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Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health and School of Social Work Commencement Addresses

Mary M. McKay

PhD, (BSW '85, MSW '87) • Executive Vice Provost, Washington University in St. Louis 

Mary M. McKay, PhD (BSW ’85, MSW ’87) is Executive Vice Provost at Washington University in St. Louis and former Dean of the Brown School, where she led efforts to expand interdisciplinary research, community partnerships, and global engagement. Her scholarly work focuses on mental health and prevention interventions for youth and families impacted by poverty, with an emphasis on child mental health services, family systems, and HIV prevention. She has received substantial federal research funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and she has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications.

McKay previously served as the McSilver Professor of Social Work and founding director of the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University, where she helped build research and practice models to address structural inequality. Her past roles also include Director of the Division of Mental Health Services Research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and faculty appointments at Columbia University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work has directly influenced clinical practices and social policies in urban communities across the country.

In addition to her academic leadership, McKay is a sought-after advisor and keynote speaker on behavioral health, social innovation, and equity-centered program design. She is a member of several national boards and collaborates with nonprofit organizations and local governments to enhance service delivery models for vulnerable populations. Her contributions to public health and social work education have been recognized through numerous awards and honors.

McKay earned her Master of Social Work and Bachelor of Social Work from ºÚÁÏÃÅUniversity Chicago and holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work from the University of Chicago.