The US Department of State and the J William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board have announced that Deidre Ford, IT Leader of the UT College of Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award.

Deidre Ford will complete a project at Tshwane Leadership Foundation in South Africa that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities in the US and overseas through a variety of educational and training activities that serve the mission of social work.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions across the world.

Deidre Ford has been a long-time member of the team at SWORPS that has set up Knoxville’s Homeless Management Information System. When asked what she would be doing during her Fulbright exchange experience, she stated, “I’ll be collaborating with partners within the Tshwane Leadership Foundation to review their data systems with a goal toward creating a single system for individuals experiencing homelessness in the Tshwane/Pretoria urban area.”

Congratulations Deidre on your work and this honor.