Alum Keith Alford Named NASW Social Work Pioneer

Helen Keller’s words have special meaning for Lisa Cook. Like Keller, she never married or had children. Her daring adventure started with earning her law degree from Ohio State in 1988. She went on to teach constitutional law to Federal agents, facilitate workshops for 150 doctoral students, work on hurricane recovery with Red Cross, host 150 Zoom events to connect lonely older adults, and deliver a TEDx talk, “Living Alone, Living Connected.”

Congratulations to the 2026 NASW Ohio Awardees. The Ohio State University College of Social Work proudly congratulates our alumni and students who were recognized by NASW Ohio for their outstanding contributions to the field of social work.

First, there was Jessica, Jincy, Josie, Josh and James. Then BSSW student and sister Joy Dunne entered the College of Social Work, Ohio State, and its Women’s Ice Hockey team.