Dr. Susan Neely-Barnes is a Professor and Director/Chair of the School of Social Work at the University of Memphis. She joined the institution in 2016, holding dual roles in academic leadership and faculty. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Washington (2005), an MSW from Washington University (1999), and a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Duke University (1996). Her research focuses on disability inclusion, social work education, mental health services, and interprofessional practice. Notable projects include studies on telehealth expansion during the pandemic, cultural competency training for students, and policy analyses addressing healthcare disparities. She has secured over $10 million in grants, including the Midsouth Social Work Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program and initiatives expanding behavioral health training. Grants: INTEGRATE Program ($1.89M), MSW-SDS Scholarships ($3.18M), Memphis Opioid Workforce Expansion ($897K) Awards: Distinguished Research Award (2017), Early Career Research Award (2013), Provost’s Fellowship (2014) Dr. Neely-Barnes advises students in doctoral programs and mentors on grant writing. Her outreach includes volunteer roles with the Tennessee Department of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities and initiatives addressing food insecurity in higher education. She has published extensively in journals like Journal of Social Work Education and Research on Social Work Practice , with a focus on policy, pedagogy, and crisis management in social services.












