Dr. Amir Talaei-Khoei, department chair of information systems at the at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno, was recently appointed associate dean of the School of Social Work as part of the College's and School’s interdisciplinary research efforts.
“Addressing social problems such as homelessness, poverty mental health, and child welfare requires a multidisciplinary approach,” Lillian Wichinsky, dean of the School of Social Work, said. “We all need to sit at the table together and talk about ways to address these challenges. This collaboration between the School of Social Work and the College of Business is a step in that direction.”
Talaei-Khoei's background in the use of technologies for social good allows him to support Wichinsky on specific administrative functions and to empower the School of Social Work in its mission by implementing a new perspective. The role of technology in recent years has become an integral part of society, with the COVID-19 pandemic making the need for access to technology a social justice mandate.
“My role in the School of Social Work is to improve the interdisciplinary collaborations across campus and to deliver socially relevant projects with business and technological perspectives,” Talaei-Khoei said.
The partnership will put the School of Social Work in a unique position to collaborate with disciplines like science and engineering, broadening funding opportunities from government institutions, such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.
Integrating technology into these efforts enables the School to fulfill its social justice mission of providing equal access to services, such as mental health care, to rural areas. The collaboration between the School of Social Work and the College of Business’s Department of Information Systems extends their research collaborations into social issues.
“The perspective proposed by the School of Social Work and backed by my roles as the chair of the Information Systems department and the associate dean of research at the School of Social Work is unique and one that can help achieve impactful research with the ability to attract competitive funding,” Talaei-Khoei said.
