Dr. Dexter R. Voisin is the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Dean in Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. An experienced academic leader, scholar, and licensed psychotherapist, Dr. Voisin brings more than 30 years of clinical, research, teaching, and administrative experience to his work in higher education and social work.
Dr. Voisin earned his Ph.D. and master's degree in philosophy from Columbia University and his master's in social work from the University of Michigan.
Before joining Case Western Reserve University in January 2022, Dr. Voisin served as Dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Sandra Rotman Endowed Chair in Social Work at the University of Toronto. Prior to that, he spent two decades on the faculty of the University of Chicago, where he served as Director of the STI/HIV Intervention Network (SHINE) and Co-Director of the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination (CCHE).
Dr. Voisin is an internationally recognized scholar whose research examines how structural and racial inequalities shape health behaviors and outcomes among minoritized populations. He has secured more than $16 million in extramural research as principal investigator, investigator or collaborator from the National Institutes of Health, the W. T. Grant Foundation, and other leading funding organizations. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. His book, America the Beautiful and Violent: Black Youth and Neighborhood Trauma in Chicago, was published by Columbia University Press in 2019.
In 2020, Dr. Voisin was recognized among the top two percent of scientists worldwide within his field. He is a frequent keynote speaker at national conferences, and his scholarship and expertise have been featured by numerous national and international media outlets. His research has contributed to public health policy, and he was appointed by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to serve on two state boards.
Dr. Voisin is a Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research and a former board member of the organization. He is also a Fellow and Board Member of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. Since 2023 he has been serving as President of the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work. In 2024, he was inducted as a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
Throughout his career, Dr. Voisin has combined scholarship, clinical expertise, education, and academic leadership to advance social work education, strengthen communities, and address the structural conditions that shape health and well-being.
The phonetic spelling of “Voisin,” which means “neighbor” in French, is waz-zin or vwah-zan. Listen to the phonetic pronunciation here.
Why I Teach
I teach because when I do so, I also learn. I am continually inspired by my students and colleagues. In my three decades in academia as a clinician, practitioner, educator, researcher and administrator, I have learned so much. Teaching allows me to share the things I have learned that bring me joy. I get to grow alongside exceptional students eager to make a positive impact. My small yet meaningful teaching contributions help equip them to create change that promotes equity and justice.
Why I Chose This Profession
I believe that social work found me. I was on my way to becoming a psychologist when I discovered the many career opportunities available in social work across public, private, for-profit, nonprofit, corporate, government and philanthropic sectors, among others. This revelation showed me that this profession could offer a deeply meaningful, diverse and fulfilling lifelong career.
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