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UGA social work dean named associate VP for academic affairs

ATHENS, Ga. – Bonnie Yegidis, dean of the University of Georgia School of Social Work, has been named associate vice president for academic affairs and associate provost at UGA. The appointment, announced today by Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Arnett C. Mace Jr., is effective July 21, 2003, pending approval by the University System Board of Regents.

Yegidis’ career in academia spans a period of more than 25 years. She has served as the dean of UGA’s social work school since 1995. Prior to her appointment at UGA, she served as professor and director of the School of Social Work at the University of South Florida.

“Dean Yegidis possesses a wide array of expertise and administrative experience at the University of Georgia and other institutions which will be a valued asset to the Provost’s Office,” said Mace. “In addition, Dr. Yegidis is very knowledgeable of the University of Georgia and her expertise in the social sciences will be very beneficial. I look forward to working with her and her contributions to further the excellence of the University.”

She is the co-author of numerous books, book chapters, reviews and articles published in peer reviewed journals. Her book, Research Methods for Social Workers, is in its fourth edition. She has presented at various international, national and regional conferences and has been the principal investigator on several large contracts in the states of Florida and Georgia.

Yegidis has been active in the development and promotion of social work education at the national level. She has twice served as a member of the Educational Policy Commission and the Commission on the Role and Status of Women for the Council on Social Work Education. She is a member of the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work, the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Social Workers. The Council on Social Work Education named Yegidis a “master teacher” in the area of research methods. In 1998, the Georgia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers named her social worker of the year. She is on the board of directors of the Family Counseling Center in Athens and is on the executive board of the Athens Justice Project.

Her teaching specialties include methodologies, social work education, research methods, measurement and social work administration at the graduate and undergraduate levels; among her research interests are domestic violence, child welfare, international social work and health care.

Yegidis’ duties as associate provost will include evaluation and development of academic program priorities, leadership in review and revision of promotion and tenure guidelines, recommendations and support for implementation of new initiatives and programs for elimination, evaluation of methods/processes for enrollment management, development of strategic recommendations for processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness of academic programs, evaluation of recommendations to increase service learning and precollegiate programs, among others.

“I am delighted to have this opportunity to work with Provost Mace, and members of the senior administrative team, to further develop the outstanding reputation of academic programs at the University of Georgia,” said Yegidis.

Yegidis received her Ph.D. in measurement and research from the University of South Florida; her M.S.W. from West Virginia University; and her B.A. from Montclair State College.

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