SSW Alums Devon Gilchrist, MSW and Brenda Hartman, MSW Honored as Distinguished Alumni

The School of Social Work is proud to announce this year's winners of the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Distinguished Alumni Awards: Devon Gilchrist, MSW and Brenda Hartman, MSW.

Established in 2010, the CEHD Distinguished Alumni Award honors alumni who have brought distinction to their professions and communities.

Each year, recipients are selected who span a diverse range of academic disciplines and career paths: business and civic leaders, counselors and social workers, educators and activists, entrepreneurs, and the most dedicated of volunteers. All are community builders and leaders who make a positive difference in the lives of children, youth, families, schools, and organizations, and whose achievements bring honor to our school.

DEVON GILCHRIST

In recognition of his exceptional efforts as a public servant to transform Minnesota’s child welfare system, particularly in addressing racial disparities and preserving families.

Devon Gilchrist has a master’s in social work, and was recognized as a Rising Alumni of our college in 2019. And since then, he continues to rise! Devon has dedicated his career to transforming Minnesota’s child welfare system, particularly in addressing racial disparities affecting African American families. 

He is the director of the African American Child and Family Well Being Unit in the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (which was previously under the Department of Human Services). In this role, he leads statewide initiatives to reform child welfare policies, advocate for culturally responsive practices, and reduce the overrepresentation of African American children in foster care. 

Devon also was a driving force behind the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act, a groundbreaking law that raises the standard for child welfare interventions by requiring active efforts to keep families intact before removing children from their homes. Devon’s work has not only changed policies but has also transformed lives, ensuring that future generations of children and families in Minnesota experience a more just and equitable child welfare system.

BRENDA HARTMAN

In recognition of her gifted therapeutic services to promote compassionate end-of-life care and address the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of the cancer experience.

Brenda Hartman has devoted her work to compassionate end-of-life care and to addressing the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of the cancer experience. She has a bachelor’s in child psychology and a master’s in social work, and has been in private clinical practice for more than 30 years, as founder of  Therapy for Children, Adults and Families, Inc. 

A 2017 Bush Fellow, Brenda provides therapeutic services across generations with a specialization in life-threatening and life-ending diagnoses. She has collaborated with the American Cancer Society and oncology clinics to create and present programs for cancer patients and their support systems focused on initial diagnosis, impact on families, and preparing  for death. 

Brenda also trains health care professionals so they are prepared for end of life conversations, including helping patients understand their diagnosis, managing family response to life threatening diagnoses, and self-care. She previously served CEHD Alumni Society in multiple leadership roles, including president, and received the 2016 UM Alumni Association Alumni Service Award.