Wayne State School of Social Work announces 2026 Teaching and Service Award recipients

For 90 years, the Wayne State University School of Social Work has been dedicated to delivering high-quality teaching and fostering community engagement that promotes cultural humility, benefits the community, and prioritizes social, economic, and environmental justice. In support of this mission, we annually call on students, faculty, and staff to nominate faculty and staff for teaching and service awards. These nominees are not just great social workers-they also have a unique gift for communicating the essential concepts of social work practice and research in a way that makes them exciting, accessible, and memorable so their students draw upon them for years to come.

Social Work Teaching Awards

Dr. Matthew Bakko is an assistant professor at the School of Social Work. He received his Ph.D. in Social Work and Sociology from the University of Michigan. Bakko is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work examines human service organizations operating at the intersection of multiple, often conflicting systems. His research explores how organizational context, interorganizational relationships, and frontline service practices shape policy implementation and social change, with a particular focus on organizations interacting with criminal-legal systems. Drawing on his experience as a case manager, program evaluator, and community organizer, Bakko uses qualitative and mixed methods to study anti-carceral and transformative approaches, especially in behavioral health crisis response.

Bakko's students and colleagues nominated and selected him for the 2026 Inclusive Teaching Award in recognition of his deeply empathetic, accessible, and trauma-informed approach to teaching and mentorship. Students praised Bakko for making inclusion a core principle in his teaching, describing his approach as dynamic, compassionate, and deeply human. His students note that he proactively builds accessibility into every course, rather than relying solely on formal requests. They also noted Bakko's focus on dismantling power differentials in the classroom. One student noted that on the first day, Bakko explicitly framed learning as a process of "co-learning," reinforcing that students' lived experiences are essential sources of knowledge.

His trauma-informed classrooms prioritize students' social and emotional well-being. One student explained that he treats the classroom as "a container for learning," collaboratively establishing class norms and checking in with students during difficult moments, including holding intentional space following major societal events. Bakko's inclusive approach extends to mentoring and research, supporting students as scholars and individuals. Collectively, students described Bakko as an educator who meets students where they are while holding them to meaningful standards of intellectual rigor, reflection, and growth. As one student summarized, his teaching has reshaped not only their academic skills, but their worldview-making it "impossible to 'unsee' systems differently and more humanely.

Dr. Bridget Weller has been a Professor at the WSU School of Social Work since Fall 2023. She previously served as a professor of social work and Director of Research at Western Michigan University. Weller holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her M.S.W. and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan. A licensed clinical social worker, she completed post-master's clinical fellowships at Yale University and received advanced clinical training at Duke University and the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. Weller's research focuses on mental health among Black and multiracial individuals and families, including psychiatric comorbidity, suicide, access to care, and intervention development. Her work has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, HRSA, and NIDA.

Weller was nominated for the 2026 Teacher of the Year Award for her exceptional commitment to student learning, inclusive teaching practices, and transformative mentorship across coursework and research training. Multiple doctoral students described Weller as an educator who simultaneously challenges and supports them, creating classrooms where rigorous scholarship and intellectual confidence flourish. One student shared that Weller "pushed me beyond my comfort zone, stretched my intellectual limits, and recognized strengths in me that I had not fully seen in myself." Students consistently highlighted Weller's inclusive and supportive learning environment. One nominator described her as "an educator who creates spaces where curiosity, critical thinking, and meaningful engagement thrive."

Weller's teaching was praised for its clarity, flexibility, and relevance to real-world research and practice. Students noted her effective use of multiple teaching modalities and real-life examples to support learning. Beyond the classroom, students emphasized Weller's deep investment in mentorship and professional development. One nominator highlighted her mentorship as helping students "grow in skill and confidence, while gently holding them to appropriately high standards of intellectual rigor and professionalism." Collectively, students affirmed that Weller empowers them not only to master complex material but to see themselves as capable scholars and professionals.

Sandra DelVillano-Marchi, LMSW, has been a part-time faculty member at the WSU School of Social Work since 2017. Her career began as a macro social worker, helping create and support programs for marginalized communities in the downtown Detroit area. DelVillano-Marchi expanded her practice to the interpersonal and healthcare sectors. As an instructor at Wayne State University, she has taught courses in ethics, practice methods, diversity and social justice, and lifespan development theories. Sandra currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Ethics Committee for the NASW, Michigan Chapter.

She was nominated for the 2026 Teacher of the Year Award for her teaching excellence and profound impact on their academic growth and professional development. One nominator praised DelVillano-Marchi's for helping students become well-rounded social workers and for creating a classroom environment that is "warm, structured, and intellectually engaging." She emphasized DelVillano-Marchi's commitment to student learning with "thorough, individualized feedback" and personal follow-up when students struggled. One of DelVillano-Marchi's greatest strengths, according to the nomination, is her ability to bridge theory and practice. Drawing on her professional experience, she presented students with ethically complex, real-world scenarios that emphasized "the seriousness, nuance, and responsibility of ethical practice," helping students understand ethics beyond abstract concepts.

The nomination also highlights DelVillano-Marchi's dedication to inclusive teaching by fostering a classroom where diverse identities and perspectives were welcomed, while still challenging students to critically reflect within the profession's ethical framework. "By welcoming diverse perspectives and encouraging respectful dialogue, she transformed student diversity into a powerful learning tool." The student concluded that DelVillano-Marchi's teaching "exemplifies excellence, compassion, and intellectual rigor," noting that her influence extends far beyond course content to shape how students engage with the social work profession.
Social Work Service Award

Dr. Bryan Victor is an associate professor at the Wayne State University School of Social Work and a faculty affiliate with the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute and the University of Michigan's Child and Adolescent DataLab. His research focuses on the U.S. child welfare system, including system responses to children's exposure to domestic violence, reducing harm and social injustice associated with child welfare involvement, and strengthening prevention through cross-systems collaboration. Victor specializes in data science and administrative records research to support data-informed decision-making. His work also examines the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence in social work research and practice. His scholarship appears in leading journals, and he serves as an associate editor for the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Victor's colleagues nominated and selected him for the 2026 Service of the Year Award because of his deep, sustained commitment to mentoring faculty, doctoral students, and social work professionals. A colleague noted that while Victor's institutional and national service record is extensive, "what most distinguishes Bryan is the depth, consistency, and generosity of his mentorship." The nominator emphasized that Victor has made "the development of others a central pillar of his professional identity." His mentorship to doctoral students regularly provides guidance on the academic job market, meeting individually with students to review CVs and research statements, conduct mock interviews, and prepare job talks. Through this work, he offers "detailed, constructive feedback that strengthens not only their materials but their confidence."

Beyond the university, Victor's service reflects what the nominator describes as a "mentorship ethos." Through legislative testimony, national trainings on artificial intelligence and social work, and engagement in licensure reform efforts, he equips professionals with tools to navigate complex systems ethically and effectively. "Bryan's service is not transactional; it is relational," the nomination concludes. "He supports people. He strengthens careers. He fosters intellectual growth." For these reasons, and for the many individuals impacted by his guidance, Victor is described as "exceptionally deserving of the Social Work Service Award."

Faculty spotlight