Rachel Fusco
An expert on the mental health and well-being of children, mothers and youth in the child welfare system will be the first person to hold the Georgia Athletic Association Professorship in Health and Well-Being.
Rachel Fusco, most recently an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh known for her research on early childhood welfare, was selected for the position in the UGA School of Social Work, effective Aug. 6.
“Rachel Fusco is an exceptional teacher and scholar whose work has the potential to make a significant difference in reducing critical health disparities among Georgia citizens,” said Anna Scheyett, dean of the School of Social Work. “We are excited to welcome her and deeply grateful to the Georgia Athletic Association for endowing this professorship.”
The professorship, which supports health equity research and education, is the UGA School of Social Work’s newest endowed professorship.
Fusco earned her doctorate in social welfare at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on finding interventions that prevent or reduce childhood trauma and improve the delivery of services that strengthen families and keep children safe.
She has conducted studies exploring, among other things, the effect on children of exposure to intimate partner violence, the impact on children of parental substance abuse and mental health problems, predictors of mental health for youth aging out of foster care, and mothers’ experiences parenting biracial children.
As the GAA Professor in Health and Well-Being, Fusco will address persistent and emerging disparities in the health and welfare of underserved populations and help to strengthen the university’s dual degree graduate program in social work and public health.
Prior to receiving her doctorate, Fusco worked in the Texas child welfare system, in a domestic violence shelter and in adult and adolescent mental health treatment programs.