American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare

Ramona W. Denby-Brinson, PhD

Active | Inducted in 2025

Bio

Dr. Ramona Denby-Brinson is dean and Kuralt Distinguished Professor of Public Welfare Policy and Administration in the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). She has more than 30 years of experience in social work education and 20 years in administration.

Her scholarly interests include policy, programming, and treatment issues relevant to children and families; child welfare; children’s mental health; and culturally specific service delivery. Denby-Brinson is a nationally recognized expert in culturally adapted child welfare services. She has published extensively about kinship care, as well as the mental health and well-being of African American children who are foster care system involved.

She has been funded significantly from federal, state, and private sources to conduct research related to child and family well-being. Her work is articulated in peer-reviewed journal articles, books, chapters, technical reports, issue briefs, media presentations and professional papers/presentations. She has been active in several national social work professional associations, including the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).

Denby-Brinson has received numerous accolades for her scholarship and impact on the field. She received the 2014 Harry Reid Silver State Research Award for her highly respected research that is responsive to the needs of local and national communities. Denby-Brinson is passionate about working shoulder-to-shoulder and in communities with kinship families. She and her colleagues are working to support kinship families via KinCarolina which aims to produce health and wellbeing for caregivers and the children they are raising.

Denby-Brinson completed her Ph.D. at The Ohio State University. Prior to her academic career, Denby-Brinson served children and families in various social service settings.