In 2023, the University of Alabama School of Social Work (GCSW Sustaining Sponsor) reimagined its annual report. The new publication, Impact Magazine, highlights the impressive accomplishments of the school’s faculty and students and prominently features their connection to the Grand Challenges.
“Our discipline has been concerned with how research impact is defined by universities and colleges, where it is typically quantified into metrics, such as number of publications, grants, and research expenditures. This doesn’t adequately relay the impact our school’s research is having on the communities we serve,” says Nicole Ruggiano, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean of Research. “Using the Grand Challenges as a framework for communicating impact has allowed us to tell a larger story about our research that is more aligned with social work values and principles.”
This framework also provides an opportunity to highlight important research conducted by faculty and students that may be overlooked because it is not externally funded. In doing so, Ruggiano says that “our Impact Magazine has helped us create equity among our faculty and students in the amount of visibility their work receives, which has been highly appreciated.”