Richard P. "Rick" Barth, PhD, MSW, is professor and dean of the University of Maryland School of Social Work. He is a Fellow and President of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. His bachelors and graduate degrees are from Brown University and the University of California at Berkeley, respectively. He has also served as a chaired professor at UC Berkeley and University of North Carolina. He has authored many books, chapters, and articles on children’s services practice, programs, policy, and research.

Barth is a principal developer of the University of Maryland, Baltimore-led Promise Heights initiative in West Baltimore and serves on the board of the United Way of Central Maryland, on the Governor’s Family Violence Council, on the Steering Committee for B’More for Healthy Babies, and on the board of the Furman L. Templeton Preparatory Academy.