Paula S. Nurius, PhD
Inducted in 2015
Chair, Early Career Mentoring Program
Current Position
Professor, Associate Dean, School of Social Work, University of WashingtonEducation
BA, University of Texas; MSW, University of Hawaii; MA, Ph.D., University of MichiganPaula S. Nurius is the Grace Beals-Ferguson Scholar and Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work where she also holds the role of Associate Dean for Transdisciplinary Scholarship.
Her current research addresses processes and effects of stress and trauma focusing on vulnerable and socially disadvantaged populations, early/preventive intervention, and fostering resilience. Her scholarship on life course stress integrates structural, psychosocial, and biobehavioral pathways. She collaborates with local foundations and organizations toward strengthening state-level research and dissemination regarding early life adversity and community responses to support prevention and resilience. Earlier work focused on victimization and perpetration, situational coping, and social cognitive mechanisms of self-concept functioning.
Dr. Nurius has served nationally as Vice-President and as Secretary of the Society for Social Work and Research and Vice-President of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education. She has received multiple honors, including the GADE National Leadership in Doctoral Education Award, Society of Social Work & Research Fellow, and recognized among top 25 women scholars in social work by impact score. She has co-led national efforts relating to national research capacity building and advancing research career supports within social work. She is active in university initiatives focused on transforming educational frameworks toward preparing a more transdisciplinary and translation-oriented scientific workforce. She directed an NIH-funded doctoral training program for 16 years and serves as mentor and advisor across multiple interdisciplinary programs.
Dr. Nurius graduated with a BA from the Interdisciplinary Honors Program at the University of Texas, received her MSW from the University of Hawaii, and obtained her MA in Psychology and PhD in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Michigan.
https://socialwork.uw.edu/faculty/professors/paula-s-nurius1