Janelle R. Goodwill Receives SSWR Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award

Janelle R. Goodwill, PhD, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, has been selected to receive the Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award from the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). The award will be presented at the Society’s annual conference, held January 14–18, 2026, in Washington, DC.

The Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award is presented annually to recognize scholars in the early stages of their careers whose work demonstrates innovation, methodological rigor, and an emerging influence on the field of social work research. Recipients are selected for producing scholarship that advances the profession while contributing to a deeper understanding of social inequities and the structural conditions that shape marginalization, oppression, and privilege.

Professor Goodwill received the award in recognition of her excellence in research and her growing national impact as a scholar. Her research centers on the mental health experiences of Black Americans, with a particular focus on suicide prevention and mental health promotion. In her work, Professor Goodwill examines how strengths such as experiences of hope, social support, and meaning in life protect against adverse outcomes and ultimately promote well-being. Additionally, she considers how measurement and psychological scale construction influence the detection of depression and other psychological outcomes within racial groups. She currently serves as the Principal Investigator of an NIMH-funded study evaluating the effects of a culturally adapted suicide prevention intervention designed to support the specific mental health needs of Black students in Chicago. The overarching goal of her research is to identify the intra- and interpersonal factors that both prevent suicide and foster flourishing across the lifespan. 

Nominees for the award must be three to six years post-PhD and demonstrate scholarship that is attracting the attention of other researchers while shaping conversations in social work research, policy, and practice. Professor Goodwill’s selection reflects both the quality of her research agenda and her contributions to advancing the field during this formative stage of her academic career.

The Crown Family School congratulates Professor Goodwill on this national recognition and looks forward to celebrating her continued contributions to social work research and education.