Miriam Dinerman Papers

Miriam Dinerman served as a professor in the Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work, starting in 1960, and ending in 1999, although she did not retire from teaching until 2008.

She was born in New York City, to Professor Abraham Goldforb (Biology, City College) and Doctor Frances Shostac, who was an influential figure in the field of women's health.

Dinerman received her BA, with honors, from Swarthmore college in 1945. She then went on to earn a Master's in social work from the New York School of Social Work - now the Columbia University School of Social Work - in 1949. She later received her doctorate in social work from the same institution in 1972.

She began her career as a social worker at the Jewish Association for Neighborhood Center, in 1949, which was focused on serving low income Jewish neighborhoods. She became the program director in 1951, and remained there until 1952.

In 1960, Dinerman joined the Rutgers University School of Social Work, acting as an assistant professor. She left in 1965, then returned to the post in 1969. During this time, Dinerman accumulated various responsibilities. She sat on the Master's Program committee, where she helped to improve its policies and requirements for graduation. In 1972 she became the school's social policy professor, and served as the assistant dean for academic planning from 1973-1975. She was promoted to the position of associate dean for academic planning in 1975, and remained there until 1981. She oversaw the staffing of various department committees at that time, as well as reviewed and improved the school's curriculum. In addition to these posts, she served as a member of the New Brunswick Faculty Council from 1988-1989, and was later elected the Faculty Council's president, serving from 1990-1992.

From 1991 to 1997, she served as the director for the doctoral program in social work at the School of Social Work. She retired from Rutgers in 1999 as a professor emeritus, and went on to work as a part time professor at Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work. There she served as a member of the doctoral committee, as well as the social action committee.

Dinerman published heavily throughout her career. In addition to authoring such titles as Social Work in a Turbulent World, she helped to found the journal Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work. There, she worked as a part of the editorial board, eventually becoming the editor-in-chief in 2000.

In addition, Dinerman was active in various organizations. She was the president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Association of Social Workers from 1984-1986, served on the grants review panel for the Office of the Human Development Services, Department of Health and Human Services from 1986 to 1992, and consultant to the NJ Legislative Task Force on the 21st Century, Health and Social Services, 1987-1988, amongst others.

Dinerman died on July 17, 2010.