Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service (GSS) Associate Professor Laura Wernick, Ph.D., will serve as one of the distinguished opening plenary speakers at this year’s Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (APM) conference.
The 71st Annual Conference is set to take place in Denver, Colorado, from October 23–26, 2025. With the theme, “It’s Time to Act: Championing Disability Justice and Disability Joy in Social Work,” the event aims to foster essential conversations around disability joy, justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Wernick’s inclusion as an opening plenary speaker is particularly fitting, as their scholarship and activism deeply resonate with the conference’s core values. Wernick has consistently employed a disability justice lens throughout their career to investigate how organizing models address intersectional issues of power, oppression, healing, and change within various social movements. Their dedication to participatory action research has made their work academically rigorous and rooted in community engagement.
The Opening Plenary, serving as the official kickoff to the conference, is designed to prepare attendees for the weekend’s sessions. This year’s speakers represent the Social Work Disability Justice League, and they will engage in a meaningful conversation on disability justice and the League’s vision for the future of social work and disability. Dr. Tonya Perry, a member of the CSWE Board of Directors, will moderate the discussion.
Wernick’s research has focused on organizing LGBTQ+ youth, low-income youth of color, young adult activists with wealth, and employers of domestic workers. Currently, their research examines ableism and white supremacy culture within the social work academy, demonstrating dedication to justice and equity within the profession itself.
Mark your calendars for the event — October will be here before we know it!
