Allan Cole, dean of Texas Social Work, has been appointed as the Robert Lee Sutherland Endowed Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy at The University of Texas at Austin.
The role is named after Dr. Robert Lee Sutherland, who served as the first executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, and supports scholars whose work focuses on mental health and social policy, continuing Sutherland’s legacy of integrating academic research with community impact. The position was last held by Luis Zayas, the former dean of Texas Social Work and Dean Cole’s immediate predecessor.
Dean Cole, in addition to his leadership as the dean of Texas Social Work, also serves as the deputy for medical humanities and technology and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Dell Medical School. Cole also holds the Bert Kruger Smith Centennial Professorship in Social Work.
“Dean Cole’s passion for enhancing community access to mental health resources and treatment — along with his strong academic leadership of Texas Social Work — make him the ideal holder of this prestigious endowed chair,” said Interim Provost David Vanden Bout. “I am certain he will continue to have a significant impact on shaping our University’s vision for healthcare excellence, now and in the future.”
Dean Cole is the founding director of the Moritz Center for Societal Impact, which facilitates new research collaborations by supporting interdisciplinary work among researchers, students, and community partners, with the goal of developing new knowledge and solutions that advance health and wellbeing in communities.
“The Sutherland Chair has been an important resource for creating a legacy of impactful change that improves lives, and it is an honor to continue this vital work,” said Dean Cole. “My philosophy with Texas Social Work, the Moritz Center, Dell Med, and our many additional partners continues to focus on impact in transforming lives for the better. I am grateful to Interim Provost Vanden Bout for this appointment, I am energized by it, and I look forward to advancing human flourishing through both scholarly and community-based initiatives.”
As a scholar, Dean Cole is a nationally recognized authority on chronic illness, health humanities, bereavement, and the study of spirituality and religion in social work. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education and leadership, Dean Cole is passionate about supporting students and colleagues in a range of efforts related to social work research, teaching, service, practice, and leadership.