Beth Angell, Ph.D.

Angell named dean of the School of Social Work at VCU

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Beth Angell, Ph.D., has been named dean of the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University, effective July 16.

Angell comes to VCU with nearly two decades of experience in the field of social work. She currently serves as associate professor and chair of the faculty for the School of Social Work at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Angell join the VCU leadership team,” said Gail Hackett, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at VCU. “Her prolific and widely recognized work within her field of research, as well as her leadership in faculty development, will add to the momentum of VCU’s School of Social Work in reaching its next level of success.”

Angell previously served as assistant and associate professor in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, Center for Mental Health & Aging Research.

She earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received both an M.S.W. and a Ph.D. from the School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a fellow of the Society of Social Work and Research and serves on the editorial board of the journal Social Work in Mental Health.

“The VCU School of Social Work has distinguished itself for more than 100 years by addressing vexing social problems through cutting-edge scholarship, top-notch professional education and collaborative work with Richmond’s organizations and communities,” Angell said. “I am thrilled and honored to be chosen as the school’s next dean and am eager to begin working hand in hand with the school’s faculty, staff, students and community partners to deepen the school’s impact as it enters its second century.”

Angell’s research focuses on mental health and substance abuse treatment and has been supported by more than $10 million in grants from state and federal agencies and private organizations, including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Chicago Community Trust. She has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has chaired or served on 28 dissertation committees.

Founded in 1917, the School of Social Work stands as the first school of its kind in the South, as well as one of two programs in Virginia (and only 39 nationwide) to offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in the discipline. It is one of the largest accredited, comprehensive social work programs in the U.S.