Fitch Named Director of the MU School of Social Work

February 16th, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. –Dale Fitch has been appointed director of the MU School of Social Work, effective immediately. Sandy Rikoon, interim dean of the College of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Missouri, made the announcement this week.

“Dr. Fitch is uniquely qualified to lead the School of Social Work, which engages in exceptional academic training, conducts high-quality research and serves the people of Missouri,” Rikoon said. “He has significant experience in the social work field and is guided by a positive philosophy based on consensus building and leadership. We are fortunate to have him at Mizzou.”

In his role as director of the School of Social Work, Fitch will manage the school’s budget and development efforts while simultaneously coordinating a strategic visioning process.

“I am excited to continue to serve the School of Social Work as its director,” Fitch said. “The MU School of Social Work is committed to preparing students for professional excellence and leadership in social work practice, research and policy. I look forward to serving the students, faculty and staff of the University of Missouri in this role.”

Fitch joined the school’s faculty in 2009 and has been serving as interim director since May 2016. Fitch received his doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. His primary research interests are child welfare and organizational decision-making. Fitch was awarded the Provost’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award in 2012 and the SAGE/Council on Social Work Education Award for Innovative Teaching in Social Work Education in 2013. He worked with faculty and staff to launch the master of social work online program in 2015.