The University of Kentucky has one of the most impactful scholars according to an updated ranking in Research on Social Work Practice. 

Of the top 100 scholars, Ginny Sprang, PhD, professor in the department of psychiatry and executive director for the UK Center on Trauma and Children, is ranked number 56 on the list. 

David R. Hodge and Patricia R. Turner’s  “The 100 Most Impactful Global Contributors to Social Work Publications: An Update Based on 2023 Data” ranks scholars from across the globe using a composite measure to determine impact using the total number of citations, h-index values, h-index values adjusted for co-authorship, citations to papers as sole author, citations to papers as sole or first author and citations to papers as sole, first, or last author. The algorithm used to compute the final composite value is designed to correct for self-citations.

“This was a pleasant surprise and perhaps some affirmation that the work has translational utility on a broad scale,” said Dr. Sprang.  “This recognition felt like encouragement to keep up the effort.” 

The report measures impact based on these criteria through the end of 2022 and one of the productivity measures includes data from 2023. All 100 of the top scholars identified in this report were noted to be ranked relatively high within the worldwide population of published scientists. 

Dr. Sprang has been the center director of the UK Center on Trauma and Children since 2007 and is the principal investigator of the SAMHSA funded Category II Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center, a principal investigator of a Centers for Disease Control funded randomized control trial of a child sex trafficking prevention program, an associate editor of the Journal of Traumatic Stress and has held leadership positions in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. 

She publishes on topics such as child traumatic stress, trauma-informed care, the commercial sexual exploitation of minors, implementation science, disaster response and secondary traumatic stress.

Dr. Sprang’s work involves the creation of translational tools, and the development, testing and implementation of evidence-based treatments and practices to treat those exposed to traumatic events.