Recently, Professor Ann Abbott was recognized by Westchester University for her accomplishments as part of “A Legacy of Social Justice”. Professor Abbott also teaches at Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Below is quoted the full content from the section of the article which mentions her.
Propelling growth
Ann A. Abbott, MSS, PhD, LCSW
Ann A. Abbott came to WCU in 2001 from a post as associate dean in the School of Social Work at Rutgers University. WCU had recently been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and it had a small MSW program, with six fulltime faculty. Some classes had as few as two students. When she retired in 2013 after a dozen years as director of the MSW
Program, it had 16 faculty and about 170 students on two campuses. The best recruitment tool, she says, was word of mouth about the program’s quality and orientation.
“We focus on the importance of social action and social justice,” Abbott says.
Abbott is a nationally recognized expert on substance abuse, mental health, risk management, malpractice, and social work values and ethics. She served as president of NASW from 1993 to 1995. The association later recognized her as a Social Work Pioneer.
She says WCU makes a true effort to accommodate the needs of students who balance graduate education with work and family obligations, increasing the diversity of those who are able to earn an MSW degree. The university’s campus in Philadelphia is one example of this outreach.
