Jessica A. Ritter, Ph.D., MSSW, BSE

Biography

Dr. Jessica Ritter is a Full Professor of Social Work in the Department of Social Work at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She earned her BSW, MSSW, and PhD in social work at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to being on the faculty at MSU Denver, she was a full-time faculty member at George Mason University and Pacific University Oregon. At Pacific University Oregon she served as the BSW Program Director and Associate Dean of Social Sciences. Dr. Ritter began her social work career in child protection due to her strong desire for working with children and families served by the child welfare system. Her career as a social worker and social work academic has been dedicated to child well-being and children’s rights as well as political advocacy efforts focused on social and economic justice issues.

Dr. Ritter is a Fulbright scholar and is the author of three books—101 Careers in Social Work, (4th edition); Social Work Policy Practice: Changing our Community, Nation, and the World (4th edition); and Introduction to Social Work: Social Workers Effecting Change in our World. She teaches a variety of social work courses including Engaging for Change (counseling and interviewing skills), Social Work Practice with Children and Youth, Research Methods, and Social Work Policy Practice. She has a special passion for teaching courses that focus on political advocacy with the goal of getting social work students excited about social policy, demystifying the political process, increasing students’ levels of political efficacy, and inspiring them to be engaged politically. Dr. Ritter has won teaching awards at multiple universities. Being a social work educator is one of the great joys of her life!