RADFORD – Radford University recently named Elise M. Fullmer as director of the School of Social Work. A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and the University of Utah, Fullmer joins the RU campus community with extensive background in gerontology. Her research focuses on disenfranchised groups, including people with developmental disabilities and issues related to aging in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities.

Having previously served as the program chair of the School of Social Work at Spalding University in Kentucky, the director of social work at Murray State University in Kentucky, and the baccalaureate director of social work at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Fullmer said she became familiar with and interested in RU while living in Charlotte.  

“Radford University’s School of Social Work has a strong history as an exceptional program of study that is dedicated to producing students who are concerned about the community in which they live,” she said. “This is a critical time for social workers as social service needs grow at a rapid pace. The level of poverty, substance abuse and other issues are on the rise, and we want to be a leader in the community and a model school for producing the best graduates who are equipped to handle these daunting social concerns.”

Fullmer will oversee the day-to-day management of the RU School of Social Work and will lead the development of programs in Roanoke. She will also represent the school and university at the local, state and national levels.

The RU School of Social Work is housed within the Waldron College of Health and Human Services. The school is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. To learn more about the program, visit http://sowk-web.asp.radford.edu/ or call (540) 831-7689.