April Lavette Jones, director of strategic innovation and distance social work education in the department of social work at Alabama A&M University, received the 2026 Distinguished Recent Contributions to Social Work Education Award from the Council on Social Work Education.
Dr. Jones arrived on the Alabama A&M campus this fall, bringing more than two decades of professional experience spanning academic leadership, curriculum development, instructional innovation, mental health, military family services, and community engagement. In her current role, Dr. Jones is helping shape the future of the HBCU’s undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral social work programs through strategic innovation, responsible artificial intelligence integration, distance education, faculty development, and workforce partnerships. She will begin teaching courses in group work and psychopathology in the spring.
Prior to her current role, Dr. Jones was department chair of social work and a tenured associate professor at Tuskegee University. At Talladega College, she chaired the School of Education and Social Sciences. Dr. Jones has also worked for Bellevue University. Beyond academic leadership, Dr. Jones has supported social work policy, research ethics, and professional advocacy for social workers in Alabama.
Dr. Jones is a graduate of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she majored in sociology. She holds a master of social work degree from the University of Alabama, a master’s degree in management from Faulkner University in Alabama, and both a master’s degree in instructional design and technology and a doctorate in psychology with a specialization in organizational psychology from Walden University.
