May 23, 2024 - Colonel Teresa Murray (Army-UK Master of Social Work program)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 23, 2024) – In October 2016, the UK College of Social Work (CoSW) established a partnership with the Department of Defense to offer the one-of-a-kind Army-UK Master of Social Work degree.  A satellite site was established within the Army Medical Department Center and School at Fort Sam Houston. The satellite implements the full-time, 60-hour CoSW program. The curriculum is delivered in a condensed format over 14 continuous months of study, and all classes are administered face-to-face on the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston campus. The goal is to develop well-qualified clinical social workers to fill positions across military service branches. Colonel Teresa Murray, a graduate of the MSW program, is now the director of the very same program she graduated from. Murray was promoted to the rank of colonel in April of this year. There are currently fewer than 10 active-duty social workers who have earned that title in the army. With more than 21 years of active federal service, Col. Murray says the role of social workers in the military continues to evolve. On this episode of 'Behind the Blue', Col. Murray discusses her career path, the importance and value of social workers serving the members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the continuing importance of observing Memorial Day, as communities across the United States prepare to honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page. To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.