Cassandra Peel

A New York City native, Dr. Peel is the Department Chair, Social Work at Pacific Oaks College. Dr. Peel is a scholar practitioner who has taught, served and worked extensively in healthcare (hospitals, academic medical centers, hospice, ambulatory clinics) and higher education industries in California and Arizona for nearly two decades. She has taught and held leadership roles at The University of Arizona, Arizona State University, The Claremont Colleges, and most recently Pacific Oaks College since 2020.

Dr. Peel's research areas of expertise include aging, end-of-life issues, and death and dying. Dr. Peel has published in the Journal of Higher Education, the American Journal of Hematology, and is currently the Editor for the Health and Social Work Journal. Her curricular areas of expertise are mezzo and macro practice, qualitative research methods, aging, healthcare and field education/internships/practicums. She was the recipient of the 2024 Academic Assembly Teaching and Learning Award for outstanding use of technology, innovative pedagogy, and radical cooperation in the category: Best Online Real-World Assignment in Capstone courses. During her tenure at Pacific Oaks, she was elected to Vice Chair and Chair of the Faculty Council, and nominated to the Academic Administrator's Fellowship Academy in 2025. She currently serves on the President's Strategic Visioning Steering Committee and The Community Solution's Culture Transformation Committee.

Dr. Peel is a gifted public speaker and facilitator, and has given countless domestic and international presentations at The California Institute of Technology, Point Loma Nazarene University, and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her service work includes community-based partnerships with Pasadena Unified School District, Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles, and was most recently recognized for her work in PBS SoCal and The New York Times.