Dear UT community,
I am writing to share news that Luis Zayas has decided to conclude his tenure as dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and return to the faculty next summer.
Dean Zayas was appointed to this role in 2012 and has led the school during a period of incredible transformation and success. One of his early focuses was improving financial aid to recruit and support students. With the help of many generous donors — in particular a historic naming gift from Steve Hicks — student scholarships, endowments, and program gifts rose by $50 million.
He led efforts to recruit and retain top scholars in social work and allied fields, and the school is ranked No. 8 for the Best Social Work Programs by U.S. News and World Report. Ten faculty members were elected fellows of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, and three were named in the top 100 most influential social work scholars. In addition, his sustained focus on diversifying the faculty body has been a huge success, and as of fall 2021 the social work faculty, including clinical and lecturers, is 45% scholars of color.
“Few leaders have done as much for this campus as Luis. His vision, compassion and creativity left a considerable impression on me while we served as deans together, and his results speak for themselves. The Hicks School of Social Work’s impact belies its relatively small size; its role on campus, across universities and in the community speaks volumes. The work of the school is more important today than ever, and Luis has been the perfect leader during this transformative period.” — President Jay Hartzell
Another historic milestone for the school during his tenure was the creation of the Department of Health Social Work in collaboration with the Dell Medical School, the first of its kind in a school of medicine in the United States. This has helped establish and solidify strong and enduring research and clinical relationships between social work and medical faculty members.
During this tenure the school launched several signature programs that are now nationally recognized. These include a focus on military and veteran social work, sports social work, and a disabilities studies minor. Applications to the master’s degree program have grown considerably, and the doctoral program is now recognized as one of the best in the country.
Dean Zayas will return to the faculty next summer to resume his research and teaching as the Robert Lee Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy.
Please join me in thanking Dean Zayas for his outstanding service to the UT community.
Sincerely,
Sharon L. Wood
SHARON L. WOOD | Executive Vice President and Provost
The University of Texas at Austin | provost.utexas.edu