Biography
Dr. Rebecca Hoffman is an Associate Professor in the Social Work Department at Bemidji State University. Prior to coming to Bemidji State University she worked as a social work practitioner for nearly two decades. Her career centered on developing successful partnerships to create macro-level community and social policy development.
During her tenure as Executive Director of Ours to Serve House of Hospitality Dr. Hoffman led a successful campaign to develop Village of Hope, a homeless shelter for families with children in Bemidji, MN. As the Community Services Program Director at Evergreen Youth & Family Services she spearheaded a successful partnership with a local developer to create a transitional housing center with on-site services for youth experiencing homelessness in rural northern Minnesota.
Dr. Hoffman has been the recipient of several awards and honors including the Bemidji Leads! Organizational Stewardship Award, Ruth Edevold Organizational Excellence Award, and the Eleanor Roosevelt Women for Responsive Government Award. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker through the Minnesota Board of Social Work. She resides in Bemidji with her husband Brodie and two children. In their free time, she and her family enjoy the glamping life in Minnesota’s state parks and campgrounds and pontooning on Lake Bemidji.
Degrees
- Doctorate of Social Work, 2018, University of St. Catherine University – University of St. Thomas School of Social Work
- Master of Science in Social Welfare, 1999, University of Wisconsin—Madison
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, 1997, Bemidji State University
Minor: Women’s Studies
Teaching
On sabbatical 2022-2023
Research Interests
- Macro social work education
- Community Social Determinants of Health (CSDH)
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
- Macro social work practice