UT Social Work professor Danielle Parrish (Ph.D. ’08) is among the newest inductees named to the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW), marking the eighth active faculty member at UT Social Work who is a member of the academy.
The organization, a national leader in social work education, recognizes distinguished accomplishments by scholars, practice, and/or policy leaders dedicated to achieving excellence in high-impact work to advance social good.
A graduate of UT Social Work, Parrish serves as the Steve Hicks Professor in Addictions and Substance Abuse Services. She is also the associate director of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute, an institute housed within UT Social Work.
Her research focuses on bridging the research-practice gap by developing and testing feasible and efficient behavioral health interventions and improving the implementation of empirically supported interventions. Her current work focuses on the prevention of alcohol and marijuana-exposed pregnancy for young women involved with juvenile probation.
“Professor Parrish exemplifies excellence in scholarship, teaching, and leadership. Her work in substance misuse helps transform lives and has lasting impact. I am grateful that the Academy has recognized her significant contributions and standing in social work education, and we celebrate her accomplishments,” said Allan Cole, dean of UT Social Work.
Parrish has worked as principal investigator or co-investigator on projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources and Services Administration. She also currently serves as the editor-in-chief emerita of the Journal of Social Work Education after serving five years as editor-in-chief, and as a research scientist with SEARCH Homeless Services in Houston, Texas.
“Being named a fellow within the Academy is an exceptionally high honor in my career, and to me, it especially shows the importance of the meaningful research and practice that we lead at UT Social Work. I thank the AASWSW for this recognition, and I thank my colleagues – especially my fellow Academy members here on the Forty Acres – for building the research that changes lives and provides evidence-based solutions to benefit society at large,” said Parrish.
Parrish will be formally inducted into the AASWSW during a ceremony in January at the Society of Social Work and Research annual conference.