H. Stephen Cooper named Chair of Social Work

Grand Forks, N.D. – The University of North Dakota (UND)  has selected Dr. H. Stephen Cooper, MSW, Ph.D., LCSW as its new Chair of Social Work.

Cooper started at UND on December 31, 2024 as the Chair of the Department of Social Work serving the division of Academic Affairs & Provost

Cooper is a Texan transplant; born in Dallas, Texas and raised in Sachse, Texas, a small rural community in northeast Dallas County.  He attained his Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Social Work (MSW) from Stephen F. Austin State University and his PhD in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.  He has taught BSW and MSW courses with an emphasis on research, statistics, policy, community/organizational practice.  He shared he realized his childhood dream job as an adult – becoming a police officer.

“I am often asked about the factors that led me to that choice – there were several, one of which was probably my childhood love of “CHiPs” and “Emergency!””

Cooper brings two dozen years of higher education experience. Most recently he served as a Professor of Social Work and BSW Program Director at William Woods University, but he has previously held associate deanships and acted as a Senior Director of Presidential Projects.

“I have lived most of my life in rural communities – working with, listening to, learning from, and helping rural people. Those experiences have been invaluable in shaping who I am as a person, a social worker, an educator, and a leader. As such, the University of North Dakota and this position are very appealing, especially given the Department of Social Work and College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines’ commitment to serving rural and underserved populations.”

Steve’s three decades of work experience in rural communities include:

• law enforcement
• child and adolescent mental health
• residential treatment; administration; and
• rural network planning and development

He has led the design and implementation of multiple successful efforts to build community and regional collaboratives to address challenges related to mental health care, substance abuse, healthcare, wellness, and well-being.  Examples of such include the following:

• Rural East Texas Health Network,
  • A 12 county collaborative involving mental health providers, law enforcement agencies, courts, county government, and medical/surgical hospitals in addressing issues related to managing mental health crises
  • Funded by the U.S. Department of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration
• Better Together
  • A multi-sector community level collaborative focused on improving wellness and well-being in Nacogdoches County, Texas
  • Funded by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
• The Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation (CARRI)
  • A regional multi-sector partnership in Deep East Texas to leverage the resources of a regional comprehensive university to support regional community, economic, and workforce development
  • Funded by the Economic Development Administration and State of Texas.