Research & Impact
Finding solutions to a world of challenges
The vision of the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work is to equip our graduates for effective service and leadership and to conduct research that addresses both human crises and long-term, complex social problems locally and globally.
Pro Ecclesia. Pro Texana. Pro Mundo.
The Garland School of Social Work is committed to research that provides resources and models:
• for excellence in professional social work practice that contribute to social justice and the well-being of individuals, families and communities.
• that are respectful, faithful and effective for communities of faith and religiously-affiliated organizations.
Research News
More NewsBaylor University has been awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CCGP) to drive transformative local initiatives aimed at bolstering food security, advancing sustainable agriculture and enhancing climate resilience in Waco’s underserved communities.
At this year's CSWE Annual Convention, members of our Garland School family had the opportunity to travel to Kansas City and present their research to the larger Social Work community. We are so proud of the research being done by GSSW faculty, students, and alumni, and we invite you to check out the important topics that they've been studying!
The Garland School was well represented at the 2024 NACSW Annual Convention this year. The gathering saw many GSSW faculty, students, and alumni present research on some of today's most significant topics in the field of social work. Much of the work that was demonstrated at the conference was centered around our 10th Competency - which we are so proud of! Come and explore the wide array of cutting-edge research topics that our Garland School community is bringing before social workers at the national level.
Before she came to know Baylor as a student, Lucy Huh, a doctoral candidate in Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work, was first introduced to Baylor through the late Diana R. Garland – the namesake and inaugural dean of Baylor’s School of Social Work – and her pioneering research on clergy sexual abuse of adults.
Active funded projects
We are proud of the ways GSSW faculty, staff and students have contributed to Baylor’s R1 status and are continuing to seek ways to conduct and support social work research.
Focus Areas
Because the field of social work is so broad and can touch everywhere across the lifespan and life experience, research at the Garland School of Social Work does the same. Click the link to learn about research clusters and projects within the GSSW.
Interdisciplinary
From groundbreaking research to transformative action, GSSW's interdisciplinary teams have pioneered evidence-based solutions to humanity's most pressing challenges, creating lasting change in communities across the globe.
Scholarly Activity
GSSW research faculty have produced large amounts of scholarly work over the last 36 months. Click the link below to find research activities such as publications, presentations, books chapters, awards and more.
Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I)
The mission of the Center for Church and Community Impact is to equip congregations to create environments of relational belonging that extend to their surrounding community. When congregations thrive, they become sources of strength and support for individuals, families and communities.
Faculty authors
Our faculty are dedicated researchers who believe in the power of research and study. A number of faculty have authored books, and you can follow the link below to learn more about the work they are passionate about.
Baylor's R1 Priorities
Learn MoreIn 2018, Baylor announced purposeful, holistic plans to establish the University as the preeminent Christian research university and to pursue recognition by the Carnegie Foundation as an R1 university. In just over three years, Baylor achieved that goal, earning R1 recognition as a doctoral institution with "very high research activity."