UA Social Work Graduate Student Wins National Leadership Award

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ning Tang, a doctoral student in The University of Alabama’s School of Social Work, has been named the winner of the 2014 Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work Student Award for Leadership and Services for her efforts to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation between Chinese and American social workers.

Among her efforts, Tang established the International Association of Chinese Social Workers, a non-profit professional global network for social workers of Chinese descent. Over 400 Chinese social workers have become members. Since her arrival in the United States four years ago, Tang’s research has helped social work students in China learn about social work education in the U.S.

The GADE Leadership Award honors outstanding doctoral students or doctoral student organizations who have made significant contributions to excellence in doctoral education.

Dr. Wesley Church, former chair of the Ph.D. program, and Dr. Debra Nelson-Gardell, associate professor of social work, nominated Tang for the award.

“Tang is an absolutely outstanding student,” Nelson-Gardell said. “When our Chinese colleagues visited the UA in October 2013, Tang served as the translator and cultural liaison and later accompanied our Chinese colleagues to the Council on Social Work Education’s annual meeting in Dallas.”

The award will be presented to Tang at the Council on Social Work Education 60th Annual Program Meeting in October in Tampa, Florida.

“This is an incredible accomplishment for our doctoral student,” said Dr. Brenda Smith, associate professor and interim chair of the P.h.D program in the School of Social Work. “The GADE Leadership Award is competitive and prestigious.”

The GADE Student Award for Leadership and Service is given to a social work doctoral student or group of students who, through ongoing or time-limited actions, activities or projects, have shown significant leadership in service to their school, university, or professional or academic associations.

The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education is an organization whose membership is composed of directors of established social work/social welfare doctoral programs located in accredited universities. It was founded nearly 25 years ago to provide a forum for sharing ideas and strategies and for strengthening members’ efforts at enhancing doctoral education.