Social Work Associate Professor Carolyn Dayton was recognized by the WSU Research Development Office for her commitment to mentoring junior Social Work faculty and providing them with the support needed to thrive in their new Detroit home with an award from the Research Mentor Program for New Faculty. Additionally Dayton was recognized for her commitment to helping Michigan's fathers by the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) with a Connections Fatherhood Advocate Award.

Social Work Assistant Professor of Teaching Shantalea Johns has risen to the challenge of teaching general education courses which are open to all levels of learners and students across the university. Johns was recognized by the university for her commitment and excellence to teaching inside and outside the classroom with a General Education Teaching Award.

Postdoctoral fellow Allison Laskey and Professor Richard Smith have both been recognized by the Wayne State Graduate School for their noteworthy research and mentorship collaborations as recipients of a 2022 Postdoctoral Fellow Award.

Each year, our students nominate full-time and part-time professors that they believe exemplify excellence in the classroom. Recipients of the 2022 School of Social Work Teaching Awards include Assistant Professor of Teaching Norma Love-Schropshire and Assistant Professor Kess Ballentine. Additionally, our faculty and staff nominate outstanding colleagues who put their passion to work devoting time and attention to providing service to the School, its students, the greater social work community and the profession. Recipients of the 2022 School of Social Work Service Award include Assistant Professor of Teaching Shantalea Johns, Associate Professor of Teaching Judith Wineman, Academic Advisor Lawrence Robinson, and Manager of Research Support Kendra Wells.  

With the support of the Wayne State University Academic Leadership Academy (ALA), Academic Advisors Geoffrey R. Jones and Lawrence Robinson are seeking to expand the diversity of Black and Latino male students in the School of Social Work and provide a roadmap for schools across the nation seeking to do the same as new ALA fellows.

Standout School of Social Work student and instructor Tamarie Willis received a prestigious federal policy fellowship from the Office of Federal Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in Washington, DC. Willis also recently successfully defended her dissertation "In the best interest of the family: The outcomes of children in foster care with an incarcerated parent and the adverse implications of the Adoptions and Safe Families Act" on June 27, 2022.

Social Work Doctoral Student Emily Pasman presented at the 2022 Lifespan Alliance Research Day sponsored by the Wayne State University Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute and Institute of Gerontology. Pasman won the award for Best Presentation in Communicating your Work Broadly for her 3-minute thesis entitled, "Roadblocks and Pathways to Higher Education for People in Recovery".

Launched in the 2021-22 academic year by the Coalition of Community Social Workers student organization, the inaugural round of Student Excellence of Social Justice Award recipients included Spencer Genrich, ArReana Jackson, Dana Paglia-King, Kristen Prasiloski, and AeYanna Yett.