Elaine Congress

Dr. Elaine Congress is Associate Dean for Special Programs and Professor at Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Service. She directs the dual MSW/MPH program with Mount Sinai and the MSW student program at the United Nations, while chairing the Fordham Institute for Women and Girls. As Fordham's NGO representative at the UN, she advocates for the International Federation of Social Workers and serves on ethics committees globally. Her leadership extends to co-chairing the Social Work Section at the New York Academy of Medicine and the NASW Pioneer Board.

Education includes:

• BA, Brown University
• MAT, Yale University
• MSW, Columbia University
• MA, New School for Social Research
• DSW, CUNY Hunter College

Her research focuses on ethics, cultural diversity, public health, and interprofessional collaboration, with emphasis on:

• Developing assessment tools like the culturagram for immigrant families
• Creating the ETHIC model for ethical decision-making in social work
• UN Sustainable Development Goals and global behavioral health initiatives
• Nonprofit management through social justice frameworks

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on multicultural practice, immigration policy, and ethical frameworks across 14 books and 60+ articles. Recent works analyze behavioral science applications in UN contexts and interprofessional approaches to global health equity.

Dr. Congress mentors students through research collaborations, notably co-authoring publications with social work students. She leads significant initiatives including the MSW/MPH dual-degree program and UN practicum placements.

She established the Fordham Institute for Women and Girls to advance gender equity research and partners with NGOs worldwide. Her podcasts on cultural assessment and refugee interventions extend knowledge dissemination beyond academia.