CSW Alum Honored as NASW Social Worker of the Year

Congratulations to CSW alum Dana Harley, PhD ’11, for being named the 2026 National Association of Social Worker (NASW) Social Worker of the Year!

This award honors a social worker who exemplifies the best of the profession’s values and achievements through specific accomplishments.

Harley currently serves as both a professor and the MSW program director at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Social Work, where she educates and mentors a new generation of social workers. In her role, she champions making students’ education and career journeys more financially accessible.

Notably, Harley has been the principal investigator or co-investigator on more than $12 million in federal, state and local grant awards, with about $10 million of this funding having supported MSW students with scholarships, stipends and training to expand the behavioral health workforce.

Harley is an equally invaluable contributor to research in the field, with one of her primary focuses being on the role of hope in mental health and wellness. She also specializes in Photovoice methodology, a community-based participatory action methodology that gives participants a chance to express their thoughts, feelings and perspectives, or perceptions, through photography.

From mentoring students to engaging community members, Harley’s advocacy and commitment to inspiring positive changes has made her a prime example of what social work truly means.

Read here.