March 23, 2022 at 1:56 p.m.

Welcoming Dr. Brenda Jones Harden

Dear CSSW Community:

I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Brenda Jones Harden will join our faculty on July 1st as Professor of Social Work.

Dr. Jones Harden is a scientist-practitioner who uses research to improve the quality and effectiveness of child and family services to inform child and family policy. Her research focuses on the developmental and mental health needs of young children who have experienced early adversity. She received her Master’s degree in Social Work from New York University in 1980 and her PhD in Developmental Clinical Psychology from Yale University in 1996. She currently holds a named professorship (the Alison Richman Professor for Children and Families) at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, where she is also the Director of the Prevention and Early Adversity Research Laboratory in the College of Education. She began her career as a child welfare social worker, which ignited her long-term research interests in child welfare, child well-being, and prevention science.

Dr. Jones Harden is more than a child welfare expert – she’s also an outstanding researcher whose work spans early childhood, child development, child welfare, and prevention science, enabling her to evaluate the impact of programs and systems on child well-being for the most vulnerable children. Her work provides a roadmap for transforming systems to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families, and aligns perfectly with the University’s “fourth purpose” to have a meaningful impact in the world. We look forward to having her as part of the School of Social Work.

I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to the 2020-2021 senior faculty search committee for their excellent work in identifying and recruiting such a phenomenal candidate. Please join me in thanking Professors Nabila El-Bassel (Chair), Ron Mincy, Julien Teitler (ex officio), Jane Waldfogel, and Allen Zweben for their time and wisdom.

Please join me in warmly welcoming Dr. Jones Harden to the CSSW community!

In community,

Melissa