The University of Connecticut Board of Trustees has approved Cristina Wilson’s appointment to the Zachs Chair in Social Work. The Judith M. and Henry M. Zachs Chair in Social Work was created through a gift from the Zachs Family Foundation in 1999. The purpose of the Endowed Chair is to provide leadership of the School of Social Work’s Doctoral Program. The inaugural Chair of the Ph.D. program was appointed in 2002 and the most recent chair, Nina Heller, Ph.D., stepped down in Spring 2023. Wilson will assume the chaired position and directorship of the Doctoral Program in Fall 2024 for a three-year term.
Wilson is a nationally and internationally recognized researcher in the area of health disparities, with a specific emphasis on Latino communities. Her research has made significant contributions to improving the lives of Latino families by identifying modifiable factors associated with parenting outcomes and substance use prevention. Her work identifies distinct strengths of Latino fathers, family, culture, and parenting practices that can be applied in intervention and prevention efforts. Focused on culturally adapted interventions with Latino families, Wilson’s scholarship informs culturally responsive practices and education.
Wilson also served as Research Director at the UConn University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) from 2019 through 2021 where she oversaw a staff of emerging scholars and a $10 million research portfolio. In this role, she led research and the evaluation of interventions designed to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in education, work, and community life. She also oversaw training grants supporting emerging scholars and practitioners in this substantive area. Wilson is the author of 45 peer-reviewed articles as well as numerous book chapters and editorials. Over the course of her career, she has presented over 100 conference papers. Her research has received significant external funding support totaling over $23 million. These awards include, but are not limited to, federal support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
In academic year 2023-24, Wilson is serving as interim co-Director of the Ph.D. program. She regularly teaches classes in the social work research sequence in the School’s master’s and doctoral programs. She has mentored numerous doctoral students and has served as a major and associate dissertation advisor for numerous Ph.D. candidates. She is currently co-leading the implementation of curricular reform recommendations based on a recent external review of the program.
Wilson is a leader within academic social work. She was recently named Editor-in-Chief of Families in Society, a preeminent social work journal. Previously, she was an associate editor of the Journal of Social Work Education. She has served on several committees of the Council of Social Work Education, the profession’s educational accreditation body, as well as multiple committees of the National Hispanic Science Network.
Wilson has contributed to UConn throughout her tenure. These efforts include membership on the President’s Research Advisory Council (PRAC), serving as an elected representative to the University Senate, and participation on the Consumer Advisory Board for the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at UCHC. In 2011, Wilson received the UConn Provost’s awards for Excellence in Public Engagement for work with the Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Project. She is a committed colleague at the School of Social Work and has supported the School through her participation as chair of the School’s Promotion and Tenure Review committee, Chairs of the Research Curriculum Committee, and as Director of the SSW Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Project, among other efforts.
