Rate My Professor Stephanie Saulnier

Stephanie Saulnier serves as Chair of the College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences and Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at Eastern Kentucky University. She earned her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Auburn University. As a Certified Social Worker (CSW), her academic and research interests center on foster care, student success, student loan debt, and student basic needs. These foci inform her contributions to social work education and practice, particularly in supporting vulnerable populations within higher education and community settings.

Saulnier has been affiliated with Eastern Kentucky University since at least 2007, advancing through roles including lecturer and program director to her current leadership positions. She is actively involved in professional organizations such as the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Interprofessional Education Collaboration (IPEC), Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (ABSWPD), and Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). She also holds the position of Secretary for the Kentucky Association of Social Work Educators (KASWE). Her scholarly output includes several peer-reviewed publications. Notable works are Stevenson, E., & Saulnier, S. (2024). Grit, Social Support, and Academic Success of Youth Formerly in Foster Care, published in the Journal of Social Work and Welfare Policy; Stevenson, E., & Saulnier, S. (2023). Building a restorative justice diversion program for youth in rural areas, in the International Journal on Social and Education Sciences; Saulnier, S., & Walker, N. (2023). Using collaborative field education to provide better outcomes for students at risk of leaving higher education, in the Journal of Social Work Education; and Viverette, A., & Saulnier, S. (2023). The student loan debt crisis: a narrative review, in the Journal of Human Rights and Social Work. Additional publications cover topics such as the impact of anti-DEI legislation on LGBTQ+ college students, outpatient health services utilization, postsecondary institutional characteristics and student basic needs services, and teaching from the heart. Saulnier's research emphasizes practical interventions to enhance student retention, address financial barriers, and promote equity in social services and education.