LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sep 17, 2026) — Students, alumni and friends of the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) will have an opportunity to connect in Las Vegas this month as the College joins sport social work professionals from across the country for the 12th Annual Social Work in Sports Symposium.
Members of the CoSW community are encouraged to join us on September 24 for a family-friendly networking event and alumni happy hour at The Arcade at Caesars Palace. Connect with fellow alumni, online students, friends and members of the CoSW.
The gathering coincides with the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports’ Annual Social Work in Sports Symposium, held Sept. 23-25 on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vagas. This year’s theme, “Practice Makes Progress,” will bring together practitioners, researchers, educators and students to explore social work’s growing role across athletics, including clinical practice, research, policy and community engagement.
For CoSW, the symposium also reflects a longstanding relationship with ASWIS and the College’s growing leadership in sport social work.
Matt Moore, Ph.D., MSW, CoSW associate dean of academic and student affairs, currently serves as president of ASWIS. Moore is also a co-founder of the organization, founder and editor of the Sport Social Work Journal and co-director of the CoSW’s International Institute for Sport and Behavioral Health.
Those connections have helped create an expanding network of research, education and professional opportunities at UK. The CoSW is home to the Sport Social Work Collaborative, which brings together CoSW’s Sport Social Work Research Lab, ASWIS and the Sport Social Work Journal to advance research, teaching and outreach focused on the well-being of athletes, coaches and communities.
That partnership has also helped position CoSW as a leader in the rapidly growing field of sport social work. The college has expanded its curriculum, research and practicum experiences while creating new pathways for students to learn from and connect with professionals across the field. CoSW now offers a first-of-its-kind sport social work concentration within its Doctor of Social Work program, a continuing education certificate in sport social work and a new graduate certificate in the field — advancing a growing portfolio of programs designed to prepare social workers for practice in athletic and sport-based settings.
The Las Vegas gathering offers another opportunity to bring those communities together — connecting current students with alumni and professionals while strengthening relationships that extend well beyond the symposium.
The CoSW Alumni & Friends Event will take place Sept. 24 at the Arcade at Caesars Palace from 6-8pm. The event is free and open to CoSW students, alumni and friends, regardless of whether they are attending the ASWIS symposium.
Register for the CoSW Alumni & Friends Event:
Register here.