Denise Burnette honored by GADE for advancing social work Ph.D. programs

By Sian Wilkerson

Denise Burnette, a professor in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work, has been recognized by a national organization for her work as an educator and guide for the next generation of social workers.

The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work has honored Burnette, Ph.D., with this year’s Faculty Award for Educational Leadership in Social Work Doctoral Education. It recognizes extraordinary, sustained commitment to the mentorship of doctoral students.

Founded in 1977, GADE is an organization of social work doctoral program directors from more than 100 member institutions. It promotes social work doctoral education through networking, capacity building and stewardship of the profession.

At VCU, Burnette is the Samuel S. Wurtzel Endowed Faculty Chair in Social Work and director of the International Social Work Collaboratory. She has previously served as director of the School of Social Work’s Ph.D. program and as president of GADE. Nationally and internationally, her contributions have touched on individual student and faculty development; institutional and educational policy; and curriculum development, dissemination and evaluation.

As VCU’s Ph.D. program director, Burnette encouraged and supported students who were selected for numerous awards and fellowships, including Fulbright awards; Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowships and public policy fellowships; Gerontological Society of America dissertation fellowships; a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy fellowship; and multiple postdoctoral appointments.  

“These efforts represent decades of developing and nurturing a web of professional and personal relationships that have enriched my career and my life immeasurably,” said Burnette, who joined VCU in 2016.

Burnette’s previous recognitions include the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work’s Career Achievement Award, which she received in 2023. She has received three Fulbright appointments (in India, Botswana and Mongolia) and is professor emerita at the Columbia University School of Social Work, where she was on faculty and associate dean between 1990 and 2015.

Burnette’s GADE award extends VCU’s recognition in the field. In 2021, GADE selected longtime social work professor Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D., for the same award; she retired from VCU in 2022.