Dorothy Wallis

Dr. Dorothy Wallis is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Utah State University. One of her favorite parts of her role is connecting students to macro-level work to promote change, including by engaging them in the research process. When in her undergraduate social work program, Dorothy viewed research as more of a chore to get through. When she moved into practice work as a social worker, she saw that so many issues at the micro level could only be addressed by researching larger, evidence-based solutions. She uses this experience to foster curiosity among her undergraduate students and inspire them to pursue their own research agendas. 

Since beginning her role as an Assistant Professor in 2023, Dorothy has mentored over 10 undergraduate students on independent projects that have led to presentations, funding, and a desire to continue with research. Additionally, she has mentored 295 social work students in course-based research projects. In this work, students get experience from developing research projects to disseminating results to the community and the broader public. These projects get to the heart of social work by assessing food security, attitudes towards expanding homelessness, and a deeper understanding of the impact of trauma in our state. Mentoring students on their own research journeys will remain a central focus of Dorothy’s career.