Summary
Shadi Martin is the Founding Dean and Professor Emerita of the School of Social Work at University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. Martin joined the University as the Director and Professor of School of Social Work in 2018. She successfully led the School of Social Work to become the first independent, freestanding School of Social Work in the state of Nevada effective July 1, 2019.
Prior to joining the University of Nevada, Reno, she was a tenured professor and director of the graduate program at McGill University School of Social Work in Montreal, Canada. Prior to joining McGill University, she was a tenured professor at University of Alabama, where she served for more than 10 years.
She holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Utah, as well as four master’s degrees; MSW, MPA/HSA, & MA. Dean Martin has a multi-disciplinary background and a variety of academic and professional experiences worldwide. These experiences include her work with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Middle East, Georgetown National Center for Cultural Competency and visiting scholar at United Arab Emirates University School of Social Work and School of Medicine.
Dean Martin has a distinguished career with regular highly cited publications and has received a number of prestigious grants for her research. Her research has focused on health disparities among culturally/ethnically diverse populations specifically, Middle Eastern immigrants and African Americans. She has published widely in the fields of health, mental health, gerontology, caregiving and international social work. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her work throughout her career including Fulbright Fellowship, MIT Dissertation Award, and the Hartford Faculty Scholar Award.