The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) announced Dr. Catherine Cubbin as the recipient of the 2025 Faculty Award for Educational Leadership in Social Work Doctoral Education.
Dr. Cubbin, who serves UT Social Work as the Clara Pope Willoughby Centennial Professor in Community Safety, specializes in mentoring doctoral students in quantitative methods, specifically to better inform health and social policy. She recently stepped down as the longest-serving associate dean for research in the history of UT Social Work, during which time funding levels tripled. During her term, she also secured the school’s first-ever T32 award funded by NIH and mentored dozens of impactful doctoral graduates.
“We produce world-class researchers and educators at UT Social Work, and our success is inseparable from the high-quality leadership and mentoring found within our doctoral program,” said Allan Cole, dean of UT Social Work. “Professor Cubbin is among the most effective mentors and leaders in doctoral education, and I am pleased that she is being recognized for her important contributions to our school, the academy, and the larger social work landscape.”
Established in 2016, the GADE Faculty Award for Educational Leadership in Social Work Doctoral Education is given to a current or former faculty member at a member institution who has made significant contributions to advancing doctoral education in the field of social work. Faculty distinguished by this award display a strong commitment to doctoral education and a demonstrated record of advancing doctoral education at the national or international level.
The award is the newest accolade in Dr. Cubbin’s accomplished career. In 2021, she was inducted into the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. She also won the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award from the Graduate School at UT Austin in 2022 and was named in the top 30 of “Best Scientists – Social Sciences and Humanities” at UT Austin in 2023 by Research.com.
“I am honored with this recognition from GADE, but I am even more excited with the recognition of the incredible research, education, and relationships we develop through our doctoral program,” said Dr. Cubbin. “This award reflects the successes that our students achieve, and more importantly, the impact that our doctoral program generates. There has never been a more important time to build up reliable, scholarly and rigorous research in doctoral education, and it is a joy to mentor the next generation of leading scholars.”
Dr. Cubbin will be recognized at the annual GADE/CSWE Doctoral Networking Breakfast at the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (APM) in Denver on Friday, Oct. 24.