UGA’s Miller accepts opportunity to serve as dean at Stony Brook

Shari Miller, associate dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Georgia and a clinical social worker focused on innovative interdisciplinary education, is leaving her position at the University to become the next dean of Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare, effective August 1, 2021.

In her new role at Stony Brook, Miller will continue to prioritize the School of Social Welfare’s efforts to build a more equitable society, working closely with faculty to expand its research portfolio. These efforts will include coordinating with other schools and departments at Stony Brook, as well as beyond the campus, on various projects that aim to have a meaningful impact on societal needs.

“For more than a decade, Shari has been a dedicated, determined educator, administrator, and researcher, striving to equip the next generation of social workers with the skills they need to identify and address the great challenges facing our world,” said Anna Scheyett, the dean of the UGA School of Social Work. “While we’re saddened she will be leaving us, we’re grateful for the many lives she’s touched here at School of Social Work and heartened that she will be taking this next step in her professional journey at a respected institution such as Stony Brook University. We wish her all the best.”

Miller joined the School’s faculty in 2008 and throughout her tenure has been recognized as a passionate, accomplished educator. She put her emphasis on advising, mentoring and serving her students, including serving on several dissertation and thesis committees. Miller was named the Bachelor’s of Social Work Teacher of the Year four times and also earned the University’s distinguished Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

During her time at the University, she wrote more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, conference presentations, and other scholarly pieces, and her work has appeared in many of her discipline’s most prestigious journals. Miller also was a lead on nearly $5 million in grants funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Science Foundation.