The College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences announces the appointment of Brian Willoughby, associate professor of family life, as director of the School of Family Life, Cole Hooley, associate professor of social work, as director of the School of Social Work, and Ryan Gabriel, associate professor of sociology, as chair of the Sociology Department. The appointments became effective July 1, 2026.
Dean Laura Padilla-Walker nominated them because their strengths, experience, and dedication to the mission of BYU are an especially good fit for the college's current needs.
Ryan Gabriel, chair of the Sociology Department
Ryan Gabriel received his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Utah State University and a master’s degree and PhD in sociology from the University of Washington. His primary areas of research include demography, urban sociology, race, and racial violence.
As a middle schooler, Gabriel developed his love for society through a deep connection to history classes. He went on to immerse himself in sociology, never tiring of his assignments and eagerly absorbing every answer. In Gabriel’s eyes, sociology is a discipline that exemplifies the mission of Jesus Christ. “We study the brokenhearted, the sick, the afflicted. In so doing, we foster students’ capacities to understand and serve these communities with compassion and precision,” he says.
Gabriel hopes to bring a spirit of compassion to his new role. "There are times when I fall short of giving loving-kindness to others, but I aspire to give that gift freely to my students, my colleagues, and the university community.”
Cole Hooley, director of the School of Social Work
Cole Hooley received a bachelor's degree in social work from Brigham Young University, a master’s degree in clinical social work from Smith College, and a PhD in social work from Washington University. He discovered a passion for social work through the examples set by his professors and leaders. “I just wanted to be like them,” Hooley relays. “I want to alleviate human suffering, solve social problems from the inside out and the outside in.”
Hooley’s mental health and dissemination research is designed to make recovery resources available to communities who are “pushed to the fringes” socially and economically. As a practicing therapist, he specializes in reducing the mental suffering of individuals.
A large part of his initiative as director stems from his desire to nurture faith in students.
He says that social work “puts you in contact with some of the most complex, painful points of human life. Luckily, our faith provides a lot of tremendous resources for us.”
He explains that the BYU Mission Statement and the Aims of a BYU Education serve as the guiding core for the decisions he makes and expresses gratitude for the opportunity to solve social problems. As the newly appointed director of the School of Social Work, Hooley is receptive to the evolving school, plans to maintain a robust pipeline of faculty, and is determined to help students obtain the licensing necessary for them to go forth and serve.
Brian Willoughby, director of the School of Family Life
Brian Willoughby earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree and PhD in family social science from the University of Minnesota. His research interests include couple and family formation, healthy relationship development, and emerging adulthood.
Willoughby became intrigued by the idea of studying families and relationships after taking SFL 160 as a young married student. “I got really interested in the young adulthood period, specifically how young adults move toward marriage and dating, dating patterns, and barriers to dating.” Willoughby centers his current research around young adult relationship trends. His work has been widely published by a variety of top journal, media outlets, and by the BYU Wheatley Institute.
As director, Willoughby hopes to continue to serve undergraduate students in ways that provide meaningful experiences unique to the values at BYU. He is determined to maintain an outward focus by creating avenues for the community to access the school’s research. Willoughby explains, “We've got all this wonderful research that I think has a lot of opportunity to do good in the world. That's one of the things that we want to keep focusing on.”
Dean Padilla-Walker expresses gratitude for outgoing directors and chairs
Padilla-Walker expresses her sincere gratitude to Stacey Shaw for her remarkable service as director of the School of Social Work over the past two years. Through her research in refugee resettlement, mental health services, religion, and spirituality, Shaw has left a profound impact on the School of Social Work. “I am inspired by her desire to learn and to do her best at everything she tries. While I am excited for her next adventure, I will miss her and all that she contributes to the school,” says Padilla-Walker.
Padilla-Walker also thanks Erin Holmes, the exiting director of the School of Family Life. She has “a gift for doing hard things with a great deal of love, which benefits all in her sphere of influence,” says Padilla-Walker. “It has been a joy for me to learn from Erin.” During her time as director, Holmes dedicated herself by ministering individually to students, staff, and the community. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion united the School of Family Life and expanded the horizons of everyone involved.
Padilla-Walker expresses gratitude for Curtis Child, who served as chair of the Sociology Department for the past five years. Through strong organization and administration skills, he worked to implement a variety of policies and procedures, creating a lasting foundation for the department. Child was appointed associate dean of faculty development for the college and will find more ways to strengthen faculty and students in this capacity.