LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 14, 2026) — The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) will join thousands of educators, researchers, and practitioners from across the nation at the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) 2026 Conference, to be held October 22–25 in Atlanta, Ga.
The annual conference, centered on advancing social work education and research, will highlight the College’s continued leadership in teaching, scholarship, and service. CoSW faculty, students, and alumni will present research, lead sessions, and receive national recognition for their contributions to the field.
CoSW Celebration in Atlanta
In conjunction with the conference, the College of Social Work will host an in-person CoSW Celebration for alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends on Saturday, October 24th from 6 to 9 p.m. at Skol.
Guests are invited to connect with colleagues and friends for an evening of food, fellowship, and community. Attendees are asked to RSVP in advance at this link.
Faculty Recognition
Two CoSW representatives will be honored at CSWE 2026 for their achievements and contributions to social work education.
Alison Wetmur, DSW, LCSW, visiting lecturer at the College of Social Work, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Disability Manuscript Award from CSWE. The national award recognizes outstanding scholarship that advances understanding and inclusion of disability within social work education, research and practice.
The winning manuscript, “The Experiences of Growing Up Deaf in a Hearing-Abled Family: A Phenomenological Study,” was published in the Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. The study interviewed 14 d/Deaf adults born into hearing-abled families, exploring the lived realities of growing up with a different ability status than other family members. Respondents spoke about childhood feelings of shame and isolation, frustrations with language access, and traumatic experiences that are commonplace in the Deaf community but largely unrecognized in the hearing-abled world.
Informed by critical disability theory and Disability Justice principles, the study provides standpoint epistemology of the experience of growing up disabled in a hearing-abled family, research grounded in Wetmur’s own lived experience as a d/Deaf person raised in a hearing-abled home.
Shelita Jackson, DSW, MSW, clinical associate professor and director of the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) program will also be honored as a mentor through the Women’s Council Mentor Recognition Fund. This mentoring project not only recognizes the influence of mentors in the lives of CSWE members but also helps support the ongoing work of the Women’s Council.
CoSW Self-Care Challenge and Self-Care Suite
The College will also host the CoSW Self-Care Challenge during the annual conference. Designed to promote wellness among conference attendees, the challenge invites participants to engage in hands-on self-care activities, earn points, and climb the #CSWESelfCareChallenge leaderboard.
This challenge takes place within the CoSW’s signature Self-Care Suite, where guests can sign up for chair massages, morning exercise classes, companion walking activities, a sound bath and opportunities for reflection and connection. Hosted by the College’s Self-Care Lab, participants who complete activities can earn rewards.
More information about the Self-Care Challenge and the College’s participation in CSWE 2026 is available at the Self-Care Suite website.