The School of Social Work recognizes the achievements of its emeritus faculty for their many contributions in building its programs and educating its outstanding graduates.
Dr. Terry Carrilio (emeritus: 2015) was an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and the Director of its Social Policy Institute, working with the California Department of Health and Human Services to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive preventive home visiting programs for high risk families. Dr. Carrilio has worked both in direct practice, and as a program developer and researcher with vulnerable populations, including the elderly, mentally ill, addicts, and families in the child welfare system. She worked with the US Government as a senior analyst assessing issues of radicalization.
Dr. Inger Davis (emeritus: 1996) received her PhD at the University of Chicago. A Professor in the School of Social Work , Dr. Davis was a prolific scholar and researcher in the area of child welfare services, and was extremely successful in receiving external funds in this area. She was instrumental in the development of a joint master’s degree in social work and law for the School. Dr. Davis was the recipient of the SDSU Phi Beta Kappa Lectureship Award in 1987. In l992 she received the Outstanding Faculty Award for the College of Health and Human Services, as well as, the June Burnett Institute Outstanding Leadership Award on Behalf of Children, Youth and Families.
Dr. Daniel J. Finnegan (emeritus: 2018) retired as an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at San Diego State University. He served as the Associate Director for many years. He taught an introductory course on research methods for graduate students as wells as a course on computer applications for social workers. Dr. Finnegan was active on campus, serving on the University Senate and the Academic Policy and Planning Committee. His area of research included informational design for social service agencies.
Dr. Anita Harbert (emeritus: 2016) was a professor director of the School of Social Work. She founded the University Center on Substance Abuse, and was the Executive Director of its Academy for Professional Excellence. Throughout her career, Harbert received international recognition and was the successful recipient of millions of dollars in grants and contracts from national, state, and local agencies supporting social work education and training for public social services. She continues to volunteer her time to run the SDSU Center on Aging.
Dr. Melinda Hohman (emeritus: 2018) served as the School of Social Work’s Director and as a Professor. She taught courses in substance abuse treatment, motivational interviewing, and social work practice, and helped coordinate the undergraduate program and the Community Corrections Case Management Speciality. Her research focused on scale development and substance abuse assessment and treatment services particularly with women in the child welfare system and with DUI offenders.
Marion Kahn (emeritus: 1983) moved to San Diego in 1967 to teach at SDSU in the Social Work Masters program where she helped develop the local affiliate of (Council on International Programs) CIP, an international exchange program. Among her many community activities, she was a member of the San Diego Health Council and on the Board of San Diego Hospice. Following retirement, she continued her international travels, volunteered at local theatres, wrote a memoir, conducted oral histories for the San Diego History Center and became a regular member of a local writing workshop.
Dr. Joseph Kelley (emeritus: 2003) Dr. Kelley received his Ph.D. at Columbia University and joined the faculty in 1968 following extensive assignments as visiting professor and research fellow in Germany, Taiwan, Spain, Colombia and Mexico. He continues to play a key role with the Council on International Programs (CIP), a major international exchange program for health and human services professionals, established in 1956. SDSU School of Social Work has been a CIP affiliate since 1987, with Dr. Kelley at the helm.
Dr. John Landsverk (emeritus: 2004) has been Director of the NIMH funded Child and Adolescent Services Research Center and Professor Emeritus in the School of Social Work at San Diego State University. He has a doctorate in sociology and has extensive and internationally known research experience in the areas of child maltreatment, children’s mental health in mental health services, as well as in the implementation and evaluation of innovative early interventions for families at risk for child abuse and neglect.
Dr. Tom Packard (emeritus: 2018) retired as a Professor in the School of Social Work. He taught administration and maco practice courses, and was a consultant specializing in human service and government organizations, with organizations ranging in size from 5 to 10,000 employees. He published articles on his consulting projects and the results of his research in the areas of organizational change, leadership, organizational effectiveness, and the quality of working life, served as the director of two community-based human services organizations, and was a program evaluator for the County of San Diego.
Dr. Thom Reilly (emeritus: 2014) was a Professor and Director of the School of Social Work. Prior to SDSU, Reilly served as county manager and CEO of Clark County, Nevada and was the former head of the state child welfare system in Nevada. While at SDSU, he was instrumental in obtaining the PhD program in Interdisciplinary Substance Use Studies, offered jointly with the UCSD School of Medicine.. He obtained both his doctorate and masters in public administration from USC and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
Dr. Audrey Shillington (emeritus: 2012) received her PhD from Washington University. She was Professor in the School of Social Work where she also served as the Associate Director of the Center for Alcohol and Drug Studies and Services. Currently, Dr. Shillington is Professor of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, and is Professor and Director of the School of Social Work at Colorado State University (CSU). She has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications on behavioral health and prevention. She has been PI and Co-I on several R-level NIH NIDA, NIAAA, and U.S. Department of Education grants totaling over $11.5 million.
Dr. Alan Siman (emeritus: 2003) was the Associate Director of the School of Social Work for 17 years (1985-2002) and returned to teach for a year prior to retirement. He coordinated student and personnel issues for the school as well as the Pupil Personnel Services Credential program. He taught Cultural Pluralism for a number of years and was a dedicated member of the University’s Diversity and Equity Committee.
Dr. E. Percil Stanford (emeritus: 2002) came to the faculty as The Director of the University Interdisciplinary Program On Aging. Prior to that he was an Officer in the U.S. Army, worked in the U.S. Dept. of Health Education and Welfare, in the Office of the Secretary and in the U.S Administration on Aging. As a Congressional Fellow, he served on the staffs of Senator Alan Cranston and Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. At SDSU, he was Founding Director of the University Center on Aging, The National Institute on Minority Aging and the Gerontology Department and served as Interim Director of the School of Social Work. Dr. Stanford has published numerous books and articles, assumed leadership roles in several Aging organizations, earned Fellow status in recognition of contributions to the field and received many awards. He later held a Senior Vice President position at AARP and is currently President of Folding Voice and San Diego Kind Corporation.
Dr. Susan Woodruff (emeritus: 2018) retired as a Professor in the School of Social Work. She was the principal investigator for numerous studies in the fields of tobacco and drug use, health disparities, research methodologies, and statistics, and was extremely active in multidisciplinary grant writing, with well over 100 articles published in scientific journals, while mentoring dozens of ethnically-diverse students in attaining research experience and publishing their research findings.
Dr. Maria Zuniga (emeritus: 2003) joined the faculty in 1985 as a full professor and was a faculty member for 18 years. She taught in the direct practice concentration with a focus on mental health and children, youth and family issues. In addition to teaching, she was a consultant in culturally competent service delivery and published on cross-cultural aging and culturally competent interventions. She directed an NIMH training grant for Spanish Speaking Social Workers in Mental Health and the School’s Youth Enterprise Zone Project for At Risk Youth. She also served as the faculty advisor for the Latino Social Work Association.
- Ajemian, James A. (emeritus: 1998)
- Baily, Kamilla U. (emeritus: 1977)
- Brennen, E. Clifford (emeritus: -1983)
- Butler, Harry (emeritus: 2000)
- Dean, Alfred (emeritus: 2000)
- Griffin, Ronald W. (emeritus: 2001)
- Guidry, Rosalind (emeritus: 1989)
- Haworth, Glenn O. (emeritus: 1987)
- Hughes, Margaret J. (emeritus: 2004)
- Ishikawa, Wesley H. (emeritus: 1988)
- Kukkonen, Ruth M. (emeritus: 1989)
- Mathiesen, Sally (emeritus: 2019)
- Raymer, Paul (emeritus: 1995)
- Reichert, Kurt (emeritus: 1981)
- Riehman, Lynne (emeritus: 1986)
- Sardinas, Maria A. (emeritus: 1989)
- Sucato, Vincent (emeritus: 2003)
- Valle, Juan Ramon (emeritus: 1996)