Honoring Dr. Alma J. Carten

For over two decades, Dr. Alma J. Carten has been a valued member of the New York University Silver School of Social Work faculty, educating a generation of professional social workers and moving the practice forward through her scholarship. She is now preparing to retire from her full-time faculty appointment at the end of the 2016-17 academic year.

Over the full course of her professional career, Dr. Carten has been unswerving in her commitment to engaging in professional activities to advance policies and programs that improve the lives and communities of New York City’s at risk families, children and youth. In her retirement, Dr. Carten intends to continue devoting herself to causes related to children and families. While some progress has been made, there is a continued need for social workers who are well-prepared and committed to serving families impacted by the social problems entrenched in our most troubled neighborhoods and communities.

On April 6, 2017 the School honored Dr. Carten on the occasion of her retirement with an invitational colloquium entitled, “Child and Family Well-Being: How Far Have We Come?” A standing-room only crowd turned out to see Interim Dean James Jaccard facilitate the conversation between two exceptional leaders of Casey Family Programs, Dr. William Bell and Dr. Zeinab Chahine, and to join us in celebrating Dr. Carten’s extraordinary career.

The School is also taking the occasion of Dr. Carten’s retirement as an opportunity to highlight the School’s Dr. Alma J. Carten Scholarship Fund. The Carten Scholarship Fund was established in 1992 by NYU Silver alumni Hillary Marshak and Denise Young, to honor the appreciation they gained for the policy context of social work practice after taking Dr. Carten’s policy courses. In keeping with the original intent of the founders, the Carten Scholarship Fund encourages and strengthens student interest in the integration of policy and social work practice. NYU Silver will now offer up to four awards from this fund each academic year to students who share this interest, demonstrate leadership potential, and are committed to pursuing a career serving children, youth and families.

Please join NYU Silver in celebrating Dr. Carten’s accomplishments and contributions to academia and the profession by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Dr. Alma J. Carten Scholarship Fund to support the pipeline of new professionals with a policy perspective who are committed to a career in service to children and families.