TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama will host the 2005 annual meeting of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16-17.

GADE is a national organization of social work doctoral programs in the U.S. and Canada. There will be some 50 doctoral program chairs attending the meeting as well as representatives from the Hartford Foundation, the Southern Regional Education Board and the Council on Social Work Education.

“This provides us with an excellent opportunity to show off our talented doctoral students, our accomplished faculty and our campus to a nationally prominent group of visitors,” said Dr. Paul H. Stuart, professor and chair of the doctoral program in the UA School of Social Work.

The theme for GADE’s 2005 meeting is “Social Work Doctoral Education and Social Disparities.” Most of the meeting will be held in the Bryant Conference Center, except on Friday afternoon when the group will meet in Little Hall.

Also on Friday, Dr. Ike Adams, dean of the UA School of Social Work, will host a reception from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Museum of Natural History in Smith Hall. All social work faculty, staff and doctoral students are invited to attend the dean’s reception and are asked to R.S.V.P. Sandy Wilson at swilson@sw.ua.edu.

For more information on the meeting go to http://www.gade.ua.edu.