By Vincent Lim
Iris Chi, holder of the Chinese-American Golden Age Association/Frances Wu Chair for the Chinese Elderly at the USC School of Social Work and a senior scientist at the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, the first national society honoring excellence in the research and practice of social work.
“It’s a great honor to be elected to the academy,” said Chi, who also holds a joint appointment in the USC Davis School of Gerontology. “It is one of the highest honors in the social work profession.”
Chi is among a class of 17 new fellows who will be formally inducted in a ceremony at the 17th annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research this month.
“Academy fellows, like Iris, reflect the highest values and standards in social work and represent our profession’s greatest scholars,” said Marilyn L. Flynn, dean of the School of Social Work. “The nomination speaks to Iris’ significant career accomplishments and commitment to improving the quality of life and welfare of the elderly. We are deeply proud of this well-deserved acknowledgement.”