Following eight and a half years of leadership excellence, Dr. Catherine Cubbin will step down from her role as Associate Dean for Research at the end of this month. Dean Allan Cole announced that Dr. Esther Calzada, the Norma and Clay Leben Professor in Child and Family Behavioral Health, will be appointed as Associate Dean for Research, effective January 1, 2025.
As the longest-serving Associate Dean for Research in the school’s history, Dr. Cubbin’s leadership of the Office of the Associate Dean for Research (OADR) has added strength to strength and helped to distinguish our school further, on campus and beyond.
“Dr. Cubbin has my deep gratitude for her service and for the many ways she has contributed to our school’s growth and success,” said Allan Cole, dean of Texas Social Work. “She has provided sound counsel and perspectives on more occasions than I can count, and her support has helped me be a more effective leader. She has worked with an outstanding team of staff and many scientists to increase support for impactful and groundbreaking research, and we are better because of it.”
Among many accomplishments, along with colleagues and collaborators from across campus, Dr. Cubbin tripled funding levels and spending authority under her leadership and reached all-time highs. Under her leadership, the school moved into Hargis Hall, and navigated the research-related disruptions and transitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also secured a T32 award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to train postdoctoral fellows—the first T32 training grant ever awarded to Texas Social Work. This prestigious funding was recently renewed for another five years.
After a well-deserved research leave, she will return fulltime to her research program and teaching.
Dr. Calzada is also a preeminent researcher, educator, and leader, who Dean Cole described as “an ideal leader and colleague” to continue efforts to help further distinguish Texas Social Work and the contributions the school makes to the social work profession, the academy, and the world.
Dr. Calzada previously served in leadership as Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion, and more recently as the Director of the Texas Center for Equity Promotion in UT’s College of Education. She also holds a leadership position with the Society for Research on Child Development as part of its Governing Council. In these roles, she works to build authentic and collaborative partnerships to effect social change.
As a clinical child psychologist with expertise in parenting and early childhood development, Dr. Calzada brings to her research an interdisciplinary lens that centers social work values. Her program of research includes developmental and intervention studies that aim to reduce disparities in academic achievement, behavior problems, and socio-emotional problems. Dr. Calzada’s work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and several other foundations, and she has published regularly in respected psychology, education, and medical journals.
“Our school’s research enterprise ranks among the best of the best nationally, and I am confident that Dr. Calzada will continue the tradition of excellent leadership and impactful work our OADR and school have enjoyed for many years,” said Dean Cole. “I am excited about our future!”