Inspired to a career in social work out of a desire to affect positive change, Peg Pittman Munke got her start in the civil rights movement prior to becoming a licensed social worker. First completing coursework at Hollins University, she obtained a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas at Austin and master’s degrees in education and social work at Our Lady of the Lake University before returning to the University of Texas at Austin for a Doctor of Philosophy in social work. She also holds an advanced forensic social work certificate and a certificate from the National Inclusive Excellence Leadership Academy.
Feeling very blessed for the opportunities she was given, Dr. Munke began her career as a college professor in 1970 and was incredibly gratified to have the opportunity to pursue her doctorate while holding a full-time position. She joined Murray State University as an intern with the Council on Post-Secondary Education, a role that eventually became a faculty associateship, allowing her to work on the cutting edge of educational policy in Kentucky. Today, Dr. Munke serves Murray State University as an associate professor and as the director of the Bachelor of Social Work program. Her everyday duties involve administering to the undergraduate program for their six campuses and online, teaching four to five classes a semester, and all the behind-the-scenes planning and administration.
Dr. Munke’s expertise encompasses social welfare history, domestic violence, homelessness, and more. She has served as the editor for the Contemporary Rural Social Work journal and as a reviewer for numerous others. In order to keep abreast of developments in her field, she has involved herself in a wide range of professional organizations, including the Murray Human Rights Commission, the Murray-Calloway County Community Foundation and more. She has notably served as president for the National Rural Social Work Caucus, the Coalition of Faculty Senate Leadership and the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors.
Particularly proud of what she has accomplished through her membership with the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, Dr. Munke was recognized for her achievements with the association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. She also finds it incredibly gratifying to watch her students go on and become accomplished professionals in the field of social work in their own rights. Looking toward the future, Dr. Munke has plans to publish several books and articles geared toward the history of social work as a profession.