Associate professor Amy Blank Wilson has been appointed as the Prudence F. and Peter J. Meehan Early Career Distinguished Scholar. Wilson joins associate professor Melissa Lippold in holding this distinguished title.
The professorship was created in 2015 from a $1 million gift from the Meehans, who have been long-time supporters of the School of Social Work. The donation is among the largest in the School’s history. The professorship was designed to support the research and scholarly interests of tenure-track or fixed-term faculty members at the rank of assistant or associate professor. These term junior professorships recognize outstanding potential and performance and are available for five years or until the faculty member is promoted to full professor.
Wilson, who joined the School in 2014, is considered an expert in criminal justice and mental health and has spent most of her career focused on issues around mental health, serious mental illness and dual diagnosis, service accessibility, jail reentry, and interventions for people with serious mental illness involved in the justice system. Her research also examines criminal thinking and criminogenic risk in people with serious mental illness.
Most recently, Wilson’s research work has focused on the development of the Tiny Homes Village, a demonstration project designed to create a new form of affordable housing for people with mental illnesses and other health conditions. Wilson serves as co-director of the project, which is supported, in part, by a $1 million grant from the International Oak Foundation.
Dean Gary Bowen praised Wilson’s work and distinguished appointment.
“Dr. Wilson is the full package as a faculty member,” Bowen said. “She has established a rock solid foundation of scholarship and is an excellent teacher and mentor. She also approaches her service obligations with enthusiasm and aplomb. Dr. Wilson is an esteemed colleague whom we are lucky to count among our faculty.”