Alison Book Appointed Associate Dean for Human Services at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education
Alison Book, MSW, LCSW, ACC, has been appointed associate dean for Human Services within the UC Davis Division of Continuing and Professional Education (CPE). Human Services—CPE’s largest portfolio—delivers training, workforce development and educational support services to human services professionals and organizations across California through state, county, university and community-based partnerships.
Book joined UC Davis Human Services in 2017, and her experience includes training, coaching and consultation for the child welfare workforce with an emphasis on leadership, organizational improvement and implementation science to support best practice. This year, she led efforts to secure a $5.2 million grant from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to support training and technical assistance for adult protective services (APS) professionals across Northern California through administration of the APS Northern Regional Training Academy. She also guided the successful award of a $52 million CDSS contract to co-administer with UCLA the California Title IV-E Education Program, supporting social work students committed to public service careers and the delivery of a specialized public child welfare curriculum at schools of social work across the state.
“Alison has done exceptional work as executive director of Human Services, and over the past year and a half, she has also been a key contributor to our Senior Leadership Team,” said Juliet Greenwood, Ph.D., dean of UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. “Her thoughtful, service-oriented leadership has played a vital role in shaping our goal as a statewide leader in workforce development and advancing the impact of our division.”
Prior to joining UC Davis, Book worked in county child welfare services as a social worker, supervisor and manager after earning her master’s degree in social work, following an earlier career in public relations and marketing. In addition to being a licensed clinical social worker, she holds an Associate Certified Coach credential with the International Coaching Federation and brings more than 17 years of leadership experience to her role as associate dean.
For 45 years, UC Davis CPE’s Human Services division has advanced the university’s outreach mission by equipping human services professionals and organizations with training, consultation and research. Through workforce development, it strengthens agencies’ ability to support vulnerable communities, improving outcomes for children, adults and families in California and across the U.S.
For more than 65 years, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education has blended the distinctive academic expertise of UC Davis with practical training designed to improve capability and job performance. With nearly 60,000 annual enrollments, UC Davis CPE serves lifelong learners in the growing Sacramento region, all 50 states, and more than 100 countries.