A $5 million gift honors two UW-Madison alumnae and supports graduate students pursuing careers in social work
By Katie Vaughn
In honor of his late wife’s and his mother-in-law’s dedication to the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work, Joel F. Berman has announced a gift of $5 million to support the School’s graduate students. It is the largest gift the school has ever received.
Ethel Sandra “Sandy” Rosenbaum received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology in 1972 and a master’s degree in social work from the university in 1976. Her mother, Harriet Abelson Rosenbaum, was a 1948 graduate of the university.
“Sandy pursued social work because she saw people in need growing up in New York City and wanted to help them, and because of her mother Harriet, who, as a social worker in New York, exemplified the transformational impact one can have on a person's life through this work,” Berman says. “This gift fulfills Sandy’s dream of honoring her mother by encouraging more students...
The School of Social Work is proud to announce the development of a new fund, named after an alumna, legislator, and advocate for social justice, to advance the School’s priority goals of diversity and inclusion within the School and in our social justice work with the community.
The School of Social Work is excited to welcome four new faculty members to campus this fall whose knowledge, experience, and efforts will benefit our students and drive the School’s work to achieve an equitable, healthy, and productive society through social work education and research. We’re thrilled to have them all here!
Three MSW students participated in the Congressional Institute for Social Work and Policy (
Members and friends of the School of Social Work: Unfortunately, what happened in Charlottesville is not surprising to us. It is yet another outward manifestation of what we know to be true – hatred and violence are both tolerated and fostered in our country.
