Dr. Anita Harbert is a nationally honored scholar, educator, and systems innovator whose five-decade career has reshaped the fields of social work, gerontology, and public policy. Holding graduate degrees from West Virginia University and Brandeis University, she has served as a professor, academic dean, program founder, and international thought leader always guided by compassion, rigor, and transformative impact. 

Her pioneering research laid the foundation for inclusive service delivery in rural and underserved communities, including landmark publications such as Federal Grants-in-Aid: Maximizing Benefits to the States, Growing Old in Rural America, and Human Services for Older Adults: Concepts and Skills. From her early leadership as Acting Dean and Director of the Gerontology Center at West Virginia University to her role as Director and Professor at San Diego State University’s School of Social Work, Dr. Harbert built institutions that have elevated professional standards and empowered generations of social work leaders. 

She founded the Academy for Professional Excellence and co-founded the Center for Social Work Education for California, cornerstone initiatives serving six southern counties with cutting-edge training and interdisciplinary innovation. Dr. Harbert has secured and administered grant funding in the tens of millions of dollars, including sustained federal and state support for civic engagement, mental health services, transitional case management, child welfare training, and curriculum reform. Her academic achievement includes co-developing the Joint Doctoral Program in Interdisciplinary Substance Use Studies with UC San Diego, the first in the nation focused primarily on prevention. 

Dr. Harbert’s voice has echoed globally through keynote addresses and expert consultations for the United Nations, CSWE, APWA, and international conferences from London and Malta to Taipei and Honolulu. Her insights on aging, urbanization, health equity, long-term care, youth advocacy, and cross-cultural collaboration have informed policy and practice worldwide. As President of the California Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work and Co- Chair of the CSWE Commission on Accreditation, she led site visits for more than 30 universities consulting on standards, curriculum, and governance. Her service extended to faculty senates, academic budget committees, interdisciplinary advisory councils, accreditation panels, and university- wide planning groups at SDSU and WVU. 

She has also held long-term board and advisory roles with institutions spanning public health, developmental disabilities, arts education, youth services, and international cultural exchange. Her guidance has shaped organizations including the Council of International Programs, San Diego Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities, San Diego Youth . Community Services, the Combined Arts & Education Council, and the Salvation Army Metropolitan Advisory Board. Dr. Harbert’s honors include NASW National Pioneer, NASW Presidential Award for Social Work Education, NASW California Lifetime Achievement Award, NASW Outstanding Administrator Award, SDSU Top Twenty-Five Faculty Award, Dorothy T. Kirby Award for Outstanding Administration, commendations from UC Berkeley, California State University, Fairmont State College, and national media, and 2025 Nominee to the NASW House of Delegates. 

From publication to policy, curriculum to community, Dr. Anita Harbert has defined what it means to lead with integrity, foresight, and heart. Her legacy continues to guide the profession she helped shape and her impact will echo through generations to come.