Eric Klein, Ph.D., LSW

Image of Dr. Eric Klein

Assistant Professor
Old Main 340
Kutztown, PA 19530 
Phone: 484-646-4271
Fax: 610-683-4383
klein@kutztown.edu

Biographical Statement:

Dr. Klein is an LSW who earned his Ph.D. in Community College Leadership at Old Dominion University and his MSS (MSW-equivalent) at The Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College. He is focused on leading student success and college leadership initiatives that address access and enrollment, mental health systems, social justice, retention strategies, and modern academic rigor via the NASW Code of Ethics. He believes in creative and satisfaction-centered problem solving for students and the college faculty, staff, and administration. Eric has been a professor, counselor, service provider and coordinator in higher education since 2016. Dr. Klein is focused on collaboratively educating via leadership, inclusive social work values and anti-oppression and anti-racist frameworks, and being an active part of an empathetic, 21st century team which supports building capacity, social justice, and retention models for all students inclusive of underserved populations. He is a passionate supporter of adolescents and emerging adults, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with fiscal and employment needs, and people with co-occurring substance use disorders. Dr. Klein is currently in the midst of publishing collaborative research and is writing a book on collegiate recovery program design/implementation. Dr. Klein’s alter ego is a professional singer/songwriter. He identifies as a person in long-term recovery.

Teaching Interests:

  • Educational Leadership through Social Work Ethics and Values
  • Substance Use and Social Work
  • Humanist interventions
  • Education and Social Work
  • Organizations and Communities
  • Social and Economic Justice
  • Diversity
  • Modern Pedagogy
  • Social Work Research

Research Interests:

  • Collegiate Recovery Programs
  • Community-based Social Work Interventions
  • Community College
  • Workforce Development Initiatives, on all levels of intervention
  • Recovery and Social Work
  • Social Work Research and Methods
  • Creative funding for social programming

Professional Involvement:

  • Northeast Regional Representative/Board Member, Association of Recovery in Higher Education
  • Collegiate Recovery Research Collective
  • Member, National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
  • Publications, Presentations, and Research

    Navigating Recovery: Community College Student Journeys Through Collegiate Recovery Programs, Collegiate Recovery Research Retreat, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, October 2025.

    Klein, E. S. (2025). Navigating Recovery: Community College Student Journeys Through Collegiate Recovery Programs. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.

    Community College Student Journeys Through Collegiate Recovery Programs, Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) Annual Conference, Working in Solidarity for Equitable Community College Futures, Detroit, MI April 2025.

    Navigating Recovery: Community College Student Journeys Through Collegiate Recovery Programs, National ARHE Conference, New Orleans, LA June 2025. 

    Reimagining The Collegiate Recovery Paradigm for Community College Students Via Partnerships and Online Solutions, National ARHE Conference, New Orleans, LA June 2025. 

    Growing the Collegiate Recovery Movement in Community Colleges: Listening, Adapting, and Building Capital, National ARHE Conference, San Diego, CA July 2024. 

    Growing the Collegiate Recovery Movement in Community Colleges: Listening, Adapting, and Building Capital. St. Joseph’s University, 2024 Recovery Conference, Philadelphia, PA August 2024.

    Harrington, Hooper, Hughes, Klein, Melendez, Siddique, and Wasserman (2021). An Approach to an Online EdD in Community College Leadership Program: Impacting Education. Journal for Transforming Professional Practice.

    Highlighting Collegiate Recovery Programming to Increase Access for Marginalized Students and Modeling Diversity Practices, NJCU Community College Showcase: Engaging Every Student. June 2021

    Developing Institutional Recovery Capital to Create a Trauma-informed, Recovery-sensitive Environment at Community Colleges, NJCU Community College Showcase: Are You Student Ready? July 2020

    Developing Institutional Recovery Capital to Create a Trauma-Informed, Recovery-Sensitive Environment: Expanding the Role of Collegiate Recovery Programs. National ARHE Conference. Virtual. June 2020

    Developing institutional recovery capital to create a trauma-informed, recovery-sensitive environment. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting. Denver, CO. October 2019

    Developing institutional recovery capital to create a trauma-informed, recovery-sensitive environment: Expanding the role of collegiate recovery programs. National ARHE Conference, Boston, MA July 2019. 

    Featured Speaker: Supporting Recovery and Resilience on Campus: The Role of Collegiate Recovery Programs: U. S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Healthy Schools and the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments in coordination with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. March 2019

    Breakout coordinator: Building Recovery Capital for Students of Color. Marginalized to Empowered Conference, Philadelphia, PA. August 2018

    Research speaker: Building Recovery Capital with Emerging Adults of Color via Collegiate Recovery Systems. National ARHE Conference, Houston, TX. July 2018

    Keynote Speaker: Recovery Supports for Diverse Students Learning Community. November 2017

    Research Presenter: Exploring How Students of Diverse Spiritual Pathways and Ways of Knowing Faith Experience Current Collegiate Recovery Programs and Recovery Protection in their Campus Community, at the 8th National ARHE Conference, Washington, DC. July 2017

    Others are in revision.