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Carmen Luca Sugawara

  • Ph.D., MSW
  • Director of International and Global Affairs / Associate Professor
  • IU Indianapolis

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About

Dr. Carmen Luca Sugawara has more than 25 years of research and professional experience in international social development, focusing on issues such as strengthening CSOs, supporting CSO networks, partnership development among higher education institutions, and advancing the third mission of the university for greater local impact.

Prior to assuming her professorship at the Indiana University School of Social Work, Dr. Luca Sugawara served as a Program Officer with the Academy for Educational Development (AED) where she managed USAID-funded governance and civil society strengthening programs within AED’s Eastern European civil society strengthening portfolio (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Romania). In 2012, Dr. Luca Sugawara was invited and joined USAID’s Learning Agenda Moldova research initiative that analyzed and proposed a new strategy for USAID’s approach to building local capacity development. Prior to working for AED, Dr. Luca Sugawara was a consultant for UNICEF/Romania, working on social work higher education reform and developing partnership programs between governments, schools of social work, and child welfare NGOs and community organizations.

Education

PhD

Emphasis/Major: Social Work
2005 - Catholic University of America

Dissertation: Building Social Capital in Higher Education

MSW

Emphasis/Major: Advanced Generalist Practice
2000 - University of Kentucky

Dissertation: N/A

Fulbright Scholar

Emphasis/Major: social work
1999 - Case Wester Reserve University

BSW

Emphasis/Major: Social Work
1995 - Universittatea "Al.I.Cuza"

Research Interests

As an Associate Professor at the Indiana University School of Social Work, Dr. Luca Sugawara’s research interests have centered on community reconstruction, capacity development, and international social work education and practice. Her most recent research on local capacity development and community-engaged education specifically addresses the role of designing and promoting community-engaged education for local development. Dr. Luca Sugawara is a recipient of the Frank Turner Award by the British International Journal of Social Work for her contribution to research that uncovers the role of civil society in promoting local development in countries in transition. In 2018, she received the Susan Sutton award for her contributions to study abroad education and her ongoing contributions to internationalizing higher education curricula. In 2019, Dr. Sugawara was awarded a senior Fulbright Scholar Program in Croatia where she researched the role of higher education institutions in strengthening local capacity for development.

Teaching Interests

As an Associate Professor at the Indiana University School of Social Work, Dr. Luca Sugawara’s teaching interests have centered on community development and executive leadership practice and on international social work education and practice. She has designed and annually teaches a graduate course on international social development and a community-based global learning course for which she takes students to a post-conflict zone in Croatia.

Awards and Honors


  • 2022 - IUPUI's Office of International Affairs
  • International Fulbright Commission Reviewer
    2021 - Polsko-Amerykańska Komisja Fulbrighta Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission K.I. Gałczyńskiego 4, 00-362 Warszawa Fulbright Poland
  • IUPUI Elite 50 Award
    2020 - IUPUI

  • 2019 - University of Zagreb and University of Osijek
  • Global Engagement Award for IKS, Croatia
    2019 - Office of International Affairs
  • Susan Sutton Award for 2018
    2018 - Ofice of International Affairs
  • Best teacher of the year 2016
    2016 - MSW Student Association
  • Outstanding Woman Faculty Leader Newcomer Award: Nominee, Office for Women, IUPUI
    2011 - Office for Women, IUPUI
  • Frank Turner Prize Writing Award
    2007 - International Social Work Journal, Canada