University of New England

New Director of School of Social Work values College of Health Professions’ integrated and collaborative atmosphere of wellness

Martha Wilson, Ph.D., D.S.W. joined UNE this summer as director of the School of Social Work.

A self-described “military kid” Wilson has traveled around the country, and spent a good portion of her adult life in Alabama (earning five degrees at the University of Alabama – including two doctorates – in philosophy and social work). She also taught at the University of Oklahoma, and most recently, was the director of social work at Boise State College in Idaho.

She was a practicing social worker and clinical consultant during most of that time as well. Wilson’s first time in Maine was when she had to come to Bangor to pick up her father’s 55-foot Airstream trailer, after he had a heart attack. and drive it all the way back across the country.

“I wasn’t actively looking for a job in Maine, but having seen the ad for the position, I perused the UNE social work department’s web page, and the mission and philosophy of the school seemed like a perfect match.”

Strong Faculty
Once having met the people and visited the campuses, including the school’s auxiliary program in Presque Isle, she was incredibly impressed. Wilson feels the department’s biggest strengths are its faculty and their capabilities, and those of the students as well. In addition to her role as director, Wilson is also teaching an advanced concentration course for second year students – another thing that attracted her to the position at UNE, “I love being in the classroom – it’s an incredible learning environment for me as well as the students.”

Wilson says, “Given the state of social work in the U.S., where resources are scarce, and people’s needs are increasing exponentially, we need to train social workers who can understand the macro view – changing social policy and the way we provide services to people, as well as the micro view –working in partnership with individuals, families, and groups to empower them to represent themselves.”

Wellness
As such, she feels UNE’s College of Health Professions is the perfect venue for social work to be a partner in creating an integrated and collaborative atmosphere of wellness. Wilson feels that taking on the role of director at UNE will allow her to help accomplish the school’s mission in a very proactive way.

“In the oddest of ways, being the director is more of a support role – gathering resources, and organizing them to be able to facilitate the school’s goals,” she says. At the same time, as the leader – your view from this chair is such that you can actually see the landscape in which the school is a player and can provide direction and guidance within the school and within the community.”

(Press release issued Nov. 3, 2004)