Reflections on the history of the society for social work and research, 2008–2018

Founded in 1994, the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) is social work’s scientific society, widely recognized as the world’s foremost venue for scientific exchange, advancement, and connection of social work researchers at all career levels. In 2008, in an effort to preserve the organization’s history, SSWR’s first 7 presidents collaborated on an account of the society’s first 14 years (1994– 2008). This article brings the assessment of SSWR’s history to the present day by sharing the perspectives of SSWR’s next 5 presidents (2008–2018). During their terms, SSWR experienced dramatic expansion of membership and annual conference offerings, introducing new avenues for broad participation among its membership and conference contributors. Increasingly, SSWR has assumed a smart, collaborative role in promoting social work science in the profession’s maturing ecology of social work knowledge development.