Associate Professor
University of Saint Joseph
Dr. Christiana Best is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work and Equitable Community Practice at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Inside Out/Outside In, facilitating conversations between academia and the community to amplify the voices of marginalized groups. Additionally, she served as Vice President of the NYC chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and is a founding member and Co-chair of the Immigration and Global Social Work Committee (IGSWC).
Dr. Best's scholarship focuses on racial equity, child welfare, and immigration. She is a social worker, researcher, staff development trainer, keynote speaker, and writer. Dr. Best is the principal investigator of two qualitative studies: "Moving the Needle on Organizational Culture," a case study of a child welfare organization, and "Beyond Borders: Educating Migrant Children in the United States," an exploratory study on the cognitive and socio-emotional development of migrant children in U.S. public schools.
In 2017, Dr. Best curated the Historical Child Welfare Timeline Exhibit, which chronicles 200 years of inequities in U.S. child welfare policies, procedures, and practices, which is being updated and modified for a digital platform.
Dr. Best identifies as a racial and social justice teacher/healer. Her work manifests in changing oppressive systems, minds, and hearts through activism and soul work, including deep listening and intentionally embracing people's humanity and liberation.
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