For Immediate Release
September 1, 2010

Columbia University Professors Lead Social Work HIV/AIDS Scholarship

New York, NY - Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW) professors Nabila El-Bassel, Steven Schinke, and Elwin Wu were named among the most prominent social work scholars in HIV/AIDS publication productivity in the U.S. according to a new study published in the Social Work in Health Care Journal.

Co-authored by Anthony P. Natale and Donald Baker, the study examined the publication productivity of social work HIV/AIDS scholars and schools in the U.S.  Since HIV/AIDS emerged in the U.S. three decades ago, the social work profession has been on the front line to address and inform effective HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment practices, as well as public health policy.  The study aimed to identify groundbreaking social work programs and scholars in the HIV/AIDS field of practice.

Professor Nabila El-Bassel was named the most prolific scholar among 74 scholars ranked across 41 national graduate programs.  She was also identified as the leader of one of the two most prominent work groups, accounting for almost a third of all co-authored publications. Professor Steven Schinke and Assistant Professor Elwin Wu, who are part of this work group, are both listed among the top 15 scholars. 

“It comes as no surprise that Professor El Bassel has been identified as the most prolific social work scholars in the nation engaged in HIV/AIDS research. Her leadership of the Social Intervention Group has resulted in numerous groundbreaking studies, in the mentoring of promising new HIV/AIDS researchers, including those who are from racial minority groups, and in creative life-saving interventions not just in the U.S., but also in developing nations,” said Dean Jeanette Takamura. “She and her colleagues, Drs. Elwin Wu and Steven Schinke, have been highly productive, working systematically and collaboratively to provide at-risk individuals and their partners with effective, culturally appropriate interventions.”

The authors of the study utilized the Council on Social Work Education's listing of accredited graduate programs and the Institute for Scientific Information's Web of Science (ISI WSO) to identify and analyze graduate social work programs and scholars.  For more information or to view the full study, please visit: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00981380903539467

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About CUSSW (www.socialwork.columbia.edu)
For 112 years, the Columbia University School of Social Work has been a leader in the education of professionals for careers in practice, policy, and administration. Located in New York City, the School offers a master’s and a doctoral program which are nationally and internationally recognized for their excellence. With a signature curriculum that features multidisciplinary courses taught by leading scholars and practitioners and rich field education, CUSSW continues to be at the forefront of clinical and community practice, social policy, and social enterprise administration education, research and innovation in the 21st Century.