Yolanda Padilla, Clara Pope Willoughby Centennial Professor in Child Welfare at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, has been selected as a 2020 Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).
The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Fellows are members who have served with distinction to advance the mission of the Society — to advance, disseminate, and translate research that addresses issues of social work practice and policy and promotes a diverse, equitable and just society.
The SSWR Fellowship has been established by the Society to honor and to recognize current SSWR members for their individual accomplishments, leadership and contribution to SSWR as a scientific society. It is anticipated that SSWR Fellows will serve as role models and mentors for individuals pursuing careers in social work research and will continue to actively advance the mission of SSWR.
Padilla is the director of the Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice, a center of the Council on Social Work Education, and a fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
Padilla’s research focuses on poverty and effective social welfare policy. Within the broader area of poverty, she investigates racial and ethnic disparities in health and well-being in the United States, particularly among Latino populations.
Padilla has received research funding from various sources that include the National Institutes of Health as well as from state and private foundation sources. In 2002, she received the Outstanding Research Award from the Society for Social Work and Research for a study on factors influencing the earnings potential of Mexican immigrants. Her publication record includes numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, two journal special issues, and one edited book.