Monday, June 23, 2003

WRITER: Larry B. Dendy, (706) 542-8078, ldendy@uga.edu
CONTACT: Arnett Mace, (706) 542-5806, amace@uga.edu; Larry Nackerud, (706) 542-5429, nackerud@uga.edu

NACKERUD NAMED INTERIM DEAN OF UGA SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

ATHENS, Ga. – Larry G. Nackerud, associate dean of the University of Georgia School of Social Work, will serve as interim dean of the school beginning next month.

UGA Provost Arnett Mace announced that Nackerud will become interim dean when Bonnie Yegidis, the current dean, moves to her new position of associate vice president for academic affairs and associate provost on July 21.

Nackerud has been on the social work faculty since 1994 and has been associate dean since 2000. An authority on poverty and welfare reform, and U.S. immigration and refugee policy, Nackerud has won several teaching awards and is author or co-author of numerous publications. He received his doctorate from Cornell University.

"Dr. Nackerud has contributed significantly to the academic advancement of the School of Social Work during his tenure at the university," said Mace. "He has provided excellent leadership as associate dean, and has a superb understanding of the school and university. I look forward to working with Larry as the interim dean to further advance the quality programs of the school."

Nackerud directed the social work school’s recent self study, which resulted in a strong reaccreditation approval by the Council on Social Work. "This review indicates that our school is poised to rise in the national rankings, and I’m pleased to serve in this leadership role with our highly capable faculty and dynamic student body," Nackerud said.

He was corecipient of a $1.5 million grant from the Georgia Department of Human Resources to evaluate the state’s welfare reform program in the late 1990s. The study not only showed that Georgia was a national leader in implementing the program’s "welfare-to-work" requirements, but also helped refute the misconception that welfare recipients don’t want to hold jobs.

Nackerud has also received research grants to study the mental health needs of refugees and ways to help runaway and homeless youths. He is co-author of a book to be published in 2004 titled Human Biology for Social Workers: Development, Ecology, Genetics and Health.

He has conducted evaluations of social work programs in South Korea and Mexico, and has also evaluated programs for the Georgia departments of public health and family and children services.

A member of UGA’s Teaching Academy, Nackerud was a Lilly Teaching Fellow. He was chosen Teacher of the Year in the master of social work program in 1996 and 1997, and also won the award in the doctoral program in 1997.

Before coming to UGA, Nackerud was on the social work faculty at Western New Mexico University and was a psychiatric social worker in Anchorage, Alaska.

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