Murali D. Nair

As an authority on engaged learning, Murali Nair combines traditional cross national value systems with evidence based knowledge in the classroom setting.

Over his 47-year academic career, Murali Nair has served as a BSW, MSW, and DSW professor and administrator at five universities in the United States and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at three overseas universities.

In his last positions, Nair was the Clinical Professor of Social Change and Innovation at University of Southern California (2012-2020) and a Professor and the Director of the School of Social Work at Cleveland State University (1992-2012).

His areas of teaching expertise include macro practice, social enterprise, social responsibility, wellbeing innovation, harnessing technology for social good, advancing long and productive lives, and social responses to changing environments. He also offers weekly mentoring sessions to students and alumni on career options and publications.

Nair has published extensively around social development, including 15 books, nine short documentaries, and over 100 journal articles and peer reviewed paper presentations at national and international conferences. His latest books include Evidence Based Macro Social Work Practice (3rd edition), Engaged Learning, Leading and Managing Human Service Organizations (4tth edition), and coauthored three articles in the recent issue of Encyclopedia of Social Work.

He is a CSWE member of the Special Commission to Advance Macro Practice and an Associate Editor of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Macro Social Work. 

Some of Nair’s recent teaching-service awards include:

  • Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, Service to the University, the School and the Community, University of Southern California (2019, 2015, 2014)
  • The Frances Feldman Excellence in Education Award, The California Social Welfare Archives (2017)
  • National Policy Fellow Lead Mentor Award: National Network for Social Work Management (2017)
  • Distinguished Mentoring Award: CSWE-APM conference in Denver (2018)
  • President’s (White House) Volunteer Action Award (2012)
  • Columbia University School of Social Work Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee (2011)
  • Distinguished Faculty Award for Service, Multi-culturalism and Teaching, Cleveland State University (2011, 2006, 2002)
  • Senior Fulbright Scholar Award (2010)
  • Certificate of Special United States Congressional Recognition for Outstanding Services to Community (2009)

He holds an MSW from Loyola College of Social Sciences, an MS in Computer Science from the New York Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. from the Columbia University School of Social Work