On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, faculty and staff of Texas Social Work gathered as a community to commend and appreciate the hard work completed during the 2025-26 academic year.
During this event, Dean Allan Cole presented annual schoolwide accolades, while Dr. Esther Calzada presented awards to Office of the Associate Dean for Research employees.
Congratulations are in order for:
Dr. Yuanjin Zhou, assistant professor, 2026 Lora Lee Pederson Teaching Excellence Award
Dr. Lauren Gulbas, associate professor, 2026 Diana DiNitto Peer Faculty Mentor Award
Andrea Tamez, senior academic program coordinator, 2026 Lora Lee Pederson Staff Excellence Award
Savannah Lee, adjunct assistant professor, 2026 Lecturer Teaching Excellence Award
Dr. Kasey Claborn, associate professor, inaugural Lori Holleran Stieker Award
Corey Granstrand, research operations coordinator for the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing, 2026 OADR Research Staff Member of the Year
Dr. Sandy Magaña, professor, 2026 Principal Investigator of the Year
Dr. Molly Lopez, research associate professor, Excellence in Research Paper for “Predictors of Service Engagement and Disengagement in Community-Based Coordinated Specialty Care for Early Psychosis in Texas.”
UT Social Work leadership gives special thanks to Esther Rocha, Rogelio Bautista, the UT Social Work marketing and events team, and the School of Social Work Executive Committee for organizing the luncheon and awards process.
