Social work faculty member selected for prestigious fellowship

Henrika McCoy, associate professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work, has been named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for academic year 2020-21.

Following nomination by senior administration of JACSW and UIC and a rigorous application process, McCoy was selected as one of 38 fellows from across the nation.

Dr. McCoy’s research has focused on the intersection between mental health and juvenile delinquency for African American adolescents and the experiences with and impact of violence on young Black males ages 18 to 24. She has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, and the National Institute of Justice.

She currently serves as a Director-at-Large for the Society of Social Work and Research, an Executive Counselor for the Division on People of Color and Crime for the American Society of Criminology, and a Public Voices Fellow for the inaugural cohort of the OpEd Project for the University of Illinois.

“I am so honored to have been chosen for this tremendous opportunity. I am also thankful for the willingness by UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis, UIC Provost Susan Poser and JACSW Dean Creasie Finney Hairston and to support me as I strengthen my leadership skills,” McCoy said. “I look forward to learning from my mentors and cohort during the next year and then returning to University of Illinois at Chicago and Jane Addams College of Social Work, where I can contribute to an environment committed to the academic excellence and success of its students.”

“The ACE Fellows program is unique in its ability to transform the lives and enrich the careers of its participants,” ACE President Ted Mitchell said. “After an intensive experience working with accomplished higher education leaders, the Fellows will return to their home campuses prepared to address the challenges of tomorrow.”

The Fellowship program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.

During the placement, Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement.

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.

Visit the ACE website for more information about the Fellowship program.