When Marjorie Sable was looking for new ways to give back to the University of Missouri, her mind kept drifting toward supporting the faculty members who are so near and dear to her heart.

Sable, who retired as director of the School of Social Work in 2016, spent more than 25 years at Mizzou. During her time with the school, she helped it evolve from a practice-focused program into the research powerhouse it is today. Since 2019, the Mizzou School of Social Work has successfully received more than $16 million in research funding and spent about $12.9 million in research expenditures.

To support future generations of social work scholars, Sable has made an estate gift of $250,000 to the College of Health Sciences to establish the Sable Faculty Scholar in the School of Social Work. The position is designed to advance research and education in social work at Mizzou.

“I’ve always been passionate about contributing in meaningful ways to higher education and social work,” Sable said. “By creating this opportunity, I hope to help the School of Social Work continue to attract and retain incredible faculty members.”

The title will include an annual stipend of about $10,000 that the social work faculty member can use to cover research, travel or other expenses they might encounter.

“It can be hard to convince faculty members to leave secure current positions unless you have something tangible to offer,” she said. “This is the very first faculty scholar position for the School of Social Work, and I’m proud to be able to make that happen.”

Sable previously donated funds to establish the Marjorie R. Sable Endowment for Public Health Social Work. That scholarship assists students enrolled in the School of Social Work, with preference given to social work students who demonstrate an interest in public health social work.

Aaron Thompson, current director of the School of Social Work, said Sable was a pivotal person in the history of the school. Whether she was recruiting the faculty members who helped grow the department from the 26th to the 95th percentile in scholarship and research activities or setting the standard for the culture of the program, Thompson said Sable helped make the School of Social Work such a great place.

“Her efforts and impact on the School of Social Work are certain to be observable for many decades to come,” Thompson said. “The Sable Faculty Scholar extends this spirit of support for quality scholarship by providing us with financial support that will free up faculty time so our scholars may continue to focus on important and impactful research that cultivates positive social change.”