Name: Sara English
Title: Assistant Professor of Social Work; Director of the Gerontology program
Education: Ph.D., Social Work, University of South Carolina
M.S.W., Winthrop University
B.A., Behavioral Science, Columbia College
Office: 121 Bancroft Hall
Phone: 803/323-3109
E-mail: englishs@winthrop.edu
Area(s): Gerontology
Sara English is an Assistant Professor of Social Work and the faculty advisor for the Gerontology Minor Program at Winthrop University. She is a Certified Gerontology Professional (CPG) and AGE-SW fellow, and has presented her research at local, national, and international venues, including at the University of Bath, the University of Iceland, and in South Africa. She serves as the NASW-SC representative to the Alzheimer’s Advisory Board for the SC Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging and was recognized by the NASW-SC as the Social Work Educator of the Year for 2022. Dr. English studies the power of non-familial relationships among staff and residents of institutional settings and is examining younger residents living in Long-Term Care. Dr. English also explores how simple mindfulness practices can enhance mental health and well-being, and was selected as Winthrop University’s Thompson Scholar for the academic year 2023-2024, creating a student-focused mindfulness program. She is passionate about qualitative research and the depth of understanding it offers to global studies of persons who live in the margins of society.