USC School of Social Work Dean Emeritus Rino Patti and Professor Kathleen Ell have been named inaugural fellows of the newly formed American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare — the first national society honoring excellence in the research and practice of social work.

The two are among 30 professionals from universities, institutions and practices nationwide selected to join the academy, which will hold an induction ceremony this spring at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Created in 2009 with the support of professional social work organizations such as the Saint Louis Group and the Council on Social Work Education, the AASWSW recognizes distinguished academics and practitioners for "high-impact work that advances social good." It came to fruition after years of discussion and planning among professional social work organizations seeking a formal way to encourage and celebrate outstanding research, scholarship and practice.

The academy aims to have its members delve into national discussions of social policy by serving as experts before Congress and other agencies charged with advancing the public good.

"These nominations truly represent an exceptional honor for our school and for Rino Patti and Kathleen Ell," said USC School of Social Work Dean Marilyn Flynn. "AASWSW fellows reflect the highest values and standards in social work and represent the most outstanding and accomplished in their field. And the men and women selected during the first stage of the academy hold an extra honor and responsibility, as they will set the stage for all that will follow in the future."

Patti and Ell are both nationally recognized leaders who have long contributed to turning research into sound social policy.

The author or editor of five books who has published extensively on organizational theory, Patti's research in social policy and social work administration has helped human service agencies become better providers — and their practitioners better advocates for — disenfranchised people.

As dean of the School of Social Work from 1988 to 1997, Patti boosted the prestige of the school and the opportunities available to its graduates by directing the redesign of the PhD program in order to prepare students for academic careers and by fostering a substantial increase in faculty research and support.

Patti, who earned his master's and doctoral degrees from USC, was also instrumental in forming a seminal collaboration between the USC School of Social Work and the Los Angeles County Department of Children's Services. He established in-service training and degree-granting programs for DCS employees, which earned him a commendation from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and served as a basis for the statewide California Social Work Education Center that Patti helped found.

On the national level, he served as chair of the National Institute for Mental Health Implementation Committee, founding board president of the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research and president of the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work. He also co-founded the journal Administration in Social Work, which he guided as associate editor and then editor.

Ell has spent her career working to reduce disparities in care for minority and underserved populations and has conducted extensive research on health-care seeking behavior, major depression, socio-economic distress and mortality associated with life-threatening and chronic illness.

The recipient of more than $14 million in federal research funding over the years, she is the principal investigator of four major randomized clinical trials, two of which are funded by the National Cancer Institute and two by the National Institute for Mental Health.

The Ernest P. Larson Professor of Health, Ethnicity, and Poverty has long been a strong advocate for increasing social work contributions in translational science and research partnerships across disciplines and community care systems. She has worked at the National Institute of Mental Health, served as the executive director for the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research and is among the leaders of the USC Clinical and Translational Science Institute Center for Community Translation.

Patti and Ell will join the AASWSW's second cohort of fellows. Last year, the organization's working group selected six inaugural fellows to form a board of directors. The board then selected this year's cohort.