Sean Joe, the Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, received an Honorable Mention for the 2026 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Excellence in Research Award.
The recognition is for the article “Mediators That Matter: Psychological Distress, Developmental Assets, and Educational Outcomes Among Black Youth,” published in the Journal of Educational Psychology. Joe was recognized with co-authors Theda Rose of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and Gregory R. Hancock of the University of Maryland.
The study examines how psychological distress and developmental assets affect educational outcomes among Black adolescents. It identifies self-esteem, school bonding and educational expectations as key pathways to academic success, moving beyond deficit-focused narratives.
The Excellence in Research Award honors original social work scholarship that advances knowledge with direct implications for practice, policy and the resolution of social issues.
Joe and his co-authors were recognized at the SSWR Awards Presentation on Jan. 17 during the 2026 SSWR Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.