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Dalhousie University professor Dr. Michael Ungar has been named the world’s leading social work researcher based on the impact of his scholarly writing and citations.

The ranking was published by the journal Research of Social Work Practice, which drew on a database of more than eight million scientists globally from every discipline and separated the top 100 researchers in the field of social work. 

At number one, Dr. Ungar was the only Canadian social work scholar to rank in the top 25.

“I knew my work was getting out there. I knew it was being read and read well, but I had no idea that it was having this kind of impact,” said Dr. Ungar, who is Dalhousie’s Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience.

Dr. Ungar’s research focuses on what empowers people to be mentally and emotionally resilient. Central to his philosophy is the assertion that outside factors play an integral role in an individual’s ability to find the strength to take on the challenges of life. He also notes that the supports people require are not standard across cultures, so prescribed interventions need to be sensitive to a person’s background.

He says his work challenges the idea that individuals have the capacity to summon resilience, no matter the circumstance.

“You know the terms grit, self-regulation, mindfulness? They’ve all become quite common, but the work we’re doing is different. We argue that it’s also about resources and service design. How we create societies also plays an important role in making people resilient. There’s a cultural lens that needs to be considered.”

Dr. Ungar is available to discuss his research and ranking, which are also featured in Dal News. The journal article is available upon request.

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Media contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca