First Social Work Doctoral Graduates to Raise Angelo State’s National Profile

ASU has been conferring doctoral degrees since 2012 when the first cohort of Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) students graduated. By producing graduates through a second doctoral program, ASU is now eligible to be designated a Doctorate-granting University in the 2025 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (CCIHE).

Dr. Don Topliff “That raises our status as an institution,” said Dr. Don Topliff, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “It really puts us on another level compared to other regional institutions that don’t have that designation, and it makes us more visible to prospective students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It’s really about raising the profile of Angelo State University and how we market ourselves to prospective students and faculty.”

The CCIHE was created in 1970 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to identify groups of comparable institutions, and Angelo State is currently classified as a M1 Master’s University. The first seven D.S.W. graduates who will make ASU eligible for Doctorate-granting University status are:

• Kyrbi Davis of Humble
• Jennifer Graydon of Austin
• Amy Leverton of Abilene
• Alexandria Licea of Waco
• Robert Longest of San Angelo
• Thomas Tilford of San Angelo
• Deric Valdez of San Angelo

Dr. Joel Carr, associate professor of social work and sociology, directs the D.S.W. in clinical social work program.

Dr. Joel Carr “Not only are these the first graduates from our program, they are the first graduates in Texas from a Doctor of Social Work (D.S.W.) program,” Carr said. “These graduates will be providing clinical mental health services in their respective communities, administrating various clinical programs, or teaching future generations of social work students.”

ASU’s program is one of only six social work doctoral programs in Texas, one of two D.S.W. programs, and the only D.S.W. in clinical social work. It will welcome its third cohort of students this fall.

In addition to the D.S.W. and D.P.T. programs, ASU offers Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in counseling psychology and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in transformative leadership degrees.