Preston Dyer
Founding Chair & Professor Emeritus
Education
PhD, Texas Woman's University
MSW, Louisiana State University
BA, Baylor University
Professional Credentials
Academy of Certified Social Workers, Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Texas Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Texas Certified Marriage Enrichment Leader/Trainer/Supervisor Marriage Enrichment Specialist, A.C.M.E. Certified Trainer, PREPARE/ENRICH (Premarital counseling inventory and program), Life Innovation, Inc.
Research Interests
- Marriage
- Marriage Enrichment
- Marriage Counseling
- Program Evaluation
Selected Publications
- The Language of Married Love
- Growing Together: Transition to Marriage
Background
Dr. Dyer joined the Baylor faculty in 1969 with responsibility for developing the undergraduate social work program. He served 30 years as director of the undergraduate program. In 1998, when the new School of Social Work was established, he was appointed founding chair. In 2001, he left the chair position in order to teach full-time. Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Dyer was a clinical social worker practicing in mental health. In 1970, he began seeing clients privately on a part-time basis, becoming the first social worker in Waco to have a private practice. He has continued his part-time practice, which is now restricted to premarital and marital counseling and marriage enrichment. Dr. Dyer and his wife Genie, who has a Ph.D. in family studies, are certified marriage enrichment leaders and leader trainers and have led marriage enrichment events across the United States. They are past presidents of the Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment. The Dyers are the parents of Debbie and Sam and the grandparents of Susan, Liza and Laura.