The Steve Hicks School of Social Work mourns the loss of Research Professor Emeritus Jane Carlisle Maxwell, Ph.D., who died on January 3, 2024 at the age of 81.
Dr. Maxwell served SHS as a Research Professor from 2001 to 2016, and she was integral to the success of the Addiction Research Institute.
An expert on Substance Use Disorders (SUD), her work included monitoring trends and patterns of SUD in Texas, nationally, and internationally, with a special interest in methadone-related mortality. She also specialized in research centered on the U.S-Mexico border; patterns of use and abuse of methamphetamine, synthetic drugs, heroin, and prescription drugs; the relationship of SUD and traffic safety; and the relationship of SUD to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
“We mourn the loss of an accomplished researcher, colleague, and friend of the Steve Hicks School,” said Dr. Allan Cole, Dean of SHS. “There is no doubt that Dr. Maxwell made quite a contribution to research in substance use disorders. I will remain grateful for her devotion to this important work and to those affected by substance misuse. Her legacy as a leader in this space will endure.”
As the first woman to graduate with a Ph.D. from the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Dr. Maxwell was a member of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Advisory Council, a consultant to the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control, a Fulbright Senior Specialist, a member of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Community Epidemiology Work Group and National Drug Early Warning System.
Funeral services will be at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin on January 27 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. David’s or the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance.