UNC: Lisa de Saxe Zerden (SSW’09) Named Editor in Chief of NASW Journal “Social Work”
BU School of Social Work alum Lisa de Saxe Zerden (PhD’09) has been named editor in chief of Social Work, the official journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Zerden is also an associate professor at University of North Carolina School of Social Work, specializing in behavioral health workforce development and substance use disorders.
Excerpt from “Q&A: Zerden Named Social Work Editor-In-Chief” by Matthew Smith:
“What is your research background and how do you see it shaping your editorial vision for Social Work?
One of the things that I love most about my academic career is writing. The peer-review process forces you to crystallize your thinking and synthesize a research project from beginning to end — sometimes having to summarize years of effort. Research is only effective if people read your work. Over the years, I have benefited from feedback given by countless reviewers; I am a reviewer and serve on the editorial boards of Social Work, Advances in Social Work and Social Work & Health Care. These experiences, along with guest editing for three special issues, have made me a more discerning consumer of peer-reviewed materials and a more thoughtful contributor to social work scholarship.
My vision for the journal is to continue accelerating social work policy and practice through research that has real-world implications. I want Social Work to continue to be “the” journal for the profession, one where readers across practice areas and stages of their career, find relevance in current, pragmatic, thoughtfully-vetted content which moves the profession forward.”