Dr. Bowen is past president of the National Council on Family Relations. His honors include an Alumni Pacesetter Award in 1998 from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s School of Environmental Sciences, “for actively making a difference in the lives of others and the world around them;” a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013 from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s School of Health and Human Sciences; and a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work.
In 2017, he was selected as an American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare Fellow for his distinguished accomplishment as a scholar and practitioner dedicated to achieving excellence in his work to advance social good. In 2001, Bowen was selected as a National Council on Family Relations Fellow for his enduring contributions to the field of family studies through a career of teaching, scholarship, outreach, professional service and leadership. In 2013, he was selected as an inaugural Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research. In 2019, Bowen was named among the “100 Most Influential Contemporary Social Work Faculty” in a study published in the Journal of Social Service Review. On Sept. 30, 2021, Bowen was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Gov. Roy Cooper, which recognizes his exemplary service to the state of North Carolina and his exceptional accomplishments.
Bowen retired from the School of Social Work after a nearly 40 year career on Jan. 1, 2024 and currently serves as Dean Emeritus and Kenan Distinguished Professor Emeritus.
