Dr. Margaret 'Peggy' McFarland ’79 - A Life Shaped by Service and Giving Back

When Margaret “Peggy” McFarland ’79 arrived at Lock Haven University, she already knew she wanted to become a social worker. Growing up in a small rural community with little diversity, she was looking for a place that would open her world and help her grow. “Lock Haven is a place where everybody can succeed,” Peggy says. “The degree I got at Lock Haven was just outstanding and provided so many opportunities for me to gain hands-on experiences.” 

Peggy threw herself into campus life. She joined the social work club, served as president of her residence hall, and built friendships that have lasted a lifetime. Her professors challenged her and became mentors, especially in the field of geriatric social work, which she discovered early on. One of the most life changing opportunities came during her senior year when she studied abroad at Nottingham Trent University in England. “It opened up my world,” she says. “That experience enriched my social work career and showed me how important it is to step outside of your comfort zone.”

After Lock Haven, Peggy earned a Master of Social Work degree from Marywood University and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. She built a career defined by leadership and service. She founded Senior Management Services, a geriatric care management company that has guided families through the challenges of aging for more than 30 years. She spent decades in higher education, serving as a professor and chair of the Social Work program at Elizabethtown College, directing field education, mentoring countless students, and creating opportunities for them to learn beyond the classroom. Peggy led short-term study abroad programs to Thailand, Vietnam, and Ireland to help students gain a global view of social work practice. She also received a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship that allowed her to teach and help develop medical social work programs at Vietnam National University. Her expertise has taken her to conferences and classrooms around the world where she has taught on aging, caregiving, ethics, and cultural competency.

Along the way, Peggy has been recognized with numerous awards, including being named one of the Best 50 Women in Business in Pennsylvania and receiving honors for her work supporting older adults and caregivers. Yet she remains deeply connected to her roots at Lock Haven. She serves on the Lock Haven University Foundation Board of Directors, where she helps guide the future of the university and support its students. Through her giving, Peggy has chosen to focus on students with a passion for social work who need help to reach their potential. “I was not necessarily looking to award the best or brightest,” she says. “I was looking to empower students to become their best.”

Peggy’s advice to today’s students is heartfelt and personal: “Take full advantage of every opportunity that comes along and get out of your comfort zone.” Her own life, from a small-town student to an internationally recognized social work leader, shows what can happen when you embrace every experience and give back to the place that helped shape you.