UNC Chapel Hill Master of Social Work Student Named NASW-NC 2021 Presidents’ Award Recipient

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2/1/21

Contact: Seth Maid, Director of Membership & Communication, 919-828-9650, smaid.naswnc@socialworkers.org

(RALEIGH, NC) – The National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter (NASW-NC) has named Jillian Riley as the recipient of the 2021 NASW-NC Presidents’ Award for Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Jillian Riley is an outstanding graduate student in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

The NASW-NC Presidents’ Award recognizes Ms. Riley’s leadership within her Department and local community, her commitment to serving on social justice campaigns, and her dedication to advancing public policy.

Ms. Riley ran for local election to serve on the Durham Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor and was endorsed by the NASW-NC’s Political Action for Candidate Election Committee. She sits as the Board Chair of Crayons2Calculators and is a board member of the Durham City/County Citizen Advisory, the Equal Rights Amendment – NC Alliance, as well as the Raleigh Women’s March. In addition, she is an Associate Supervisor in the Durham Soil and Water Conservation District, where she represents her community on three different city/county boards.

Throughout her time in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at UNC Chapel Hill, Ms. Riley has demonstrated a strong conviction in student leadership and social equity. She currently represents her school as a Student Ambassador and has been an active facilitator in student recruitment. Additionally, she is listed as the third author of an upcoming publication by the Society for Research in Child Development titled “Longitudinal Trajectories of Four Domains of Parenting in Relation to Adolescent Age and Puberty in Nine Countries.” Dr. Sarah Verbiest, Clinical Associate Professor at the UNC School of Social Work, states that Ms. Riley’s “commitment to public service is evident and her ability to run a positive campaign with a strong platform and engage with a diversity of people is clear.” Dr. Verbiest also notes that “Jillian is the kind of student who always goes several steps above what is required and does it well.”

This year, Ms. Riley is working as a Graduate Assistant at the Juvenile Justice Division at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Here, she is institutionalizing a statewide process for Juvenile Justice-involved youth to be engaged in local Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health teams. During her first-year research practicum at the Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy, she participated in domestic and international research, which includes the impact that COVID-19 has on working families. She is also a 2020 Ellen Black Winston Award Scholar and a 2019 Janice Hough Schloper Scholar.

Ms. Riley will be honored at the 2021 NASW-NC Virtual Ethics Conference and Awards Celebration on Friday, March 19^th, 2021.

The National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter (NASW-NC) is a membership organization that promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW-NC also seeks to enhance the effective functioning and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities through its work and advocacy.