Former Dean Marsh to lead School of Social Service Administration again

Jeanne Marsh, the George Herbert Jones Professor in the School of Social Service Administration and Acting Dean of the school, has been named Dean of SSA, a post in which she served from 1988 to 1998.

Marsh, a leading expert on the development and evaluation of social services for children and families, focuses her research on substance abuse, service delivery, social program and policy evaluation, and knowledge utilization in practice, and program decision-making. She uses theories of organizations and social processes to identify effective social treatment for women and families.

“I am delighted to announce that Jeanne Marsh has accepted a five-year term as Dean of the School of Social Service Administration, beginning July 1, 2005,” said President Randel. “Jeanne’s deep experience and dedication to the mission of SSA make her an especially appropriate choice. The Provost and I look forward to working with Jeanne in the coming years to achieve the school’s goals in research and education.”

Marsh said, “I’m pleased to be returning to the post of Dean. My long association with the school provides me with the perspective and understanding of what SSA can accomplish as it approaches its centennial year in 2008.

“Social work tackles society’s most difficult problems, from drug abuse and immigration to school reform and teen pregnancy,” Marsh said. “It takes discipline, compassion and groundbreaking research to understand and solve these problems. SSA is especially well placed to carry forward its mission to provide the highest level of education to our students and scholarship and service to our communities.”

She continued that as Dean, she has several objectives for SSA: human capital development, to ensure that the social work profession attracts the smartest and most dedicated people who are up to the challenge of handling society’s pressing social problems; intellectual capital development, to invigorate interdisciplinary research to find answers to persistent social issues; and productive collaborations, to build bridges between University knowledge and the community so the theory and practice of helping vulnerable populations continues to improve.

With its teaching and research space at capacity, Marsh also hopes to address the school’s capital needs to accommodate community groups in a new facility adjacent to SSA’s iconic Mies van der Rohe building.

Marsh has had a distinguished career both as a social work researcher and a social worker. The National Association of Social Workers honored her in 1997 with the Award for Excellence in Social Work Research.

From 1998 to 2002, she served as chair of the Council on Social Work Education Commission on Education Policy, where she helped to develop policies and standards to guide the accreditation of all professional social work schools and programs in the United States. She currently serves as editor of the journal Social Work.

Marsh received a B.A. in psychology in 1969, from Michigan State University and received her M.S.W. in 1972, and a Ph.D. in social work and psychology in 1975, from the University of Michigan. She joined the University faculty in 1978. From 1987 to 1988, she was a visiting fellow at Clare Hall, the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics.