Michigan State’s Anna Maria Santiago Recognized by the Association for Community Organization and Social Action

Anna Maria Santiago, associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University, was selected as the winner of the Career Achievement Award by the Association for Community Organization and Social Action.

The award honors the lifetime contribution of a person in the field who has made major contributions to the conceptual definition of community practice, the empirical knowledge base of the discipline, and the significant development of practice methods. Dr. Santiago’s scholarship is concerned with conditions in urban communities and the ways in which social policies can impact the opportunities, risks, and social structures within them.

“I was truly surprised to receive the notification about this award. I am grateful for the recognition of a lifetime of work dedicated to addressing the perduring inequalities and disparities in opportunities experienced by Latinx, African American, and other minoritized groups in the United States and beyond. I especially want to thank the thousands of research participants who have entrusted me and my research teams with the telling of their stories and experiences through our research,” said Dr. Santiago.

Dr. Santiago, an internationally known expert on the influence of place on the health and well-being, opportunities, and life chances of Latinx and African American families and children, joined the College of Social Science at Michigan State University as a professor of social work in 2015. She was appointed as an associate dean in January 2018. Her previous positions include serving as the inaugural holder of the Leona Bevis and Marguerite Haynam Professorship in Community Development at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and as a professor and inaugural director of the Ph.D. Program in social work at Wayne State University in Detroit. Dr. Santiago is also the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Community Practice.

Dr. Santiago earned her undergraduate degree in social sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She earned her master’s degree in geography and her doctoral degree in urban social institutions from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Related Articles

Latest News

Data Shows High Attrition Rates for Women in STEM Degree Programs

For women who began their four-year college career in a STEM discipline, 14 percent dropped out of college and 32 percent switched to a non-STEM major before earning their degree.

Monique Guillory Named Ninth President of Dillard University

Dr. Guillory has served as Dillard University's interim president for the past seven months. Her background includes over three decades of higher education administration experience.

Lynne Coy-Organ Is the First Woman President of Husson University

Lynne Coy-Organ has been named the first woman president of Husson University in Maine. She has served as the university's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the past 15 years.

Donna Hedgepath Will Be the First Woman President of Wayland Baptist University

Current provost of Campbellsville University in Kentucky, Donna Hedgepath, has been named president of Wayland Baptist University in Texas, making her the first woman to be selected for the position.

Three Women Scholars Appointed to Provost Positions

The new provosts are Elizabeth Dumont at the University of California, Merced, Marguerite Giguette at Xavier University in New Orleans, and Margaret Brown Marsden at Midwestern State University in Texas.

MOSDOH – Dean of the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

The dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer for MOSDOH, leading a mission-driven dental school known for innovation, community partnerships, and service to the underserved.

Vice President for Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer

The successful candidate will have a strong financial and administrative background and demonstrated ability to excel in a fast-paced, dynamic and complex community college that values integrity, excellence, empowerment, inclusiveness, collaboration and stewardship.

Instructional Professor in Law, Letters, and Society (Open Rank)

The Social Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago is now accepting applications for a full-time Instructional Professor who will teach in the program in Law, Letters, and Society.

Instructor, Economics

The Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at the University of Chicago invites applications for tenure-track faculty positions in Economics at the Instructor position level to begin in the 2025-26 academic year and is renewable for up to three years.

Vice Chancellor for Student Success

The Vice Chancellor for Student Success will be a strategic, student-centered, data-informed, systems thinker who thrives in a fast paced, high-achieving environment.