Annual Social Work Conference

March 7, 2025

23rd Annual Spring Social Work Conference:

"Empowering Social Workers! Inspiring Action, Leading Change!"

Presented by the USI Social Work Department and the NASW Indiana Chapter.  The annual spring conference is more than just an opportunity to earn CE hours – it is designed for alumni, practitioners, students, and others to meet or reconnect with former classmates and colleagues. 

University of Southern Indiana social work 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 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.

Join social work faculty, students and alumni for the annual Social Work Conference to celebrate these milestones and learn from other social work professionals and organizations.  

We are proud to announce Lottie Cook will be the keynote speaker.  She will present “The Voice of Social Work”.

Lottie Cook has been a Social Worker in Evansville for 40 years in the field of Mental Health.  She received her Masters degree from the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville in 1985.  

Lottie retired in 2017 from the Superintendent’s position at the Evansville Psychiatric Children’s Center and retired her ACSW, LCSW and LMHC 5 years later.  She had the opportunity to serve in many different capacities including direct care, supervision, program development, management, teaching, and administration.  Lottie was always a member of the National Association of Social Workers during her career serving as state president from 1992-1994.

Lottie is proud to be the recipient of several honors for her career and volunteer work in the community.  These include: commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel in 1992, Social Worker of the Year for Region 14 in 1989, Gloria Goeglin Award for Public Policy in 2010, Social Worker of the Year for Region 8 in 2011, Social Worker of the Year for the State of Indiana in 2011, FSSA Secretary Health Impact Award in 2017, and University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work Alumni Award in 2018.  

Lottie continues to serve in our community with Resilient Evansville, Prevent Child Abuse, Suicide Prevention Coalition, YMCA Dunigan board and in several capacities at my church.