadership award. She has experience supporting all three social work program levels (BSW, MSW, and Ph.D.) and enjoys working with people.
Dr. Dyson obtained a Ph.D. in social work policy, planning, and administration from the Whitney M. Young, Jr., School of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University, receiving formal training in leadership, mobilizing teams through difficult times, as well as organizational behavior and various managerial theories.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Dyson to the position of chair of the Department of Social Work!