Carmen Luca Sugawara

• Director of International and Global Engagements; Associate Professor
  Indiana University, School of Social Work — 2023 – Present
• Associate Professor
  Indiana University, School of Social Work — 2014 – Present
• Assistant Professor
  Indiana University, School of Social Work — 2007 – 2014
• Visiting Associate Faculty; Co-author of MSW Program
  University of Osijek, School of Law, Department of Social Work — 2020 – 2025
• Adjunct Faculty
  Catholic University of America, National Catholic School of Social Services — 2004 – 2006
• Adjunct Faculty
  Universitatea “Al. I. Cuza,” Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Social Work — 1996 – 1997

Other Appointments

• Program Officer
  Academy for Educational Development — 2004 – 2007
• Research Assistant
  Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) — 2002 – 2004
• Junior Consultant
  United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) — 1994 – 1997
• Founder and Executive Director
  AgenT Association, Iași, Romania — 1995 – 1997

• Senior Fulbright Scholar
  University of Zagreb and University of Osijek, Croatia — 2019 – 2020
• Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions (2025, December), Josip Juraj Strossmayer University Faculty of Law Osijek (50th Anniversary Recognition).
• Reviewer Fulbright Scholar Program, Polish–U.S. Fulbright Commission, Warsaw, Poland, (May 2021; October, 2025)
• Luca Sugawara, C.G. (2025, October). Keynote. Towards Reparative Futures of Social Work Education. The 4th International Scientific Conference Child in Focus – Family in social change. University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
• Luca Sugawara, C.G. (2023, September). Keynote - With the Community for the Community [The role of community-university engagement in strengthening the collective, collaborative, and student agency while promoting local capacity for development]. The Second Southeast Europe Academic Women’s Leadership Summer School, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Virtual Global Learning Fellows Grant Office of International Affairs, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), 2022
• Susan Buck Sutton Award Office of International Affairs, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), 2018
• Top Teacher Award MSW Class of 2016, Indiana University School of Social Work, 2016
• Trustees Teaching Award Indiana University School of Social Work, 2014
• Woman Faculty Leader Newcomer Award Office for Women, IUPUI | 2011
• Frank Turner Prize for Best Article International Social Work, Vol. 49, 2007 Article published in International Social Work 50(6), 862. DOI: 10.1177/0020872807081930

• Local Capacity Development Research Consultant FHI 360, May–June 2017
• Research Associate USAID Capable Partners Learning Agenda, May–September 2012

Peer Reviewed

• Luca Sugawara, C., Caha, D., & Resetar, B. (Accepted). Strengthening communities through reparative education: The case of social work education in Osijek-Baranja region. Engaged Journal, Indiana University Indianapolis.
• Kyere, E., Luca Sugawara, C., Mijkulic, I., Vukovic, S., & Jelenic, G. (Accepted). Youth engagement as praxis toward community repair in post-war contexts. In Creating convivial spaces toward reparative futures. Engaged Journal, Indiana University Indianapolis.
• Luca Sugawara, C. Caha, D., & Kim, H. (2025). A community-centered perspective on community–university engagement and local development in Southeastern Europe. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.37333/001c.146133
• Luca Sugawara, C., & Kyere, E. (2024). Braving the pathways to community reconstructions: The power of youth engagement in post-war contexts. In E. Kyere, K. Marasovic, & C. G. Luca Sugawara (Eds.), In this world together: Global social work and social development (pp. 245–270). University of Osijek Press.
• Luca Sugawara, C., Kim, H.-W., Modić Stanke, K., Krasniqi, V., & Basic, S. (2023). The role of community–university engagement in strengthening local community capacity in Southeastern Europe. International Journal of Educational Development, 98, Article 102747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102747
• Luca Sugawara, C., Matesic, N., Paton, G., & Ray-Bennett, K. (2023). Global solidarity—Voices from Croatian mobile social education partners. In R. Alastair, S. Gülhan Tankut, D. Bazuń, & M. Kwiatkowski (Eds.), Knowledge on the move: Studies on mobility and social education. Oficyna Naukowa.
• Luca Sugawara, C. (2022). Higher education institutions’ roles in strengthening local capacity for community development: An analytical framework. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 26(3), 163–176.
• Hermoso, C. J., & Luca Sugawara, C. (2021). Civil society and macro practice. In the Encyclopedia of social work macro practice. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1513
• Luca Sugawara, C., & Opačić, A. (2021). Social work higher education institutions: Allies of most vulnerable communities. In A. Opačić (Ed.), Practicing social work in deprived communities—Competencies, methods, and techniques (pp. 193–207). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65987-5
• Hermoso, J. C., & Luca Sugawara, C. (2016). Mainstreaming a gender perspective to peacemaking: A framework for policy evaluation for UNSCR 1325. Social Development Issues, 38(2), 68–81.
• Pittman, S., Luca Sugawara, C., Rodgers, M. E., & Bediako, A. (2015). Social workers in international relief and development: A natural fit. Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development, 1, Article 3.
• Luca Sugawara, C., Hermoso, J. C., Delale, A., & Lupsic, D. (2014). Schools as pillars of postwar recovery: Rethinking the role of parental involvement. Social Development Issues, 36(1), 17–32.
• Luca Sugawara, C. (2014). Book review: International community organizing: Taking power, making change (Beck & Purcell). Journal of Community Practice, 22(3), 405–407.
• Luca Sugawara, C., Hermoso, J. C., Popescu, M. L., & Dichter, T. W. (2013). Strengthening democracy through local capacity development: The case of Moldova. Social Work Review, 2, 1–13.
• Luca Sugawara, C., Hermoso, J. C., Delale, A., Hoffman, K., & Lupsic, D. (2012). Parental involvement in an emerging democracy: The case of Croatia. Advances in Social Work, 13(2), 451–470. https://doi.org/10.18060/1965
• Ashman, D., & Luca Sugawara, C. (2012). Civil society networks: Options for network design. Nonprofit Management and Leadership. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21062
• Popescu, M., Luca Sugawara, C., & Hernandez, E. (2010).
  Can government funding strengthen the third sector? The impact of a capacity-building program on faith-based and community-based organizations. Revista de Asistenţă Socială / Social Work Review, 4, 83–101.
• Luca Sugawara, C. G. (2009). Building social capital among social work educators: A strategy for curriculum development. Journal of Social Work Education, 45(3), 445–466.
• Hermoso, J. C., & Luca Sugawara, C. (2006). Civil society’s role in promoting local development in countries in transition: A comparative study of the Philippines and Romania. International Social Work, 49(3), 319–332.

Book

• Kyere, E., Marošević, K., & Luca Sugawara, C. (2024). In this World Together: Global Social Work and Social Development. University of Osijek Press.

Peer Reviewed

• Eric K., Moyo, O. & Luca Sugawara, C. (2026, March). From Individual Rights to Collective Wholeness: A Framework Towards Sustainable Futures. Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Symposium. Purdue University Northwest.
• Luca Sugawara, C. (2025). Higher education institutions as catalysts for local capacity development: A Framework for community-university engagement. American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Conference on Global Learning. Scheduled on November 14.
• Luca Sugawara, C., Kyere, E. & Price, M. (2024). Centering Context: Moving from replicating cultural trauma to trust and wholeness in EA teaching and learning relationships. The Forum on Education Abroad, Annual Conference, Boston, March 20-22.
• Ficarra, J., Luca Sugawara, C. , Odhiambo, P., Vuković, S. Price, M., (2022).
  Open Forum II: Addressing the Hidden Curriculum in Academic–Host Community Relationships. The Forum on Education Abroad. September 29. https://forumea.org/open-forum-ii-addressing-the-hidden-curriculum-in-academic-host-community-relationships/
• Caha, D., & Luca Sugawara, C. (2021). Poster Presentation: Capacities of community-engaged courses to build social capital in post-COVID-19 period. The 12th European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR), Sept 29-Oct 1.
• Luca Sugawara, C. (2020). Strengthening local capacity for community development through community-engaged programs. Third European Conference on Service-learning in Higher Education What does it mean to be (come) an Engaged University? Multiplier event of Erasmus+ project SLIHE, June 13-15, scheduled in Bratislava, Slovakia. [online] http://www.slihe.eu/programme/15th-july-2020-conference
• Luca Sugawara, C., Bašić.S., Krasniqi, V., Caha, D. Makki Alamdari, S., Kim, H., Stanke, K. (2020) Higher education and community-engaged programs: A strategy for building local capacity for community development in post-communist countries. Workshop accepted at the Social Work Education and Social Development: Promoting Human Relationship, Building the Future. Rimini, Italy, Nov 8-11. Conference CANCELLED due to COVID Pandemic.
• Price, M.F., Makki Alamdari, S., Luca Sugawara, C., Steele, J., Leslie, Aguirre, O. & Vuković-Čović , S. (2019, November). Building our capacity for relational program planning in GSL: Lessons from an institution -community partner action research project. Global Service-Learning Summit, Clemenson University, South Carolina. 3-6
• Luca Sugawara, C. & Killian Kinney (2019, January). Paving the Road towards Global Social Work Practitioners: Short-Term Study Abroad and Emotional Intelligence Development. Paper presented at the SSWR’s 23rd Annual Conference Ending Gender Based, Family and Community Violence, Society for Social Work Education. San Francisco.
• Luca Sugawara, C., Carlson, J. M., Makki, S., and Vukovic, S. (2017, July). International Service-Learning in Post War Croatia: Capacity Building for the Social Work Profession. Paper presented at the 20th Biennial International Symposium of the International Consortium for Social Development, Zagreb, Croatia
• Thigpen, J. & Luca Sugawara, C. (2015, April). IUSSW Mid-career Mentoring and Capacity Building Strategies: A Path to Professional Development and Career Advancement. Campus Presentation organized by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN.
• Luca Sugawara, C. & Hoffman, K. (2012, September). Using the common morality framework in postwar community research. Paper presented at the 58th Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Washington, DC.
• Rogers, M., Pittman, S, Luca Sugawara, C. & Bediako, A. (2011, October). Preparing social work students for international careers. Presentation at the 57th Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA.