University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) alumna Dr. Aubrey Jones (PhD ‘20) was recently promoted to an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. Having served as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigator (Co-I) on multiple federally and state-funded research projects, her research aims to improve family and rural community well-being through community-engaged research practices. Her areas of expertise include research methods, social welfare policy, and theory in social work practice. In addition to her research expertise, Jones brings a clinical background in crisis intervention, offering direct support to families navigating issues of suicide, homicide, and psychosis.
Previously at the University of South Dakota, Jones held an assistant professor position there before going to the University of Kentucky. She credits her mentors at the UTCSW for much of her success. “I learned the importance of having good mentors,” she said. “I had amazing mentors in my PhD program at UT and have kept in touch with many of them to this day. I also learned the value of interdisciplinary research and building a network of collaborators across disciplines. The UTCSW fully prepared me for continued success in this field.”
In addition to her recent promotion, Jones received a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant through the Rural MOMS program of nearly $3.8 million. “I will be developing a collaborative interdisciplinary network of providers to address maternal mental health in Kentucky,” she explained. “The project aims to expand access to maternal mental health care and address maternal mortality risks in rural and Appalachian communities across Kentucky through workforce development, care coordination, telehealth, and community-based education. I am very proud of this grant and owe a big part of it to the skills I gained in research and grant writing during my time at Tennessee. The course I took in grant writing was taught by Dr. Lisa Reyes Mason and it was no doubt part of why I was able to obtain the HRSA grant.”
Thinking back to her time at the UTCSW, Jones acknowledged that she developed some lifelong friends in her cohort and in some of the cohorts ahead and behind her. “I developed a love for Rocky Top and enjoy singing it proudly whenever it comes on. Knoxville is a great community, and I had a great experience getting to call Knoxville and the UT College of Social Work home for four years. I will always cherish that time.”
