WASHINGTON – The Howard University School of Social Work is pleased to announce the appointment of Mildred “Mit” C. Joyner, LCSW as the inaugural John E. & Barbara S. Jacob Distinguished Endowed Professor. The endowed professorship was established to support outstanding faculty-led initiatives at the School of Social Work by civil rights leader and Howard University Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus John E. Jacob, Ph.D. and his wife, Howard University alumna Barbara S. Jacob.

“The School of Social Work is grateful for the extraordinary support of John E. and Barbara S. Jacob,” said Sandra Crewe, Ph.D., dean of the School of Social Work. “Their $500,000 donation during the School of Social Work’s 75^th anniversary in 2015 was indicative of their continuing commitment to social justice and the important role of social workers as leaders. The selection of Mildred ‘Mit’ Joyner as the inaugural distinguished professor allows the opportunity to continue the momentum of the civil rights era through the development of new leaders exposed to the accomplishments and contributions of the donors and the expertise of our inaugural recipient.” 

As the inaugural John E. & Barbara S. Jacob Distinguished Endowed Professor, Joyner will develop the first cohort of Howard University Social Work Social Justice (HUSWSJ) fellows. Ten students will be selected to participate in a six-month interactive learning and practice collaboration to conduct research on social work and social justice leadership. Under the direction of Joyner, HUSWSJ fellows will examine current leadership trends and the future of the social work profession’s commitment to social justice at the intersections of equity, anti- racism, social wellbeing, and the social determinants in traditional and nontraditional social work practice settings.

“I am elated to serve as the inaugural John E. & Barbara S. Jacob Distinguished Professor at Howard University School of Social Work,” said Joyner. “Both John E. and Barbara S. Jacob are Howard University alumni who have excelled in their respective careers and have served as leaders in their community. It is an honor and privilege to accept a professorship named after and funded by these two exemplars.”

Joyner is president of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), which has 55 chapters throughout the United States and its territories. She also serves as president of the North America Region of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), which includes Canada and the United States and is a member of IFSW’s Executive Committee. In 2011, Joyner, a full professor of social work, received the emeritus rank with full rights and privileges from the West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where she served as a member of the faculty for three decades. Later in 2011, she retired from the university and created MCJ Consultants, which specializes in organizational change and achieving equity. Joyner earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and a Master of Social Work in planning, policy and administration from the Howard University School of Social Work.

Jacob is a Howard University alumnus and civil rights leader who served as president and CEO of the National Urban League from 1982-1994. He became a member of the Howard University Board of Trustees in 1973 and served as chairman of the board from 1989 until 1991. He is a retired director and executive vice president of Global Communications for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., a $15 billion, St. Louis-based global corporation.

Jacob has served on numerous organizational and corporate boards and is the distinguished recipient of 19 honorary doctoral degrees. He has been honored throughout the country for his exemplary corporate and public service, including being the recipient of a Howard University Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2002. Jacob and his wife have demonstrated a commitment to serving the Howard University community in a variety of capacities throughout the years. This includes the Anheuser-Busch John E. Jacob Chair in Howard’s School of Business, established by the Anheuser-Busch Foundation.

“As a Howard graduate of the class of 1971, I am elated that I have the opportunity and privilege to return home to the Mecca,” continued Joyner. “To share my knowledge and skills with social work students, who are all destined to serve as leaders in their chosen career path, is indeed a gift. My job is to give students confidence in knowing they each have the ability to hurdle all the obstacles that they will face.”

Today, the social work profession is charged with providing the tools and inspiration for the next generation of leaders of the profession who will courageously address the persistent inequalities in the African-American community and create enduring solutions. On April 21 at noon, the School of Social Work will host a virtual conversation featuring Jacob and Joyner focused on the challenges of 21^st-century leadership in addressing social inequalities in the nation. The inaugural “intellectual sit-in” will document the School of Social Work’s ongoing commitment to developing top-tier social work leaders.

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.



Media Contact: Misha Cornelius, misha.cornelius@howard.edu