Llewellyn J. Cornelius, the Donald L. Hollowell Distinguished Professor of Social Justice and Civil Rights Studies, has been named interim dean of the University of Georgia School of Social Work, effective Jan. 1.
“Dr. Cornelius is a nationally recognized and engaged scholar with an outstanding record of teaching, mentorship, research and service,” said S. Jack Hu, the university’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “I am confident that he will provide outstanding leadership as interim dean of the School of Social Work during the ongoing national search for the school’s next dean.”
Cornelius directs the university’s Center for Social Justice, Human and Civil Rights as well as the Caribbean Studies Abroad Program in the School of Social Work. He conducts research focused on the design, implementation and evaluation of interventions that seek to improve the health and well-being of under-resourced communities. His research as principal or co-principal investigator has been supported by more than $1.6 million in funding from agencies such as the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. He is the author or co-author of 115 journal articles, book chapters and reports, as well as four books. One of his co-authored books, “Designing and Conducting Health Surveys: A Comprehensive Guide,” has been cited more than 2,200 times.
Cornelius has served on the doctoral program committee, master’s program committee and the faculty organization committee in the School of Social Work. He has chaired or served on nearly 40 Ph.D. committees.
His community involvement includes service on the board of directors of Chess and Community, an Athens nonprofit dedicated to preparing youth to lead through community engagement and civic empowerment. He currently serves on the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics and previously served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Center for Health Statistics, housed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Internationally, he has served on the board of directors of the Moving Well Project in Zambia and advised the Virgin Islands Caribbean Cultural Center.
“I’m honored to be a part of the School of Social Work and look forward to affirmatively embracing this leadership opportunity,” Cornelius said. “Consistently, our faculty, staff, students and alums are involved in translating research into practice as well as using evidence-based models to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities. I’m excited to support our faculty, staff, students and alums as we continue using these innovative modalities to support the well-being of society.”
Anna Scheyett, who has led of the School of Social Work since 2016, announced in April that she would step down as dean on Dec. 31 and return to the faculty. A 14-member search advisory committee chaired by Marsha Davis, dean of the College of Public Health, is conducting a national search for the next dean of the School of Social Work. Updates on the search will be posted to https://provost.uga.edu/ssw_dean_search/.
