Julie Burton

Dr. Shelagh Larkin has been a dedicated professor at Xavier University since 1998 and currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Xavier in 1985 and her Master of Social work from the University of Kentucky in 1988.    In 2020, Dr Larkin completed her Ph.D. in Social Work, also at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Larkin is a licensed independent social worker with over 12 years of clinical experience in mental health, child welfare, and eating disorders.   Before transitioning to a tenure-track faculty role, she held several academic positions at Xavier, including Clinical Faculty, Teaching Professor, and Senior Teaching Professor (promoted in 2018).  She also served as Director of Field Education, overseeing all aspects of the department’s practicum program.

Her research interests include field education, interprofessional collaboration, spiritually sensitive professional development, child temperament and health, and parenting stress among kinship care providers.  She is the author of two textbooks: A Practicum Guide for Social Workers: An Integrated Approach (Revised 2^nd Edition) and Social Work Practice with individuals, Families, and Groups: An Integrated Approach, Co-authored with Dr. Jaylene Schaefer.

Dr. Larkin is a member of Alpha Delta Mu, the National social Work Honor Society, and has presented her work at numerous local and national conferences. She has served on the board of the Norwood Service League and received the Outstanding Service Award from Talbert House in 1990.  In 1991, she was recognized as an in-house trainer.

Nationally, Dr. Larkin has contributed significantly to the Baccalaureate program Directors (BPD) organization, serving as co-chair of the local planning committee for its national conference and as a member and chair of the BPD field Education Committee.  Her leadership has supported the advancement of field directors through training and mentorship.

Within Xavier, Dr. Larkin is actively involved in various committees across the College of Professional Sciences and the broader university.   She has secured multiple grants to enhance social work education, including a curriculum development grant from the Council on Social Work Education’s Gero-Ed Center and funding to support experiential learning for social work students.