From the College of Social Work
Congratulations to alumna Dr. Erin Tebben (PhD ’23) who was honored as the recipient of the 2024 Society for Social Work and Research Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award.
Tebben’s dissertation, entitled “Interrogating Anti-Blackness in Early Childhood Expulsions: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Expulsion Prevention Referrals,” is a novel study linking four data sources (administrative, program, survey and index data) and examined racial disparities in preschool expulsions. Her work is extremely important in that it seeks to close the gap in racial disparities in early childhood expulsions and promote equity in access to high-quality care for all children.
The SSWR Outstanding Dissertation Award is the highest dissertation award in the social work field, and Tebben is believed to be the first to receive it in the college’s history withstanding honorable mentions.