Susan Burke

Susan Burke is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), where she has served since 2015. She previously worked as a front-line child welfare social worker in northern British Columbia for two decades.

• PhD in Health Sciences
• Master of Social Work (UNBC)
• Bachelor of Arts (Trinity Western University)

Her research focuses on Indigenous kinship care, Indigenous child welfare, and Indigenous social work practice and education, with an emphasis on Indigenous research methodologies. She has explored the integration of environmental social work theory, kinship care policy evaluation, and the impact of colonization on social work education.

Her recent publications highlight trends in Indigenous child welfare, environmental social work, and policy analysis, often emphasizing community-based and culturally grounded approaches. She supervises graduate students in Social Work and Health Sciences and is available for media engagements on her expertise.

She has held leadership roles on UNBC's Research Ethics Board, including AVice-Chair, and has contributed to improving field placement practices during the pandemic. While no scientific awards are listed, her work has influenced Indigenous social work education and kinship care policy in northern British Columbia.