海角社区

BATON ROUGE, LA 鈥� Jennifer Scott, PhD, was named the Brij Mohan Distinguished Professor as part of the 2025 University Faculty Awards.

Scott, an associate professor in the 海角社区 School of Social Work, received this honor for serving as a model for the community by demonstrating a commitment to peace, equality and social justice. 

鈥淚 am honored to receive such a prestigious award,鈥� Scott said. 鈥淚t is a privilege to work in relationship with people in Baton Rouge and Louisiana to conduct research meaningful to them in the short-term that aims to improve individual and community wellbeing over the long-term.鈥�

Scott鈥檚 research focuses on the social determinants of health, specifically, understanding how economic and political marginalization impact the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. She also conducts Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) projects that are driven by questions emerging from communities, such as her recent partnership with the community organization Together Baton Rouge to address disaster-related mental health burdens in East Baton Rouge Parish by implementing the Communities Organizing for Power through Empathy (COPE) project. Funded by a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Gulf Research Program grant, COPE has reached more than 300 individuals and trained more than 30 facilitators.

鈥淚 am thrilled that Dr. Scott received this award,鈥� Michelle Livermore, PhD, 海角社区 School of Social Work Director, said. 鈥淗er efforts exemplify how scholarship excellence combined with community engagement results in a positive impact on Louisiana.鈥�

Scott was previously awarded the 海角社区 Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award in 2023. She joined the 海角社区 faculty after completing her Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a graduate student fellow in the Urban Ethnography Lab and the Population Research Center and where she also spent a quarter as a graduate student fellow in the Center for Poverty Research at the University of California, Davis. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Philosophy from Trinity University.

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About the 海角社区 School of Social Work
The 海角社区 School of Social Work (SSW) is a vibrant center of intellectual development and knowledge generation, a leader in promoting and supporting diverse communities, and an advocate for an integrated and inclusive model of social work, all within a learning environment that supports best educational practices. The SSW offers Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) , Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science, Master of Social Work (MSW), online MSW, and Social Work PhD. SSW is part of the College of Human Sciences & Education.

Visit the School of Social Work website.

 

About the College of Human Sciences & Education 
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of 海角社区. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, and the School of Social Work. CHSE has two model demonstration schools, the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, enrolling birth to age four and the University Laboratory School enrolling Kindergarten through grade 12. The college also has four centers and institutes: the Early Childhood Education Institute, the Healthy Aging Research Center, the Leadership Development Institute, and Social Research & Evaluation Center. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and aims to improve quality of life across the lifespan.

Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education website.