Michael Robinson, an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work, is also taking on the role of Admissions Coordinator for the new Master of Social Work (MSW) Online program. In 2015, Robinson joined the University of Georgia staff and calls his position at UGA his “dream job.” One of the highlights of his time at the university is collaborating and working alongside his colleagues. 

“The School of Social Work has some of the best minds in the field,” Robinson says. As the Admissions Coordinator for the new MSW online degree, Robinson will be working with students to ensure a smooth transition into the program.

In his role as Associate Professor, Robinson pushes his students to think “beyond the textbook” and follow an ethical decision making model for future success. He teaches this method in his classes, “Ethics in Marriage and Family Therapy” and “First-Year Odyssey Seminar.”

Outside of the classroom, he conducts research focused on social justice issues faced by people of color. His hope is to partner with scholars across the country to discover solutions to improve the relationship between people of color and the U.S. law enforcement. A manuscript, Robinson and colleagues created, detailing their research received an award as the most impactful article of the year by the Conference of Social Work Educations’ Council on Racial Ethnic and Cultural Diversity.

His research influences his teaching in that his foremost goal is to train his students to be the “best research-informed practitioners possible.” Robinson also believes interaction with his students allows him to become more aware of social issues and a better researcher. In 2018, he was honored at the university’s teaching awards and won a First-Year Odyssey teaching award.

 Looking ahead, Robinson hopes his students can apply what they learn in the classroom onto their personal lives and leave challenged to do better. 

“Overall, I want to contribute to them being the best person they can be.” Robinson says.