Instructor Biography

Debra E Thrower

Instructor
Saint Leo University
Instructor's Course List

About The Instructor

Instructor
Saint Leo University

Debra E. Thrower is an Instructor of Undergraduate Social Work in the College of Education and Social Services.  She has been an adjunct since 2011, prior to joining Saint Leo University community as a full-time faculty in 2017.  She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Work with a concentration in Administration at Walden University. She is a Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern and has a Graduate Certificate in Evaluation from the University of South Florida. Her professional background includes direct practice, program management and evaluation, consultation, academic administration and social work education.  She has served in faith-based organizations, government, non-profit and for-profit sectors.  Debra has 27 years of extensive social work experience with maternal and child health, K-12 education, juvenile justice system, kinship care, homeless veteran and their families, and the geriatric population.  She was featured in the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper for her work with homeless women and children. A subsequent feature included collaborative efforts with disparities in academic performance between groups of students in K-12 education.  Debra has been featured in the Florida Sentinel Newspaper for her local and state social work advocacy efforts.  Furthermore, she was recognized as the Undergraduate Social Work Instructor for the National Association of Social Workers Student of the Year at the Tampa Education Center, Saint Leo University.  She received the 100 Black Women of Distinction Recognition from the Greater Mount Carmel African Methodist Church for her social work services in the Tampa Bay community.  Debra received Special Recognition for Commitment and Service from the National Association of Social Workers Florida Chapter Tampa Bay Unit.  She also received the Goldstar Employee Recognition from the Veterans Administration. She is a co-chapter author of a book titled: Involving Communities through Collaborative Evaluation of a Health Promotion Program and has other publications and presentations.  Her research interests include ethics curriculum requirements in undergraduate accredited social work programs.