FROM THE OFFICE
OF THE DEAN

Dear GSS Community,

The New Year brings with it resolutions and good intentions for a fresh start. Many of us promise ourselves to spend less, play more, and actually stick to our self-care routine this time. 

As we embrace new possibilities, it’s important to acknowledge that for many, the past twelve months have been especially challenging. From everyday issues like affording rent and food to global angst concerning human rights and international law, moments of reprieve have been few and far between. A question I’ve heard frequently in the past year is When will this let up?

It is during these moments that I am proud to be part of an institution deeply committed to social justice — in our city, across the country, and around the globe. 

Every day at GSS, I get to witness students, faculty, and alumni collaborate to create a vision for a better world. For example, Her Migrant Hub, a GSS resource and health care access project by NYC women asylum seekers for NYC women asylum seekers, opened its own coffee shop—Grounds Café—in the Bronx, not far from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. Operating the café is a shared responsibility among the women asylum seekers, assisted by our MSW students who together are creating a sense of community that welcomes and belongs to everyone.

This same spirit of support and excellence is manifested through our GSS academic collaborations. This month at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) annual conference, our faculty, students, and alumni contributed to over 30 research presentations on society’s most pressing issues, including generative artificial intelligence, gender and sexuality, and food insecurity. While the subjects differ, social workers are the unifying constant, a human solution to dehumanizing technologies, unlawful immigration enforcement, and a growing mental health crisis accelerated by COVID and exacerbated by an unpredictable and rapidly changing society.

I share at every new student orientation how inspiring it is to welcome individuals who, despite the challenges, are willing to dedicate themselves to a path—a profession—that truly matters. It never gets old. I have the privilege of watching our students move through the program as committed learners and eager interns, ultimately joining you, our dedicated alumni, who guide them into a profession rooted in justice — as only graduates of an institution devoted to justice can. Thank you for all you do — for our students, our school, and our broader communities. Thank you for choosing and serving as leaders of a profession that matters.

I hope the stories shared in this issue of The Social Worker bring you as much joy as they bring me. And like me, I hope they remind you why we should all look forward to 2026 with a renewed sense of hope and faith in one another. 

All my best,
Debra M. McPhee, Ph.D.
Dean / Professor
Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service