College of Social Work
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- Ronald Pitner Ph.D., ACSW
Faculty and Staff
Ronald Pitner, Ph.D., ACSW
Title: | Interim Dean Associate Professor |
College of Social Work | |
Email: | pitner@mailbox.sc.edu |
Phone: | 803-777-6797 |
Office: | Hamilton 337 |
Resources: | Curriculum Vitae |

Research Expertise
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Social cognition, prejudice, stereotypes and stigma
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Youth violence
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Youth and community-based civic engagement
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Race and racial inequalities
Background
Professor Ronald Pitner joined the faculty of the College of Social Work in 2009.
After serving as associate dean for curriculum, he began his term as interim dean
in April 2020. Pitner is also director of the I. DeQuincey Newman Institute for Peace
and Social Justice, and affiliate faculty for the Research Consortium on Children
and Families. In 2016, Pitner began a five-year term as an I. DeQuincey Newman Endowed
Chair in Peace and Social Justice. Prior to joining the University of South Carolina,
Pitner was an assistant professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work
at Washington University in St. Louis.
Pitner has served as principal investigator on two externally-funded research awards
since joining the College of Social Work faculty. He completed a one-year Access Group
Center for Research and Policy Analysis-funded research on assessing the viability
of race-neutral alternatives in law school admissions. The findings indicated that
race-neutral factors may enable law schools to maintain current levels of racial diversity
without considering race in the admissions process. Pitner also worked with the Columbia
Housing Authority on a three-year study funded by the Kresge Foundation for creating
healthy environments through community engagement. The goals were to reduce crime
and perceptions of crime among public housing residents by increasing residents’ active
community engagement. The research team established a Community Empowerment Center
in the Gonzales Gardens community, providing technical assistance to residents seeking
to solve neighborhood issues.
Pitner’s publications focus on social cognition, youth violence, and youth and community-based
civic engagement. He has recently co-authored scientific journal articles and book
chapters on topics including, addressing and preventing school violence and victimization,
school violence interventions and monitoring approaches, and the relationship of diversity
exposure and students’ attitudes and awareness of racial oppression. His publications
have been featured in scholarly journals, including the Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work, and the Journal of Social Work Education.
As Endowed Chair and Director of the I. DeQuincey Newman Institute for Peace and Justice,
Pitner ensures the institute continues the mission of civil rights leader I. DeQuincey
Newman by promoting social justice through education, consultation and research. He
has organized and hosted the Annual Newman Institute Lecture (2014-17) and Annual
Newman Institute Call to Action (2016). Previously, Pitner served as a Fellow for
the University of South Carolina Office of the Provost’s Pipeline for Academic Leaders
(PAL) Program from 2014 to 2015.
Pitner received a Master of Social Work and Ph.D. in Social Work and Psychology from
the University of Michigan.