While facing adversity during shifting federal policy and budget uncertainty, the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) continues to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

UMSSW Dean Judy Postmus, PhD, ACSW, delivers the 2025 State of the School address.

UMSSW has seen an increase in its enrollment, financial support to students, community service, and global reach through the last year as Dean Judy L. Postmus, PhD, ACSW, shared in her State of the School address on March 12.

"We will continue to do the hard work,” Postmus said. “We will walk the walk. And we will continue to show up every day and lead by example and action."

The school continued to be resilient under a murky state and federal budget, and direct attacks on equity, diversity and inclusion policies and research. That’s not enough to deter the school as it doubles down on its commitment to social justice, Postmus shared, to amplify marginalized voices and serve communities in need.

"There are daily direct assaults on our values and mission — an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and an attack on research that improves the lives of marginalized individuals, families, and communities,” Postmus said. “We are facing daily initiatives that threaten the existence of our profession and our school."

By The Numbers

UMSSW saw key growth in several areas, including:

• Enrollment: 664 MSW students, 285 BSW students, and 37 PhD students.
• Financial Support: Nearly $500,000 in stipends and scholarships awarded to students.
• Academic Excellence: Recognized in the top 10 percent of MSW programs nationwide.
• Community Engagement: 339,560 service hours completed by students, impacting thousands across Maryland and beyond.
• Global Reach: Training and research efforts have expanded to 35 U.S. states and multiple international partners, including England, Vietnam, and Egypt.

Leading Research

UMSSW secured more than $30 million in external research grants, representing a 5 percent increase from the previous year. The school’s faculty and students published 165 peer-reviewed articles while also expanding their collaborations with state and federal agencies.

The top six funders for UMMSW include:

• Maryland Department of Human Services
• National Institutes of Health
• Maryland State Department of Education
• Maryland Department of Health
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Family League of Baltimore

“We are continuing to grow in our research, and we will not slow down," Postmus said.

At The Institute for Innovation and Implementation, research associate professor Aaron Betsinger, PhD, is part of a team that works to improve outcomes for teens and children who are in the juvenile justice system. Under contract with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), The Institute worked with the agency to evaluate and refine its Detention Risk Assessment Instrument that helps determine if an underage suspect should be detained.

“The truth is most kids who go to DJS are there one time. They're not coming back,” Betsinger said. “But it's hard to break through that media narrative and show that's the truth. We're constantly working on ways that we can.”

Across the globe, UMSSW faculty find themselves in remote locations such as Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, working with communities to address mental health, trauma, and HIV prevention. You might find associate professor and director of global initiatives Lynn Murphy Michalopoulos, PhD, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo studying how to measure and assess post-traumatic stress symptoms for women who experienced sexual assault.

Or you can find Michalopoulos in Zambia today where she is joined by two UMSSW students looking at the relationship between climate change and mental health, specifically among migrant populations in Zambia. These populations, including fisherfolk, are at risk for HIV through having sex for money or goods. Michalopoulos has already seen progress with one study participant.

“The last time I was there we piloted a program that she went through, and she told me that she's now able to engage in other work. She opened a hair salon 75 percent of the time and only engages in transactional sex for about 25 percent of the time,” Michalopoulos said. “I think that that's moving in the right direction.”

Community Impact

UMB’s community services housed under the Center for Restorative Change continue to make an impact, having its own home for several programs that opened in the last year. At the Rise Early Learning and Family Support Center at 940 Madison Ave., families can access resources, early childhood education, and workforce development programs.

Here is a snapshot of what some programs have accomplished:

• Family Connections: Positively impacted 875 families through program services.
• Promise Heights: Supported over 875 families with critical mental health and social services in West Baltimore.
• Positive Schools Initiative: Engaged 30 Baltimore schools to create safer, more supportive learning environments.
• B’More for Healthy Babies: Improved birth outcomes with a 13 percent increase in full-term births.

The school had one final milestone to celebrate: the groundbreaking of its new School of Social Work Building. Slated for a 2027 opening, the $120 million, six-story building is expected to be the first net-zero emissions building within the University System of Maryland and downtown Baltimore.

In the coming days, Postmus and other officials will tour the property at 600 W. Lexington St., as geothermal wells are expected to be drilled.

To read more about UMSSW's accomplishments in the past year, please see the Annual Impact Report published during Unity Week.