Teri Browne has been named interim dean of the College of Social Work, effective Aug. 1. She succeeds Ronald Pitner, who has served as interim dean since April 2020 and recently accepted a position as chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
“I hope to provide a sense of stability to the college throughout this time of change,” Browne says. “I am excited to continue working with my excellent colleagues and to support them in our collective effort to serve our community. The College of Social Work has outstanding students, faculty, staff, field educators, alumni and community partners. I look forward to working with all of them to deliver the best educational experience for our students and to conduct interdisciplinary research that can make a real difference in South Carolina and beyond.”
Dr. Browne’s research and service within the college these last 13 years epitomize the great impact this college has on our university and community. Its faculty, staff, students and alumni are leaders of change in the field, and I know that the college’s impact will grow in the coming years.
- Stephen Cutler, UofSC interim provost elect
Browne is currently an associate professor and the college’s associate dean for faculty and research. She serves as a senior administrator for all faculty and the college’s research activities. Some of her current responsibilities include overseeing new faculty orientation and onboarding and ensuring all faculty have resources to begin or sustain their research. With her interdisciplinary colleagues in the health sciences, Browne oversees the university’s interprofessional courses and activities required for 11 professions.
“Throughout her professional career, Dr. Browne has played an integral role in promoting research, health and human service excellence within the College of Social Work and beyond,” says William F. Tate, the University of South Carolina’s departing provost and executive vice president of academic affairs. “I know that she will successfully lead this college forward by supporting its faculty, staff, alumni and students.”
Browne joined the College of Social Work faculty in 2008 as an assistant professor. In 2014, she was promoted to associate professor and began serving as the co-director of Interprofessional Education for the Health Sciences, which brings together students from multiple health disciplines for shared classroom and clinical learning experiences. Browne is also a faculty advisory member of the South Carolina Area Health Education Center Scholars program, which focuses on providing training and resources for delivery of quality health care in statewide rural and underserved areas. She has extensive research experience in behavioral health social work, kidney disease treatment and transplant access.
“The College of Social Work has a significant impact on the well-being of citizens across the state of South Carolina,” says Stephen Cutler, who was named interim provost at UofSC and will take over for Tate on July 1. “Dr. Browne’s research and service within the college these last 13 years epitomize the great impact this college has on our university and community. Its faculty, staff, students and alumni are leaders of change in the field, and I know that the college’s impact will grow in the coming years.”