Omar López

Omar López serves as Teaching Professor of Practicum Education and Assistant Dean of Recruitment and Workforce Development at the University of Southern California's Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, holding faculty status since 2010 and administrative leadership roles since 2013.

His academic credentials include:

• EdD, University of Southern California, 2022
• MSW, San Diego State University, 2001
• BA, University of California, San Diego, 1999

López specializes in workforce development programming for Master of Social Work students through externally funded grants, with core expertise in child welfare, immigration social work, and macro-level social service systems. His practice integrates social work education with community-based workforce training, emphasizing advocacy and social services for vulnerable families.

His distinguished recognition includes:

• Sterling C. Franklin Award for Distinguished Faculty (USC, 2020)
• Champion of Children Award (Drew Child Development Corporation, 2020)
• Hutto Patterson Foundation Award for Distinguished Faculty (USC, 2015)
• Angel in Adoption Congressional Award (2011)

In his administrative capacity, López directs strategic initiatives across:

• Grant-funded workforce development program administration
• MSW student training and professional development
• Community-government partnership cultivation
• Social work education innovation

He oversees institutional teams managing recruitment pipelines and workforce programming within the School of Social Work's operational framework.