Teri Browne has been selected as dean of the College of Social Work, effective May 15.
Browne began in her role as interim dean of the college in June 2021 and is excited to continue building on the excellent work she has been doing for nearly two years. Among her priorities as dean are creating a strategic plan for the college, expanding online Master of Social Work offerings to address the state’s social work shortage crisis, and collaborating with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community stakeholders to ensure the college fulfills its mission of being a catalyst of social change.
“I chose to come to USC to start my scholarly journey because it was a terrific place to teach, do research and live. The opportunities for community engagement and making real difference in our state, along with the interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities, made USC the perfect fit for me and my research,” says Browne. “I have remained at USC because of our terrific students, faculty and staff. I want to be a part of and lead a college in a university that is making real and bold change happen in its community — and this is a community that means so much to me.”
Browne has been with the College of Social Work for 15 years, starting out as an assistant professor in 2008. In 2014, she was promoted to associate professor, and she was named a full professor in 2021. Throughout her time with the college, Browne has taken several leadership positions, serving as the MSW specialization chairperson, associate dean for faculty and research, and ultimately, interim dean in 2021. She has also served as a field educator, field placement liaison, and co-director of Interprofessional Education for the Health Sciences.
“Dr. Browne’s colleagues across the College of Social Work have expressed their enthusiastic support for her, and her track record of her excellent leadership and success as interim dean leave me fully confident that she is exactly what the college needs in a dean,” says Donna Arnett, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “I look forward to working with Dr. Browne to continue advancing research and teaching excellence in the college, and to continue equipping students with the resources to meet South Carolina’s critical need for skilled social workers.”
The College of Social Work is a hub of rigorous, collaborative interdisciplinary research reaching into the fields of medicine, political science, and engineering and computing, with a goal of promoting social well-being and social justice. Browne has provided the stability to the college necessary for the advancement of its mission in her role as interim dean, and she is excited by the progress that she will be able to make in a more permanent leadership position.
"I want to be a part of and lead a college in a university that is making real and bold change happen in its community."
“Dr. Browne has provided outstanding leadership as interim dean at the College of Social Work,” President Michael Amiridis says. “Her record of success confirms her as the ideal candidate to lead the college into its strong future.”
Browne is bold and forward-thinking in her vision for her time as dean of the college. “I look forward to being able to lead the COSW as we enter our 55th anniversary — and plan for the next 55 years of being a college,” she says. “I am excited to work with and support the faculty and teams at our college’s centers and institutions, and I look forward to working with our amazing students and helping them lead efforts in the college and community to effect change.”