Loyola University Chicago

University Newsroom

Press Release - July 12, 2021

Loyola University Chicago Dean Appointed Board President for the Network for Social Work Management

CHICAGO - July 12, 2021 – Loyola University Chicago today announced that Goutham Menon, PhD, dean and professor of the School of Social Work, was appointed Board President of the Network for Social Work Management (NSWM), effective July 1.

NSWM is an international membership organization focused on strengthening and advancing social work management within health and human services. It is governed by a Board of Directors from a diverse spectrum of public and private organizations, academic institutions, and independent practice. Every effort is made to seek board members who represent the range and diversity of the social work field throughout the United States and beyond.

"I am honored to serve as the next board president for NSWM,” said Menon. “The Network’s mission to strengthen, and mobilize diverse social impact leaders through education, leadership development, networking, and community-building aligns with Loyola’s Jesuit, Catholic mission to educate and inspire leaders of change. I am grateful for this new opportunity and to represent the University in this way for the profession of social work.”

Dean Menon has more than 25 years of academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Prior to joining Loyola in 2017, Menon served as Director and Professor of the School of Social Work, Division of Health Sciences at the University of Nevada at Reno. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from Loyola College, an autonomous Jesuit institution of higher education affiliated with the University of Madras. He began his social work career as a case worker at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation in India after earning his master’s in social work from the Madras School of Social Work in Chennai, India and his PhD in social work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In 2019, Menon was awarded the James Billups International Social Development Leadership Award at the 21st Annual International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) Annual Conference for representing the ICSD values of commitment to peace, social justice, inclusiveness, and the transgression of national boundaries. He was also inducted as an Honorary Member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the international honor society of Jesuit Institutions, in 2019 by Loyola.

In addition to his work with NSWM, he has been actively involved in various leadership roles across notable social work organizations, including the Council on Social Work Education, National Association of Deans and Directors, the International Consortium for Social Development, and husITa, an international organization promoting technology use for social development and social good.

“We extend our congratulations to Dean Menon for his recent appointment to Board President for NSWM, and we are grateful for his continued dedication both at the University and across the social work profession,” said Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, president of Loyola. “At Loyola, we are called to take action on our world’s interconnected issues, and under Dean Menon’s leadership, the School of Social Work continues to engage students to be effective change agents for social justice.”

Founded in 1914, Loyola's School of Social Work educates students to become leaders in the profession. Within a learning community dedicated to excellence in scholarship and service, students select a curriculum focused in clinical, organizational, community, and social justice issues. Recently, the school was awarded a $2 million, four-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to enhance training for behavioral health professionals working with underserved communities through the school’s Center for Field Innovation, Research, Strategy, and Training (C-FIRST).

For more information about the School of Social Work, visit LUC.edu/socialwork.

About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with more than 16,600 students. Nearly 11,500 undergraduates call Loyola home. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens); and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 14 schools, colleges, and institutes, including Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Institute of Pastoral Studies, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Quinlan School of Business, School of Communication, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, School of Education, School of Law, School of Social Work, and Stritch School of Medicine. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations like the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu, “like” us at Facebook.com/LoyolaChicago, or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago.