Milestones to be celebrated at 23rd annual USI Spring Social Work Conference

This spring, the University of Southern Indiana Social Work Department and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Indiana Chapter will host the 23rd annual Spring Social Work Conference. The conference will run from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Friday, March 7 in Carter Hall, located on the second floor of the University Center West. This year’s theme is Empowering Social Workers! Inspiring Action, Leading Change! Registration is required.  

Faculty are thrilled to celebrate the remarkable milestones of the USI Social Work Program—50 years of social work at USI, 40 years of the Bachelor of Social Work degree and 30 years of the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, alongside the inaugural year of the University’s online MSW option. These achievements represent not just a long-standing commitment to excellence in social work education but also a profound dedication to making a positive impact in the Evansville community and Tri-state region.  

The conference will include a keynote address, break-out sessions, an exhibition of local organizations and lunch. A full schedule is available on the conference website.  

The keynote speaker will be Lottie Cook, Evansville social worker, who will present on The Voice of Social Work. 

Cook has been a social worker in Evansville for 40 years in the mental health field. She received her master's degree from the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville in 1985. In 2017, she retired from the superintendent’s position at the Evansville Psychiatric Children’s Center. She had the opportunity to serve in many capacities including direct care, supervision, program development, management, teaching and administration. 

Cook continues to serve the community with Resilient Evansville, Prevent Child Abuse, Suicide Prevention Coalition, YMCA Dunigan Board and in several capacities through her church. 

For questions, contact Dr. Quentin Maynard, Director of USI’s Master of Social Work Program, or Summer Wilderman, Assistant Professor of Social Work, at SW.Conference@usi.edu or 812-465-1003.