Alumna Suzanne Dworak-Peck Names the School of Social Work
I hope my contribution to social work has been, and will continue to be, to broaden our views of ourselves as active players in the power arenas on behalf of our clients, our profession and our society.
- Suzanne Dworak-Peck
On September 14, 2016, Suzanne Dworak-Peck, BA ’65, MSW ’67, made a historic $60 million gift to endow and name the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work that will allow the school to broaden its vision and mission.
We are tremendously proud and humbled to have one of our most prominent alumnae provide this endowment. Dworak-Peck’s indelible mark on the profession will be an inspirational force for generations of future students.
Dworak-Peck never shies away from presenting herself as a professional social work practitioner, and a great deal of her pride stems from her education at USC.
Affectionately known to colleagues as “the social worker’s social worker,” Dworak-Peck has been dedicated to expanding the scope and scale of the profession – a true hallmark of her career. Prestigious posts and accolades aside, her status as an internationally respected social worker is the result of a 30-year career devoted to advocacy for those who would otherwise be overlooked by mainstream society.
Her passion has always been to create a better society, to carve out a new path for collaboration and communication, and to effectively change the lens through which the social work profession is viewed.
View photos from the school naming celebration.
In the Media - Suzanne Dworak-Peck Naming Gift
Los Angeles Times, September 14, 2016
Inside Higher Ed, September 15, 2016
The Chronicle of Social Change, September 14, 2016
The Chronicle of Philanthropy, September 15, 2016
The Morning Call, September 15, 2016
City News Service – published in 4 outlets, including:
NBC 4 Los Angeles, September 14, 2016
Beverly Hills Courier
Associated Press – published in 58 outlets, including:
CBS 2 Los Angeles, September 15, 2016
San Francisco Chronicle
The Sacramento Bee
The Washington Times
Houston Chronicle
San Antonio Express News
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Santa Cruz Sentinel
ABC News San Luis Obispo
CBS News San Diego
Tulsa World
The Times-Herald
Stamford Advocate
A full page advertisement in honor of Suzanne Dworak-Peck and her gift to the school of social work was featured in the following newspapers on September 19, 2016: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Orange County Register, Bay Area News Group, San Diego Union Tribune, Sacramento Bee, Wall Street Journal.
Career Timeline
Below are just a few examples of Suzanne Dworak-Peck’s impressive resume of leadership positions and honors as a social work practitioner.
