An associate professor in the social work department at UNC Pembroke, SUMMER WOODSIDE is the 2022 recipient of the Gary Lee Shaffer Award for
Academic Contributions to the Field of School Social Work.
Presented by the School Social Work Association of America in April, the award is bestowed upon faculty “who have made significant contributions in the field of
school social work from the SSWAA. It is awarded annually to one faculty member in the nation,” a UNCP press release said.
Shaffer has supervised over 300 masters of social work students throughout N.C. school districts. He also licensed school social work practitioners through the N.C. Department of Public Instruction before passing in 2009.
Woodside says that Shaffer made an impact on how she saw the field. "Dr. Shaffer was my professor and mentor and greatly supported me as I was working towards my educational and career goals," she reflected. "I now strive to support others in their efforts to serve as school social workers. I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this award."
Woodside joined Dr. Veronica Hardy, a fellow UNCP professor who also attended the conference where she received the award, in leading a six-hour session that emphasized “Racial Equity Leadership for School Social Workers.”
At the university, Woodside is the interim associate dean of the College of Health Sciences and school social work licensure coordinator. She recently completed the requirements to become a national certified school social worker.
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