UT Professor Dr. Courtney Cronley has been named a member of the 2026 class of SSWR Fellows. The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Fellows are members who have served with distinction to advance the mission of the Society — to advance, disseminate, and translate research that addresses issues of social work practice and policy and promotes a diverse, equitable, and just society.
Dr. Cronley is an expert in the experiences of women, youth, and families facing homelessness and housing insecurity. Her work examines the intersection of housing, transportation, and access to opportunities, focusing on how housing quality and equity shape health disparities, economic mobility and well-being. A regular collaborator with colleagues in the UT Tickle College of Engineering, the School of Architecture, and the Department of Kinesiology, Dr. Cronley engages in NSF-funded scholarship to investigate how the built environment (such as transportation and access to safe outdoor environments) contributes to poverty, health disparities, constraints mobility, and limits opportunities. With more than 60 refereed publications, Dr. Cronley has become a national leader in her work to promote sustainable, inclusive, and healthy communities for vulnerable populations.
Additionally, more than 25 UTCSW faculty, PhD students, and recent doctoral alumni are presenting their scholarship at the 2026 SSWR conference in Washington, DC. Their scholarship—on pressing issues including intimate partner violence, mental health stigma, extreme weather events, housing and homelessness, moral injury, suicidality, guaranteed income, addiction, reproductive healthcare, deaf communities, youth needs, and more—highlights important insights and advances in the social work practice and policy on the national stage.
A list of these presentations can be found below.