Gayla Rogers

Degrees: , PhD in Social Work (University of New Castle-Upon-Tyne), MSW (Clinical) (University of Calgary), BSW (Distinction) (University of Calgary), BA (Distinction) in Sociology and Psychology (University of Alberta)

Interests: Leadership in human services, field education, strategic planning, multicultural/diversity issues.

Dr. Gayla Rogers began teaching in the Faculty of Social Work in 1978 on a part-time basis. In 1987, she became the director of field education and in 1998 became the Faculty’s first female dean.

As Dean, her responsibilities include: strategic and business planning; translating vision into action; public and external relations; fund development and communications; partnership-making and teamwork; budgeting and accountability measures; and managing academic, support staff and student issues.

When serving as the Faculty’s director of field education, Rogers developed a research agenda into several aspects of this form of learning, and has delivered workshops for educators and practitioners, and provided consultation to social work programs in Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. A significant number of her presentations and publications are related to field education.

Rogers has been directly involved in curriculum development, teaching and research administration, and academic leadership. She has co-authored or edited four books; published over 45 journal articles and book chapters; delivered over 100 papers; and has received federal funding for her research.

Over the past 20 years, Rogers has served as a director on the boards of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Jewish Family Services, YWCA of Calgary, and the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work as well as its Board of Accreditation.

She currently serves on the Professional Social Work Education Board of the Alberta College of Social Workers, the member committee of the Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research and the Council of Champions for the United Way of Calgary’s Children’s Initiative.

In terms of community service, she is a presently a director on the boards of three voluntary sector organizations: HomeFront Society for the Prevention of Family Violence, the Telus World of Science Creative Kids Museum, and Katimavik.

Research Projects:

• Barlow, C. (Co-I)., & Rogers, G. (Co-I). Discourses in Conflict: A multidisciplinary study of professional education. (SSHRC; 2002-2006).
• Rogers, G. (Co-I)., & Este, D. (Co-I). Making sense of partnerships in non-profit child and family service organizations. (Woods Homes of Calgary, Joint Initiatives Division Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; 2002-2005)