Weaver named chair-elect of CSWE board

Hilary Weaver, professor and associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion in the School of Social Work, has been named chair-elect of the board of directors of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the national association representing social work education in the United States.

Currently vice chair and secretary, Weaver will assume her duties as chair in July 2022. She ran on a platform focused on member concerns about navigating changes to the educational landscape in a post-pandemic world, the need for ongoing injustice awareness and learning how to manage shifting political landscapes.

“UB is thrilled to learn about this honor,” says Nancy J. Smyth, dean of the School of Social Work. “Professor Weaver is a distinguished member of the UBSSW faculty, and this position will help to bring UB to the forefront of national discussions about the transformations needed in social work education related to anti-racism and decolonization.

“Dr. Weaver has been intimately involved in the creation and delivery of explicit and implicit curricula that highlight social justice and human rights,” Smyth says. “She will now have the ability to influence CSWE membership to manage the diverse educational landscape that requires flexibility on the part of all social work educators.”

Most of Weaver’s work focuses on the importance of culture in helping processes, with a particular focus on Indigenous peoples and a secondary focus on refugees. She is Lakota and has lived much of her adult life in Haudenosaunee territory in Western New York.

“I am deeply honored to be chosen for this role and I look forward to strengthening relationships between the board and staff, and ensuring board members understand their roles and responsibilities, thus enhancing board productivity,” Weaver says. “It is only because of my Indigenous and Tribal Social Work Educators’ Association (ITSWEA) colleagues and my deep roots within CSWE that I have the strong foundation to spread my branches and have a larger impact on our profession.

“I hope to be able to help CSWE to be open, responsive and supportive of its diverse members and build bridges between CSWE, ITSWEA and similar groups.”