The College of Social Work is pleased to announce the appointment of two new faculty to lead the College’s doctoral programs. Dr. Sharon Bowland will serve as director of the DSW degree program, and Dr. Gretchen Ely will serve as director of the PhD degree program .

Dr. Sharon Bowland is a nationally recognized expert on aging, depression, and trauma who brings more than 20 years’ experience as a practicing licensed clinical social worker. Dr. Bowland is a graduate of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, where she won the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Society for Social Work Research. She started her professional academic career at the University of Louisville in 2008 as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Gerontology specialization. During her time in Louisville, she was recognized as a Hartford Faculty Fellow. She then moved to the Eastern Washington University where she served as Director of the Center for Aging Studies and MSW Program Director. She currently serves as tenured Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of North Texas.

Dr. Gretchen Ely is a proud alumna of University of Tennessee College of Social Work, graduating with her PhD in 2003. She returns to Tennessee from the University at Buffalo, where she served as Assistant Director of the PhD Program and, most recently, as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. She also served on the social work faculty at University of Tennessee, Chattanooga and University of Kentucky. A strong advocate for women’s health, Dr. Ely was recognized by the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Social Work Scholar.

Drs. Bowland and Ely will join the UTK College of Social Work on July 1.