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The College of Arts and Sciences has appointed Dr. April L. Jones, LMSW as the new head of its Department of Social Work. Jones brings to the position nearly two decades of experience as an organization psychologist, licensed master social worker, and researcher.
Jones joins the Ƶ faculty after more than 10 years serving as a family advocacy outreach manager for Air Force Medical Operation Agency programs at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery. Through this role, she trained, helped develop policy and guided the implementation of programs that help service people and their families overcome and recover from service-related stressors.
Her other professional experience includes work on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Alabama Department of Children’s Affairs, and non-government nonprofit organizations.
“We are delighted that Dr. Jones has joined the Ƶ faculty and our Department of Social Work,” said Dr. Channapatna Prakash, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “She brings to our college considerable expertise in social work and a passion for organizational development. She will surely provide strategic leadership for the department and will be a great mentor for its students”
Throughout her career, Jones has spoken frequently to audiences and written about social work topics in various journals. She also is a journal reviewer for the American Psychological Association Translational Psychological Issues Journal and a conference reviewer for the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Stillman College, a master’s of social work degree from the University of Alabama, a master’s degree in management from Faulkner University, a master’s of instructional design and technology from Walden University, and a doctorate in organizational psychology from Walden University. In addition, she holds a variety of certifications in adult education, diversity and inclusion, mediation, instructional design and technology, and performance improvement and online instruction.
Jones has self-published seven books on topics ranging from social work and healthcare to children’s interests — with several others currently in development. Her book Nurse Commitment: How to Retain Professional Staff Nurses in a Multigenerational Workforce stems from her doctoral research and presents her unique and creative thinking based on observations of and research in the healthcare industry.
She is a member of the Council of Social Work Education, National Association of Social Work, American Evaluation Association, American Psychological Association, Alabama Psychological Association, Association for Talent Development, Federally Employed Women Organization, National Congress of Black Women Birmingham Chapter, the International Women's Leadership Association, Society for Professional Human Resource Managers, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Ƶ offers a course of study in the Department of Social Work that leads to a bachelor’s degree in social work. The department is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and is a member of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors. For more information, visit /programs-courses/colleges-schools/cas/social-work.
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