The School of Social Work at UBC Vancouver is excited to announce the appointment of a new Director, Dr Lea Caragata. Dr Caragata joined the School in 2021 after many years as Professor and Associate Dean at Wilfrid Laurier University. Immediately on joining UBC, Dr Caragata took on reinvigorating the School’s PhD program and has also served in her brief UBC tenure as Chair of the School’s MSW program. While at Laurier, Lea developed programs in international social work and helped to lead the development of a fully online MSW program.
In taking up the appointment, Dr Caragata spoke of appreciating the strong programs and outstanding faculty and staff at the School of Social Work. She committed as part of her new role to building an expanded visibility and presence of the School both within UBC and in the wider community through new and expanded programs and initiatives.
Dr Caragata’s policy-focused program of research addresses welfare systems and precarious work, gender and inclusivity including for lone mother-led families. She currently leads a SSHRC project on the provisioning roles of youth in low income families and is a Co-Investigator on a SSHRC partnership project in conjunction with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and other community and academic researchers.
