In recognition of their exemplary public service, scholarly accomplishments and distinction in teaching, Ron Astor, Ph.D. and Jacquelyn McCroskey, D.S.W. have been promoted to the rank of full professor, announced Dean Marilyn Flynn of the USC School of Social Work.

"We are fortunate to have such outstanding leadership on our faculty," Dean Flynn said.

Dr. Astor, a graduate of the USC School of Social Work and the University of California, Berkeley, holds a joint appointment in the Schools of Social Work and Education. An expert on school violence, bullying and victimization, he recently published his first book, School Violence in Context: Culture, Neighborhood, Family, School and Gender (Oxford University Press), co-authored with Rami Benbenishty of Hebrew University. He received international acclaim for a school mapping procedure he devised as a tool for students and teachers to generate "grassroots" solutions to safety problems. A frequent collaborator on projects with colleagues at Hebrew University, Dr. Astor has published more than 70 scholarly manuscripts, and his work has been widely cited in the international media in the United States and Israel.

He has received awards and fellowships from many prestigious organizations, including the National Academy of Education, H.F. Guggenheim Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation, Spencer Foundation, Israeli Ministry of Education, National Institute of Mental Health, American Educational Research Association and Fulbright.

Dr. McCroskey, who holds the John Milner Professorship in Child Welfare, was named California Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers in 2003. She is an active advocate for children and families in Los Angeles County, advising policy makers, administrators and philanthropists on using data to improve program planning and track results. She was one of the founders of the Children's Planning Council, which has been called the "strongest and most influential cross-system vehicle advocating for reform of children\'s services system in a major U.S. metropolitan area." She is a commissioner of the First 5 LA Commission, which has allocated almost a billion dollars for services and research for young children and their families since its inception in 1999. She also serves on the County\'s Child Care Policy Roundtable and the City of Los Angeles Commission on Children, Youth and Their Families. She has led all of these entities using data to inform planning, analyze the distribution of resources and assess the impact on the lives of children and families.

Her research focuses on the financing and organization of services for children and families, utilization of results and performance measurement in the social services, the effectiveness of child welfare services and the impact of inter-professional training on professional development.