by University Communications
June 10th 2024
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Evaon Wong named Dean of Portland State School of Social Work
Portland State University named Evaon C. Wong as the Dean of the School of Social Work. Wong currently serves as Founding Dean and Professor of the College of Health Sciences at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, Calf. She will join PSU on August 1.
“Evaon impressed us all with her leadership experience and proven ability to build strong teams in an academic setting,” said interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Shelly Chabon. “We look forward to welcoming her to Portland State this summer and learning from her as a campus community, particularly regarding her expertise in culturally inclusive social work practices.”
Prior to joining Samuel Merritt University in 2021, Wong served as Associate Dean of the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Service at California State University Los Angeles. She also served as a faculty member in Social Work at California State University East Bay, Chinese University of Hong Kong, California State University San Jose, and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
"I am honored to join Portland State University, School of Social Work,” Wong said. “I am extremely impressed with the strong mission and vision of the school and the university. The clear strategic plan, the expertise of the faculty, and staff, and strong community partnership are most attractive to me. It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to lead the school and continue its great work.”
Wong earned her Ph.D. in social welfare from the University of California Berkeley, where she also earned a MPH in Maternal and Child Health, MSW in Health Services Planning and a BA in Sociology.
Chabon expressed her heartfelt thanks to Junghee Lee who has served as interim Dean for the School of Social Work for the last year. She also offered her deepest gratitude to the School of Social Work Dean Search Committee which was chaired by Todd Rosenstiel, Dean of the PSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Wong is the fifth of six new deans who will be hired during the 2023-24 academic year.