Walden University Names The Barbara Solomon School of Social Work and Human Services

School renamed in honor of social work pioneer and longtime Walden board member

Minneapolis—February 11 , 2016—Walden University announced that it has renamed its School of Social Work and Human Services in honor of Dr. Barbara Solomon, in recognition of her impact on the social work profession and her service to Walden as a longtime board member. The Barbara Solomon School of Social Work and Human Services honors her legacy as a leader who has transformed the field of social work, contributing both as a social worker and as an academic who helped shape the careers of countless professionals during her 50-year career.

Dr. Barbara Solomon

Dr. Solomon has been instrumental in the development of social work programs at Walden. The university also has named a scholarship program in her honor recognizing outstanding Walden students who demonstrate a proven commitment to helping the underserved.

“Dr. Solomon’s commitment to social work has been profound and impactful. We are proud to have her august name on the school. She personifies our university’s mission of social change,” said Jonathan Kaplan, president of Walden University.

The Barbara Solomon School of Social Work and Human Services is designed to provide students with the skills needed to take the next step in their careers as professional practitioners and change agents in social work and human services. Walden recently announced that the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the U.S., approved Walden’s online Master of Social Work (MSW) program for accreditation.

“I am proud to be affiliated with Walden, a university that is at the cutting edge of social work’s growth and prominence. Through its online curriculum, Walden has the opportunity to accelerate the training of future social workers, who will provide essential services to help populations in need throughout this country and around the world,” Dr. Solomon said.

Dr. Solomon, professor and vice provost emerita at the University of Southern California (USC), served at USC as dean of the Graduate School, vice provost for graduate and professional studies, and vice provost for faculty and minority affairs. She was the first African American to serve as a dean at USC. Dr. Solomon was also the project director and principal investigator for a long-term evaluation of Los Angeles County’s family preservation and support programs.

Dr. Solomon has published extensively on the delivery of social and mental health services to underrepresented populations. Her book Black Empowerment: Social Work in Oppressed Communities introduced the concept of empowerment as a framework for social work practice. Dr. Solomon’s achievements have earned her the Presidential Medallion and an Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching from USC, and the Rosa Parks Award from the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She holds a PhD in Social Work from USC.

In addition to the MSW, other degree programs in the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work and Human Services include the BS in Human Services, MS in Human and Social Services, Doctor of Social Work (DSW), PhD in Social Work, and PhD in Human and Social Services. For more information about social work programs at Walden, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

About Walden University

For more than 45 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 52,000 students from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 155 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs with more than 400 specializations and concentrations. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 80 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries. For more information, visit www.laureate.net.