Southwest Baptist University is pleased to announce the hiring of Sydney Vandegrift,
LCSW, as the new Social Work Program Director. An SBU alumna and licensed clinical
social worker, Vandegrift brings both academic expertise and real-world experience
to lead and elevate the university’s Social Work program.
A 2020 graduate of SBU with a Bachelor of Social Work and a minor in Counseling, Vandegrift went on to earn her Master of Social Work from Missouri State University in 2022. Since then, she has developed a strong clinical background, currently serving as a therapist at Spero Counseling Center in Springfield, Missouri. She will continue to provide therapeutic services to her clients while fulfilling her responsibilities at SBU.
"One distinctive of the SBU social work program is the integration of Christian faith with high quality social work education, and Sydney Vandegrift brings the strength of her faith along with excellent social work practices to our program," said Dr. Shelley Kilpatrick, chair of the Division of Behavioral Sciences.
At SBU, Vandegrift will teach the following courses initially: Skills 1: Helping Skills, Skills 3: Community & Organizations, and Human Diversity. She brings a student-centered, practice-informed approach to the classroom.
“My goal for 2025-2026 is to thoroughly evaluate the program using my experience as a student but also now as a professor,” Vandegrift said. “I want to see what works, what doesn’t work, and what we can continue to build and improve on.”
With a deep commitment to the field of social work and to SBU’s mission, Vandegrift also has ambitious long-term goals: “I hope to see this program expand to new heights—not only by increasing student numbers but also increasing opportunities, experiences, and passion for the field itself.”
In addition to her clinical roles at organizations such as Great Circle and the Heartland Center for Behavioral Change, Vandegrift has contributed to ongoing research efforts, including assisting in the validation of the Ambiguous Loss Symptom Assessment. She has also presented at professional conferences, most recently delivering a talk titled “Ambiguous Loss: History, Symptoms & Interventions” at the 2024 MO/KS Marriage and Family Therapy Conference.
“I’m so excited to be back and have the opportunity to continue building connections, fostering relationships, and equipping students to be leaders in the community,” she said. “SBU had a great impact on my life—as an individual and as a social worker—and I hope to promote students’ learning as well as their love and passion for the field. Those are the things that will serve them long after their time at SBU.”
Published on July 15, 2025