Dr. Ellen Csikai
, professor of social work, received the 2018 Project on Death in America (PDIA) Career Achievement Award from the Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN) in March. The prestigious honor recognized Dr. Csikai for her exemplary contributions to the field of social work in palliative and end-of-life care.
Dr. Csikai was nominated and selected for the award by her peers. She was honored March 12, 2018, at the 6th annual SWHPN General Assembly in Boston, MA.
Dr. Csikai’s research primarily addresses communication and treatment decisions among older oncology patients, family members, and health care professionals in the U.S. and internationally with colleagues in Hungary and Cuba. She has devoted her career to the development of social work research and interventions in the field and to improving the quality of life for individuals and families at perhaps the most important time in life.
Prior to academic career, Dr. Csikai was practitioner in a trauma hospital setting (ICU) and in hospice care. Dr. Csikai is the founding and ongoing editor of the Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, encompassing 15 years. Along with the journal, she is engaged in education, research, scholarship and advocacy for palliative and end-of-life care.
Dr. Csikai earned her BSW, MSW, MPH and PHD degrees all from the University of Pittsburgh.