Baffour named School of Social Work director
Dr. Nicole Bromfield, dean of the East Carolina University College of Health and Human Performance, announced Dr. Tiffany Baffour as the new director of the School of Social Work. She is scheduled to begin in this role on July 1.
Baffour brings more than 25 years of experience in teaching, curriculum development, clinical practice, advocacy, research and administrative leadership in social work and organizational development. Most recently at the University of Utah, she served as an associate professor. She also held key administrative roles, including associate dean in the Graduate School and director of the Master of Social Work program. She has led research on carceral systems, health advocacy, community-based research and higher education practices. Baffour also has previous professional experience within the University of North Carolina System, serving as chair of behavioral sciences and social work and director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Winston-Salem State University, and as teaching associate professor at North Carolina A&T State University, leading faculty mentoring, curriculum reform and system-wide, distance-learning initiatives.
Dr. Tiffany Baffour will begin July 1 at ECU as director of the School of Social Work. (contributed photo)
“I am honored to join the School of Social Work at East Carolina University, an institution deeply committed to student success, community engagement and regional transformation,” Baffour said. “I look forward to contributing to ECU’s vibrant academic community and supporting our students as they become transformative leaders in social work. I am also excited to collaborate with the remarkable faculty here in the School of Social Work and our interdisciplinary partners in the College of Health and Human Performance, in the community and across campus, while leveraging system-wide partnerships and relationships built through my work in the UNC System. Together, we can continue to amplify our research and teaching efforts to address pressing social issues in eastern North Carolina and beyond by exploring new directions and innovative approaches to social work education, practice and interprofessional collaboration.”
At the University of Utah, Baffour served on the inaugural board of the McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention (2020–24) and was honored with the 2022 Madame C.J. Walker Resource Award for her contributions to community-engaged learning and civic engagement. On the national level, Baffour has held leadership positions with the Council on Social Work Education, the accrediting body for all U.S. social work programs. This includes being chair of the council on conferences and professional development (2018-2023) and currently serving on the service user curricular guide committee (2023-present).
She earned her PhD in social work from Howard University, her Master of Social Service from Bryn Mawr College, her MA in sociology from the University of Delaware, and her BA in political science from New Jersey City University.
“Dr. Baffour’s leadership, experience and commitment to student success and in-depth understanding of social work education make her an outstanding fit for this role,” Bromfield said. “I look forward to working alongside her as we continue to strengthen the School of Social Work and support the next generation of social work leaders.”
Dean Bromfield is grateful for Dr. AJ An’s leadership, dedication and effectiveness as interim director of the ECU School of Social Work during the transition period. Following Baffour’s arrival, An will return to her focus full-time as a faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology. Bromfield would also like to thank the director search committee members for their dedicated service, and the School of Social Work Advisory Board for their participation in the search process.