Deborah Waldrop, PhD, MSW

Deborah Waldrop, PhD, MSW, is a professor and the Associate Dean for Faculty Development at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. Deborah earned her MSW from Syracuse University and her PhD in Human Environmental Sciences with a certificate in gerontology from Oklahoma State University. Before joining as faculty in 1999, Deborah spent 25 years as a healthcare social worker.  Throughout her practice career, Deborah worked with older adults and their family members who were making difficult decisions often without good options.  Deborah now teaches courses on aging, healthcare, loss and grief and conducts research that focuses on the needs and concerns of people with serious illnesses and their families.  She is a member of the national executive boards of the Social Work in Hospice and Palliative Care Network (SWHPN) and the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW) and serves as a co-chair of the National Quality Forum’s standing committee on End-of-life and Palliative Care.