social work dissertation award

Student Award for Social Work Research

Established in 2011, the  GADE Student Award for Social Work Research  is given to a doctoral student or a collaborative group of students, whose published (or in press) scholarship advances scientific inquiry in social work or social welfare. GADE strongly believes that excellent social work research can meaningfully advance anti-racist, anti-oppressive practices, programs, and policies within social and educational institutions. Accordingly, the Student Award for Social Work Research seeks to encourage and recognize rigorous scholarly work that clearly contributes to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and demonstrates potential to impact social work practice, policy, or research.

* Applications open annually on September 15 and are due on October 31 at 11:59pm Eastern. Be sure to subscribe to our  Email Updates  to be the first to know when applications are live!

2024: Chenglin Hong Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles

Hong, C., Flinn, R. E., Ochoa, A. M., John, S. A., Garth, G., & Holloway, I. W. (2023). Internalized homophobia and social well-being among Black sexual minority men living with HIV: The mediating role of LGBT community connectedness and racial, gender, and sexual identity integration . Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity . https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000679

2023: Shen (Lamson) Lin Factor Inwentash School of Social Work, University of Toronto

Lin, S. (2022).  COVID-19 pandemic and im/migrants’ elevated health concerns in Canada: Vaccine hesitancy, anticipated stigma, and risk perception of accessing care .  Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health .

2022: Bernadine Waller School of Social Work, Adelphi University

Waller, B., Quinn, C. R., Boyd, D., DiClemente, R., & Voisin, D. R. (2021).  Correlates of depression among Black girls exposed to violence .  Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities .

2021: Erica Eliason School of Social Work, Columbia University Eliason, E. L. (2020).  Adoption of Medicaid expansion is associated with lower maternal mortality .  Women's Health Issues.

2020: Molly Costanzo Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Costanzo, M. A. & Magnuson, K. (2019).  How does disability influence child care arrangements for young children? An examination using the NHES ECPP .  Children and Youth Services Review.

2019: Ai Bo Silver School of Social Work, New York University

Bo, A., Hai, A. H., & Jaccard, J. (2018). Parent-based interventions on adolescent alcohol use outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis .  Drug  and Alcohol Dependence.

2018: Yeonwoo Kim Steve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin

Kim, Y., Calzada, E. J., Barajas-Gonzalez, R. G., Huang, K. Y., Brotman, L. M., Castro, A., & Pichardo, C. (2017). The role of authoritative and authoritarian parenting in the early academic achievement of Latino students .  Journal of Educational Psychology.  

2017: Stephanie Grace Prost College of Social Work, Florida State University

Prost, S. G. (2017). Development and validation of the hospice professionals’ understanding of preparatory grief scale .  Research on Social Work Practice .

2016: Nathanael Okpych School of Social Services Administration, The University of Chicago

Okpych, N. J., & Courtney, M. E. (2014). Does education pay for youth formerly in foster care? Comparison of employment outcomes with a national sample .  Children and Youth Services Review.

2015: Amy Baker Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, CUNY

Baker, A. C. (2014).  Eroding the wealth of women: Gender and the sub-prime mortgage foreclosure crisis .  Social Service Review .

2014: Tiffany Washington School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Washington, T., Zimmerman, S., Cagle, J., Reed, D., Cohen, L., Beeber, A. S., & Gwyther, L. P. (2014). Fidelity decision making in social and behavioral research: Alternative measures of dose and other considerations .  Social Work Research .

2013: Yolanda (Yoli) Anyon* School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley

Anyon, Y. (2012).  School-based health and social services: Reducing or reproducing inequality in education?

2012: Joanna Bisgaier* School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania

Bisgaier, J. (2011).  Provider barriers to specialty medical and oral health care access for children . (Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania).

2011: Natasha (Tasha) Mendoza* College of Social Work, The Ohio State University

Mendoza, N. (2009). Single mothers, substance misuse and child well-being: Examining the effects of family structure and service provision in the child welfare system . (Doctoral Dissertation, The Ohio State University).

*Prior to 2014, this award was named the Dissertation of the Year Award.

Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

The NASW Foundation is committed to enriching the social work profession and empowering social workers to be leaders in social policy and practice. At the heart of this commitment are national educational, research, and awards programs, which provide: doctoral fellowships, graduate school scholarships, chapter research grants, national recognition awards, lectures, symposiums, and special projects.

Some of these programs have been in existence for more than 20 years – formerly, as part of The Social Workers’ National Research and Education Fund. Today they operate within the NASW Foundation.

Scholarships

Fellowships

Recognition Awards

Other Awards

• The Ruth Fizdale Program for NASW Chapter Research.
• Willard C. Wichers Ethics Education Program
• NASW Foundation 2021-2022 scholarship award recipients.
• NASW Foundation news and information.
• NASW Foundation Upcoming Events.
• NASW Foundation past policy, training, educational seminars, and other events.

NASW National Awards

The NASW National Awards recognize leaders in the profession and in our communities who fully embody social work values and ethics. Our past award recipients have accomplished the extraordinary and we have been honored to recognize them. Read More >>

NASW Foundation / NASW Chapter Partnership

The NASW Foundation, as the tax-exempt subsidiary of NASW, is available to all NASW Chapters to house funds that are to be used for scientific, educational, and charitable purposes, and for which tax deductibility by the donor is desired. Learn More

NASW Foundation Scholars

Meet the 2022-23 NASW Foundation MSW Scholars

Please contact us at [email protected] .

A Virtual Night at the Awards 2020

A Night To Remember was held on October 29, 2020. Watch the event recording

Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Doctoral Fellows Award

• Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
• Summer Quarter (July-August)
• Dissertation Write-Up
• Research Grant
• All but Dissertation (ABD) by Fellowship Deadline
• No citizenship requirements

The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) established the Doctoral Fellows Award to recognize and support doctoral students whose proposed dissertation research reflects innovative ideas and rigorous methodologies related to social work research, policy, or practice. Nominees proposed dissertation research should reflect a rigorous attunement to and/or anti-colonialist representations of, processes and lived conditions of marginalization, oppression, or privilege related to gender and gender presentation, race/ethnicity, culture, sexuality, class/caste, and/or ability (among others) as relevant to their substantive area.

SSWR Doctoral Fellows will be considered exemplars of excellence in doctoral-level social work research. Doctoral Fellows Award recipients will receive a $3,000 award. Fellows may use the funds for expenses related to the completion of the dissertation, such as data collection and preparation, data analysis, administrative costs, and the preparation of the final dissertation document. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods or other approaches are welcome as long as they are appropriate to the study’s goals.

Applicants must be members of the Society for Social Work and Research and have an approved dissertation proposal. The SSWR Board has set a policy that no sitting member of the Board may apply for this award. Nominators may only nominate one nominee for this award. Self-nominations are encouraged.

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Tebben receives Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award

From the College of Social Work

Congratulations to alumna Dr. Erin Tebben (PhD ’23) who was honored as the recipient of the 2024 Society for Social Work and Research Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award.

Tebben’s dissertation, entitled “Interrogating Anti-Blackness in Early Childhood Expulsions: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Expulsion Prevention Referrals,” is a novel study linking four data sources (administrative, program, survey and index data) and examined racial disparities in preschool expulsions. Her work is extremely important in that it seeks to close the gap in racial disparities in early childhood expulsions and promote equity in access to high-quality care for all children.

The SSWR Outstanding Dissertation Award is the highest dissertation award in the social work field, and Tebben is believed to be the first to receive it in the college’s history withstanding honorable mentions.

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Ruth Young Center for Maryland

Institute news, the institute’s jenny afkinich, phd, honored with doctoral dissertation award.

The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) has awarded Dr. Jenny Afkinich with the 2021 Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award for her work on disproportionate representation of racial minority youth at all levels of the juvenile justice system. Each year SSWR provides formal recognition of significant contributions to social work-relevant research. The highly competitive Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award recognizes dissertations exemplifying high standards in social work research and scholarship. The award encourages the design and conduct of quality research by doctoral-level social workers, recognizes the authors of such studies, and provides authors with a professional conference venue to present findings from their study.

Titled Social Workers and Disproportionate Minority Contact: A Mixed Methods Study , Afkinich’s research focused on disproportionate minority contact (DMC): the disproportionate representation of racial minority youth at all levels of the juvenile justice system. She found DMC evident in rates of initial arrests, referrals to court, delinquency findings/ adjudications, out-of-home placements, and transfers to adult criminal court. Race remained a significant predictor of legal outcomes for youth even when factors such as prior legal history and current charge severity are considered despite White and minority youth reporting similar levels of offending. Her mixed methods study examined the relationship between community social workers employed by the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (SC DJJ) in the agency’s county offices and DMC.

Afkinich used administrative data from SC DJJ to determine the extent of DMC in the state, to compare legal outcomes (i.e., receiving confinement dispositions and being waived to adult court) for youth in counties with community social workers to youth in counties that do not employ community social workers, and to compare the legal outcomes for youth in counties with community social workers over time. Her results indicate that DMC continues to exist in South Carolina when measured via relative rate indices. Overall, there was little evidence that employing community social workers is sufficient to reduce DMC at the disposition or waiver stage.

Through qualitative interviews with nine of the 11 community social workers, Afkinich identified and studied the mechanisms, barriers, and facilitators for reducing DMC. Her findings suggest multiple nuanced ways that the social workers can play a role in reducing DMC. The social workers identified two stages in the juvenile justice process in which they can and have had an impact on increasing equity: (1) out-of-home placement decisions for youth on probation or parole and (2) determining probation requirements. The social workers described a need for hiring additional social workers. They also believe they could train police officers and school officials about alternatives to making a referral to SC DJJ to reduce inequitable decisions at the front-end of the juvenile justice system. Implications for Afkinich’s work include an expanded role for community social workers and new ways to examine DMC quantitatively.

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GCSW Doctoral Awards

Update (10/21/2023): Applications for this year are now closed. 

A $100,000 grant to the Grand Challenges for Social Work (GCSW) from The New York Community Trust will expand the corps of social workers with doctoral degrees and build their commitment to careers tackling some of society’s biggest challenges. The grant will permit GCSW to provide $3,000 stipends to support doctoral students’ research in ways that better connect their scholarly work to the people and communities they are studying. During the next two years, the fellowships will enable these graduate students to turn their research findings into proposals for policy and practice changes addressing one or more of society’s 13 biggest challenges. Read the full Press Release.

Please review the Application Guidelines for a detailed review of application requirements and expectations.

Follow us on Twitter at:  @GCSocialWork and like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date!

Helpful Links

Application Form (where you should submit all application materials)

GCSW Doctoral Awards Application Guidelines

FAQs (This will be updated as questions come in, so check back for more information.)

Press Release

Q & A Session October 27, 2022 (Watch the recording here )

Q & A Session November 1, 2022 (Watch the recording here )

Q & A Session September 21, 2023 (Watch the recording here )

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ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards

The ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards recognize highly accomplished graduate students who have produced exceptional dissertations of outstanding scholarly quality in any field of study.

General Information

Guidelines for preparing nominations, distinguished dissertation award winners.

The nomination form will be live in early September.

Eligibility

Nominees must be awarded the doctoral degree during the 2023  calendar year, which includes commencements held in May, August, or December. Students who defended the dissertation in 2022  but received the degree in 2023  are eligible to be nominated.

Students who defend the dissertation in fall 2023  but do not receive the degree until May 2024  are ineligible for the current year, but may be nominated for the 2024 competition. An exception is allowed for students in the dual M.D./Ph.D. Medical Science Training Program who have completed, defended, and submitted the final copy of the dissertation in 2023. These students are eligible to be nominated even though the awarding of the doctoral degree is deferred until completion of the M.D.

Nominations of outstanding women, minorities, and members of other groups historically underrepresented in their disciplines are encouraged.

Number of Awards

Ten awards in the amount of $1,000.

Source of Nominations

Nominations must be submitted by the chair of the student’s department or program, who may submit only one nomination per year.

Selection Process

A faculty committee reviews nominations and selects finalists which are forwarded to the Michigan Society of Fellows. Members of the Society of Fellows make the final selection, including those designated for honorable mention.

The nomination deadline is Monday, November 6, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST

For more information contact:

Honors and Awards Rackham Graduate School Telephone: (734) 615-0255 Email: [email protected]

A nomination dossier must include:

• Cover sheet with contact information
• A letter of nomination
• Up to three letters of support submitted directly by the letter writers
• Dissertation abstract
• Academic transcript (unofficial copy)

Curriculum Vitae

Incomplete dossiers cannot be reviewed.

The online nomination dossier may be set up by a faculty or staff member. Others may be given login access to the site as needed. The nomination system may be accessed as often as needed in order to complete the nomination dossier. All materials must be uploaded in Adobe PDF format.

Cover Sheet

Complete the online cover sheet with all information requested for both the nominee and the nominator—not the administrator who may have initiated the dossier—and the contact information for the graduate coordinator.

Letter of Nomination

The nominating letter should include the nominee’s name, department or program, and the title of the dissertation. As committee members represent a range of disciplines and may not be familiar with the nominee’s field, describe the quality and significance of the nominee’s dissertation in a way that conveys its significance to those not acquainted with the field.

The nominating letter may be no longer than 1,350 words and should address the areas below; those that do not will disadvantage the nominee:

• A concise description of the dissertation topic
• General comments about the nominee, including overall scholarly credentials
• The degree of innovation, creativity, and insight shown by the author
• The scope and importance of the work to the department and to the field
• The effectiveness of the writing (including whether it is reasonably understandable to faculty in related disciplines)

Letters of Support

Up to three additional letters of up to 1,000 words each may be provided by faculty or others who have worked with the nominee and can comment on the merits of the dissertation. The letter writers must submit be instructed to submit letters in PDF format directly to the online nomination dossier. The link for letter writers to submit letters of support will be available when nominations open in early September.

Dissertation Abstract

Provide the nominee’s dissertation abstract.

Academic Transcript

Provide a current unofficial transcript of the nominee’s graduate work.

Provide the nominee’s current c.v., including full details of all publications and presentations.

2022 ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Winners

• Harsh Agarwal , Chemical Engineering, “Charge Transfer of Transitional Metal Ions for Flow Battery Applications”
• Freida Blostein , Epidemiologic Science, “Salivary Omics Measurements as Biomarkers in Epidemiological Analyses”
• Tyler Gardner , Astronomy and Astrophysics, “Probing Unique Regimes of Exoplanet Science with Long Baseline Interferometry”
• Robert Graham , Biomedical Engineering, “Mechanisms of Action and Sources of Variability in Neurostimulation for Chronic Pain”
• Youngrim Kim , Communication and Media, “Pandemic Data Publics: Surveillance Culture and Civic Action in Times of Public Health Emergencies”
• Özge Korkmaz , Anthropology, “Politics, Ethics, and Complicity in Turkey’s Kurdistan: Anxieties of an Era”
• Vincent Longo , Film, Television, and Media, “A Hard Act to Follow: Live Performance in the Age of the Hollywood Studio System (1920-1950)”
• Andrew McInnerney , Linguistics, “The Argument/Adjunct Distinction and the Structure of Prepositional Phrases”
• Weijing Tang , Statistics, “Statistical Learning for Large-Scale and Complex-Structured Data”
• Weichao Zhang , Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, “Mechanisms of Lysosome Biogenesis and Regulation”

2021 ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Winners

• Mikel Haggadone , Immunology, “Mechanistic Insights into Regulation of Vesicular SOCS3 Secretion by Alveolar Macrophages: Interplay Between Cell Stress and Metabolic Remodeling “
• Yinqiu He , Statistics, “High-Dimensional Statistical Inference: Phase Transition, Power Enhancement, and Sampling”
• Eshita Khera , Chemical Engineering, “Engineering Tumor Distribution of Antibody-Drug Conjugates”
• Cindy Lin Kaiying , Information, “Afterlives of Authority: An Ethnography of Fire Prediction, Social Order, and Technocracy in Indonesia”
• Rebecca Marks , Educations and Psychology, “From Talkers to Readers: Neural and Behavioral Foundations of Emerging Literacy”
• Michelle May-Curry , American Culture, “Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor: Black Womanhood and the Visual Politics of Mixed Race Family Albums, 1918 to 2020″
• Zhijie Qu , Astronomy, “The Warm-Hot Circumgalactic Medium and Its Co-Evolution with the Galaxy Disk”
• Akshitha Sriraman , Computer Science and Engineering, “Enabling Hyperscale Web Services”
• Mei Ling Meilina Tsui , Music Composition, “Nomadic Trails for Chamber Orchestra”
• Erica Twardzik , Movement Science, “Optimizing Post-Stroke Functioning: Using Mixed Methods to Understand the Role of Built and Social Environments for Physical Activity, Quality of Life, and Lived Experience”

2020 ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Winners

• Devika Bagchi , Molecular and Integrative Physiology, “Investigating the Roles of Wnt Signaling in Mature Adipocyte Function”
• Molly Brookfield , History and Women’s and Gender Studies, “Watching the Girls Go By: Sexual Harassment in the American Street, 1850-1980”
• Lu Chen , Physics, “Study of Thermal and Magnetic Properties in Strongly Correlated Materials”
• Adrian Deoancă , Anthropology, “End of the Line: State Infrastructure, Material Ruin, and Precarious Labor Along Romanian Railroads”
• Adi Foord , Astronomy and Astrophysics, “Discovering the Missing Population of AGN Pairs with Chandra”
• Kathryn Holihan , Germanic Languages and Literatures, “Staging the Hygienic Subject: Anatomy, Bodies, and the Public Health Exhibition in Germany, 1911-1931”
• Dominic Liao-McPherson , Aerospace Engineering and Scientific Computing, “Variational and Time-Distributed Methods for Real-time Model Predictive Control”
• Christina May , Neuroscience, “How Sweet It Is: The Role of Taste Perception in Diet-Induced Obesity”
• Anne Menefee , Environmental Engineering, “Carbon Mineralization in Fractured Basalt”
• Vivian Truong , American Culture, “‘Whose City? Our City!’: Asian American and Multiracial Movements Against Police Violence in New York”

2019 ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Winners

• Yassel Acosta Matutes , Applied Physics, Spatially-Resolved Fluorescence-Detected Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy to Probe Excitonic Structure in Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria
• Juliette Becker , Astronomy, Emergent Properties in Exoplanetary Systems
• Kaitlin Cassady , Psychology, Age-Related Neural De-Differentiation in the Sensorimotor System
• Christina Cross , Public Policy and Sociology, The Color, Class, and Context of Family Structure and Its Association with Children’s Educational Performance
• Joseph Gamble , English and Women’s Studies, Sex Before Sex Ed: Sexual Practice, Pedagogy, and Affect in Early Modern England
• Ximena Gomez , History of Art, Nuestra Señora:Confraternal Art and Identity in Early Colonial Lima
• Crystal Green , Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, Automated Deformable Mapping Methods to Relate Corresponding Lesions in 3D X-ray and 3D Ultrasound Breast Images
• Nicole Michmerhuizen , Pharmacology, Examining Mechanisms of Sensitivity and Resistance to Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase Inhibitors in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Olivia Palmer , Biomedical Engineering, Non-Invasive Venous Thrombus Composition and Therapeutic Response by Multiparametric MRI
• Andrew Schwartz , Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Hepcidin/ferroportin/HIF-2α regulation of iron metabolism at the systems and cellular level

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2018

• Charlotte Chan , Mathematics, Period Identities of CM Forms on Quaternion Algebras
• Qi Chen , Computer Science, Proactive Vulnerability Discovery and Assessment in Smart, Connected Systems Through Systematic Problem Analysis
• Traci Johnson , Astronomy, Focusing Cosmic Telescopes: Quantifying the Systematics of Strong Lensing Mass Models in the Era of Precision Lensing
• Jessica Moorman , Communication Studies, Being Single Is…: A Study of Black Love Media and Single Black Women’s Sexual Socialization
• David Morphew , Classical Studies, Passionate Platonism: Plutarch on the Positive Role of Non-Rational Affects in the Good Life /li>
• Cyrus O’Brien , Anthropology and History, Redeeming Imprisonment: Religion and the Development of Mass Incarceration in Florida
• Meredith Skiba , Biological Chemistry, Structural and Biochemical Investigation of Methylation and Elucidation of t-Butyl Formation in Polyketide Biosynthesis
• William Stroebel , Mechanical Engineering, Comparative Literature, Fluid Books, Fluid Borders Modern Greek and Turkish Book Networks in a Shifting Sea
• Dakotah Thompson , Exploration of Radiative Thermal Transport at the Nanoscale Using High-Resolution Calorimetry
• Michael Won , Chemical Biology, Structure, Function, and Inhibition of Protein Depalmitoylases

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2017

• Kevin Golovin , Materials Science and Engineering, Design and Application of Surfaces with Tunable Adhesion of Liquids and Solids
• Kyle Grady , English Language and Literature, Moors, Mulattos, and Post-Racial Problems: Rethinking Racialization in Early Modern England
• Wendy Gu , Environmental Engineering, Metals and Methanotrophs: 1. Genetic and Biochemical Characterization of the Uptake and Synthesis of Methanobactin; 2. Bioinformatic Analyses of the Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Gene Expression
• Jordan Harrison , Nursing, Functional Status, Quality of Life, and Long-term Survival in a Cohort of Women with Breast Cancer and Heart Failure: Results of the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey
• Jeremy Hoskins , Applied Mathematics, Diffuse Scattering and Diffuse Optical Tomography on Graphs
• Jenny Kreiger , Classical Art and Archaeology, The Business of Commemoration: A Comparative Study of Italian Catacombs
• Oana Mateescu , Anthropology and History, Serial Anachronism: Re-assembling Romanian Forest Commons
• Sara Meerow , Natural Resources and Environment, The Contested Nature of Urban Resilience: Meaning and Models for Green Infrastructure and Climate Change Adaptation Planning
• Steven Roberts , Psychology, So It Is, So It Shall Be: Group Regularities and Prescriptive Judgments
• Yue Shao , Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineered in vitro Model for Peri-implantation Human Embryogenesis

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2016

• Azadeh Ansari , Electrical Engineering, GaN Integrated Microsystems for RF Applications
• Nielson T. Baxter , Microbiology and Immunology, Microbiota-based Models Enhance Detection of Colorectal Cancer
• Yoonseob Kim , Chemical Engineering, Stretchable Electronic and Photonic Materials from Self-Organized Nanoparticles
• Emily Maclary , Human Genetics, Evaluating the Role of Long Non-coding RNAs in X-chromosome Inactivation
• Elizabeth Mann , Political Science, Presidential Policymaking at the State Level: Revision through Waivers
• Austin McCoy , History, No Radical Hangover: Black Power, New Left, and Progressive Politics in the Midwest, 1967-1989
• Cassie Miura , Comparative Literature, Humor of Skepticism: Therapeutic Laughter in Early Modern Literature
• Naveen Narisetty , Statistics, Statistical Analysis of Complex Data: Bayesian Model Selection and Functional Data Depth
• Sara Rimer , Environmental Engineering, Controlling Hazardous Releases While Protecting Passengers in Civil Infrastructure Systems
• Emily Waples , English Language and Literature, Self-Health: The Politics of Care in American Literature, 1793-1873

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2015

• Lauren Cleeves , Astronomy, Molecular Signposts of the Physics and Chemistry of Star Formation
• Lauren Cline , Natural Resources and Environment, The Ecological Factors that Structure the Composition and Function of Saprotrophic Fungi: Observational and Experimental Approaches
• Alix Gould-Werth , Social Work and Sociology, Public Benefits and Private Safety Nets: Demographic Disparities in Resources Following Job Loss
• Konstantina Karageorgos , English Language and Literature, Beyond the Blueprint: Black Literary Radicalism and the Making of a Cold War Avant-Garde
• Brian Metzger , Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Disentangling the Effects of Mutation and Selection on the Evolution of Gene Expression
• Davide Orsini , Anthropology and History, Life in the Nuclear Archipelago: Cold War Technopolitics and the U.S. Nuclear Submarines in Italy
• Maxwell Radin , Physics, First-principles and Continuum Modeling of Charge Transport in Li-O 2 Batteries
• Charles Sebens , Philosophy, Locating Oneself in a Quantum World
• Brandon Seward , Mathematics, Krieger’s Finite Generator Theorem for Ergodic Actions of Countable Groups
• Bai Song , Mechanical Engineering,, Probing Radiative Thermal Transport at the Nanoscale

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2014

• Xiao Che , Astronomy and Astrophysics, Near Infrared View of Stellar Surfaces and Circumstellar Disks with an Upgraded Optical Interferometer
• Weiqiang Chen , Mechanical Engineering, Microengineered Biomaterials and Biosystems for Systems Immunology, Cancer Biology, and Stem Cell-based Regenerative Medicine
• Henry Colburn , Classical Art and Architecture, The Archaeology of Achaemenid Rule in Egypt
• June Huh , Mathematics, Rota’s Conjecture and Positivity of Algebraic Cycles in Permutohedral Varieties
• David Lai , Biomedical Engineering, Microfluidic Reduction of Osmotic Stress in Oocyte and Zygote Vitrification
• Kai Mao , Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Autophagy Induction and Mitochondrial Degradation in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Michael Pifer , Comparative Literature, The Stranger’s Voice: Integrated Literary Cultures in Anatolia and the Premodern World
• Atef Said , Sociology, The Tahrir Effect: History, Space, and Protest in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011
• Ronit Stahl , History, God, War, and Politics: The American Military Chaplaincy and the Making of a Multireligious Nation
• Yi-Chin Wu , Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Verification and Enforcement of Opacity Security Properties in Discrete Event Systems

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2013

• Michael Anderson , Astronomy and Astrophysics, Hot Gaseous Halos Around Galaxies
• Kerry Ard , Natural Resources and Environment, Changes in Exposure to Industrial Air Pollution Across the United States from 1995 to 2004: The Role of Race, Income, and Segregation
• Aaron Armbruster , Physics, Discovery of a Higgs Boson with the ATLAS Detector
• Matthew Cohn , Classical Studies, The Admonishing Muse: Ancient Interpretations of Personal Abuse in Old Comedy
• Brian DeVree , Chemical Biology, Activation of G Protein-Coupled Receptors and Heterotrimeric G Proteins
• Federico Helfgott , Anthropology and History, Transformations in Labor, Land and Community: Mining and Society in Pasco, Peru, 20th Century to the Present
• Sara Jackson , Germanic Languages and Literatures, Staging the Deadlier Sex: Dangerous Women in German Text and Performance at the Fin de Siècle
• Jongho Kim , Civil and Environmental Engineering, A Holistic Approach to Multi-Scale, Coupled Modeling of Hydrologic Processes, Flow Dynamics, Erosion, and Sediment Transport
• Dongyoon Lee , Computer Science and Engineering, Holistic System Design for Deterministic Replay
• Yan Long , Women’s Studies and Sociology, Constructing Political Actorhood: The Emergence and Transformation of AIDS Advocacy in China, 1989-2012

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2012

• Ellen Block , Social Work and Anthropology, Infected Kin: AIDS, Orphan Care, and the Family in Lesotho
• Joseph Braymer , Chemistry, Understanding the Roles of Metal Ions in the Fate of Reactive Oxygen Species and in Alzheimer’s Disease
• Dae-Hyun Kim , Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Design Loads Generator: Estimation of Extreme Environmental Loadings for Ship and Offshore Applications
• Alwyn Lim , Sociology, The Global Expansion of Corporate Social Responsibility: Emergence, Diffusion, and Reception of Global Corporate Governance Frameworks
• Jinjin Ma , Mechanical Engineering, Experimental and Computational Characterizations of Native Ligaments, Tendons, and Engineered 3-D Bone-Ligament-Bone Constructs in the Knee
• Sven Nyholm , Philosophy, On the Universal Law and Humanity Formulas
• John Prensner , Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Discovery and Characterization of Long Noncoding RNAs in Prostate Cancer
• Rebecca Sears , Classical Studies, The Practical Muse: Reconstructing the Contexts of a Greek Musical Papyrus
• Laura Sherman , Earth and Environmental Sciences, Understanding Sources and Cycling of Mercury Using Mercury Stable Isotopes
• Yizao Wang , Statistics, Topics on Max-Stable Processes and the Central Limit Theorem

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2011

• Remy Brim , Pharmacology, Investigations Into the Therapeutic Potential of a Bacterial Cocaine Esterase for the Treatment of Cocaine Toxicity and Cocaine Abuse
• Ksenya Gurshtein , History of Art, TransStates: Conceptual Art in Eastern Europe and the Limits of Utopia
• Daniel E. Horton , Earth and Environmental Sciences, Climate Dynamics of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age
• Kathryn Howell , Psychology, Assessing Resilience in Preschool Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Utilizing Multiple Informants and Evaluating the Impact of the Preschool Kids’ Club Intervention
• Bin Hu , Operations, Technology, and Innovation Management, Essays on Procurement with Information Asymmetry
• Nathaniel Mills , English Language and Literature, Ragged Figures: The Lumpenproletariat in Nelson Algren and Ralph Ellison
• Christopher T. Nelson , Materials Science and Engineering, The Nanoscale Structure and Dynamic Properties of Ferroelectric Films
• Yi Xiang , Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Analysis of the Molecular Mechanism and Physiological Role of Golgi Stack Formation and Golgi Biogenesis

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2010

• Alyson Jones , Musicology, Playing Out: Women Instrumentalists and Women’s Ensembles in Contemporary Tunisia
• Casie LeGette , English Language & Literature, The Past Jumps Up: British Radicals and the Remaking of Literary History 1790-1870
• Jamaal Matthews , Education and Psychology, Toward a Holistic Understanding of Academic Identification in Ethnic Minority Boys at Risk for Academic Failure
• Bobak Mosadegh , Biomedical Engineering, Design and Fabrication of Integrated Microfluidic Circuits Using Normally-Closed Elastomeric Valves
• Gustavo Patino , Neuroscience, Who moved my protein? Mechanisms of Epileptogenesis due to Mutations of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel SCN1B
• Christopher Roberts , Public Policy and Sociology, Exploring the Fractures within Human Rights: An Empirical Study of Resistance
• Kevin Tucker , Mathematics, Jumping Numbers and Multiplier Ideals on Algebraic Surfaces
• Feng Wang , Biological Chemistry, Structural Analyses of Telomere Associated Proteins

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2009

• Eric W. Groenendyk , Political Science, The Motivated Partisan: A Dual Motivations Theory of Partisan Change and Stability
• Blair Allen Johnston , Music Theory, Harmony and Climax in the Late Works of Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Jasper F. Kok , Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Science, Understanding Wind-Blown Sand and the Electrification of Granular Systems
• Eranda Nikolla , Chemical Engineering, Combined Experimental/Theoretical Approach Toward the Development of Carbon Tolerant Electrocatalysts for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anodes
• Howard L. M. Nye , Philosophy, Ethics, Fitting Attitudes, and Practical Reason: A Theory of Normative Facts
• Robert Grant Rowe , Cellular and Molecular Biology, Differential Regulation of Two- and Three-Dimensional Cell Function
• Nathalie E. Williams , Sociology, Living With Conflict: The Effect of Community Organizations, Economic Assets, and Mass Media Consumption on Migration During Armed Conflict
• Ruth E. Zielinski , Nursing, Private Places – Private Shame: Women’s Genital Body Image and Sexual Health

ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2008

• Elizabeth Ben-Ishai , Political Science, The Autonomy-Fostering State: Citizenship and Social Service Delivery
• Todd Bryan , Natural Resources and Environment, Aligning Identity: Social Identity and Changing Context in Community-Based Environmental Conflict
• Kimberly Clum , Social Work and Anthropology, The Shadows of Immobility: Low-Wage Work, Single Mothers’ Lives, and Workplace Culture
• Lori Khatchadourian , Classical Art and Archaeology, Social Logics Under Empire: The Armenian ‘Highland Satrapy’ and Achaemenid Rule, CA. 600-300 BC
• Mark Kiel , Cell & Developmental Biology, Identification, Localization and Characterization of Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Their Niche
• Michelle Miller , Romance Languages and Literatures, Material Friendship: Service and Amity in Early Modern French Literature
• Matthew Schulmerich , Chemistry, Subsurface and Transcutaneous Raman Spectroscopy, Imaging, and Tomography
• Susan Sierra , Mathematics, The Geometry of Birationally Commutative Graded Domains

Distinguished Dissertation Awards of 2007

• Xiaoyun Chen , Chemistry, Investigating Biointerfaces Using Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
• Francis Cody , Anthropology, Literacy as Enlightenment: Written Language, Activist Mediation, and the State in Rural Tomilnadu, India
• Catherine Rose Fortin , Linguistics, Indonesian Sluicing and Verb Phrase Ellipsis: Description and Explanation in a Minimalist Framework
• Emily Greenman , Public Policy, Intersecting Inequalities: Four Essays on Race, Immigration and Gender in the Contemporary United States
• Rebecca A. Haeusler , Biological Chemistry, tRNA Genes as Organizers of Genetic Information
• Hoyt J. Long , Asian Languages and Cultures: Japanese, On Uneven Ground: Provincializing Cultural Production in Interwar Japan
• David Lynn Moehring , Physics, Remote Entanglement of Trapped Atomic Ions
• Scott A. Tomlins , Pathology, Discovery and Characterization of Recurrent Gene Fusions in Prostate Cancer

• Faculty & Research

Assistant Professor Scott Receives 2019 Outstanding Dissertation Award from Society for Research on Child Development

March 11, 2019.

Judith C. Scott , assistant professor at BU School of Social Work, has been honored with the 2019 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from the Society of Research in Child Development (SRCD).

Scott — who received her PhD in 2017 from the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University — titled her doctoral dissertation, “Raising a hand against young African American children: The effects on mental health trajectories and consideration of moderating cultural factors.”

In their announcement , SRCD recognized Scott’s work as a “culturally-embedded dissertation examining the links between physical discipline and mental health outcomes for African American children.”

Since joining BUSSW, Scott has continued her work studying behavioral health and physical discipline across culturally-diverse groups. This spring, she will lead a study on parenting behaviors in low-income Chinese immigrant families living in Greater Boston —  funded by a second grant Scott received from the Doris Duke Fellowship, which also supported her award-winning dissertation.

SRCD award recipients are selected based on the quality of their doctoral dissertation, publications emerging from the project, and the nominee’s current position and engagement in the field of child development research. Scott will be recognized at the 2019 SRCD Biennial Awards on Thursday, March 21 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Doctoral students receive international award

AUSTIN, Texas – Two students in the School of Social Work Ph.D. Program at The University of Texas at Austin are recipients of the 2012 Social Work Education Research Student Award (SWERSA) sponsored by Social Work Education: The International Journal.

Paula Gerstenblatt and Miki Tesh will each receive £8,000 ($12,800) to support their dissertation research. They are among 11 doctoral students selected by Social Work Education through an international, competitive application process. The University of Texas at Austin is the only Ph.D. program in social work to have two of its students selected for the 2012 SWERSA.

Social Work Education makes a vital contribution to the development of educational theory and practice through publishing and supporting rigorous pedagogic research in the field of social work education (i.e., research which relates to the teaching, learning or assessment of social work students). The journal sponsors SWERSA dissertation awards to support the development of early career researchers through providing doctoral students with substantial funding to complete research specifically related to social work education.

Of all the SWERSA awards given internationally since 2011, only three of those awards have gone to U.S. doctoral students, and Gerstenblatt and Tesh are recipients of two of those three awards.  The remainder of the 2012 SWERSA recipients represent social work programs at the following universities: University of Dundee, Scotland; Loyola University, India; University of Sussex and University of Chester, England; University of Sydney and University of Melbourne, Australia; The Catholic University of America (Washington D.C.), U.S.; University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; and Otago University, New Zealand.

Both Gerstenblatt and Tesh have devoted their doctoral dissertation work to advancing social work education theory, practice and research. Associate Professor of Social Work and African & African Diaspora Studies Dorie J. Gilbert chairs both students’ dissertations.

The dissertation undertaken by Paula Gerstenblatt is grounded in the analysis of pedagogical methods applied in academic service learning courses and the impact of interdisciplinary community-university partnerships on students and communities. Gerstenblatt is addressing a gap in the service learning research on student growth and transformation, impact of service learning on the community, and the lack of articulated interdisciplinary models of service learning, particularly one that originates in social work. Her goal is to expand the discourse on best practices for forging community-university engagement through social work education. Currently, Gerstenblatt is working with the Volunteer Service Learning Center in the university’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement to develop best practices for community-university partnerships and will transition an annual project to an academic service learning course that she will teach in spring 2013 as a joint venture with the School of Social Work.

Gerstenblatt is the founder and director of the Mart Community Project (MCP), a broad-based community revitalization initiative in rural town of Mart, Texas (www.martcommunityproject.org). Her dissertation presents an analysis of the Global Project Development (GPD) course, an innovative, interdisciplinary service learning course co-developed and taught by Gerstenblatt and Dr. Gilbert. The GPD course was offered by the School of Social Work and brought 20 graduate and undergraduate UT-Austin students to work in partnership with Mart residents and stakeholders during the 2010-2011 academic year. Students implemented community development projects using the three core principals of service learning: study, reciprocity and reflection.

The Mart Community Project is a national model for community-university partnerships and a recipient of two National Endowment of the Arts grants as well as numerous public and foundation grant awards. The MCP is one of several projects undertaken by the Institute for Community Development: U.S. and Abroad, a unit of the school’s Center for Social Work Research. The institute is directed by Gilbert.

“Increasingly, universities are called upon to enhance their civic engagement and community outreach to address societal challenges. Paula’s research aims to develop a best practice pedagogical model for academic service learning courses, specific to social work,” said Gilbert.

“Courses embedded within university-community partnerships, such as the relationship between the GPD course and the Mart Community Project, simultaneously change students and communities, which resonates strongly with today’s millennial generation of young people who want to ‘change the world.’”

Miki Tesh’s dissertation research focuses on building the social work pedagogical discourse by highlighting the relevance of evidence-based teaching (EBT), best practices shown to have the most positive outcomes in how teachers teach and learners learn. The constructs proven by the empirical studies on EBT are aligned with many social work values and practices, such as valuing  self-determination, self-efficacy, relationships, and motivation strategies.

Tesh’s dissertation is a collection of four studies, including one that explores the extent to which social work students report experiencing the methods associated with EBT in their social work classrooms. Her work will also compare social work students to engineering, business and nursing students to explore ways in which social work students are unique in their achievement goal orientation, self-determination in learning, and situational motivation, building on previous research that indicates social work students tend to be more intrinsically as opposed to extrinsically motivated. This study also examines differences in how underrepresented

students are motivated, which is relevant to social work’s focus on diversity. In advancing the overall EBT discourse, Tesh has designed a self-assessment tool that will allow social work professors to increase their awareness, knowledge and skills in practicing EBT, this experimental intervention designed to improve instructors’ metacognition about their own teaching effectiveness is a first in EBT empirical studies.

By focusing on learning outcomes and evidence-based teaching, Tesh brings a new perspective that may help improve overall teaching and learning, and, in return, social work practice. Her goal is to find new ways to improve the quality of social relationships in the classroom and provide a bridge for social work to become fully engaged in accessing and using the EBT literature.

“Miki Tesh’s research is aimed at balancing the profession’s pedagogical focus on evidence-based practice with EBT. Her work is grounded in her belief that “In teaching well, we motivate student to learn. In learning well, students deliver the best social work practice,” said Gilbert. “Her dissertation speaks to helping social work professors be leaders on the campus in terms of teaching efficacy by integrating EBT practices, especially for a new generation of college students who are motivated by learner-centered teaching, whether that involves technology, experiential learning or innovative challenges.”

Tesh has worked very closely with UT-Austin Center for Teaching and Learning staff, Drs. Joanna Gilmore, coordinator for the Graduate Student Instructor Program, and Michael Sweet, director of instructional development, who also serve on her dissertation committee.

“Both Paula Gerstenblatt and Miki Tesh are building new knowledge bases in social work education research and proposing new pedagogical models that will likely turn a new page in the way we educate social work students,” Gilbert said.

The students and Gilbert have been invited to a lunch honoring awardees during the Council on Social Work Education 58 th Annual Program Meeting in Washington, D.C., November 9-12.

Home > College of Social and Behavioral Sciences > Social Work > Social Work Theses

Social Work Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Theses/projects/dissertations from 2024 2024.

WHAT IS THE READINESS OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS TO WORK WITH AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS? , Ignacio Aguilar Pelaez

EXAMINING EXPERIENCES AMONG SOCIAL WORKERS WORKING WITH PARENTS WHO SUFFER FROM SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER , Alicia Alvarado and Eleno Zepeda

COVID-19, SOCIAL ISOLATION, AND MSW STUDENTS’ MENTAL HEALTH , Cassandra Barajas

Through the Lens of Families and Staff in Emergency Shelters , Elizabeth Barcenas

MACHISMO: THE IMPACT IT HAS ON HISPANIC MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS RECEIVING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES , Sara Barillas and Alexander Aguirre

THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS OF CERTAIN FACTORS THAT DIFFERENTIATE THE AMOUNT OF MENTAL HEALTH REFERRALS OF SCHOOL A COMPARED TO SCHOOL B , Jesus Barrientos

Correlation of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Somatic Symptoms in Adolescents , Shannon Beaumont

Caregivers of Dialysis Patients , Alyssa Bousquet and Amelia Murillo

Self-Care Habits and Burnout Among County Social Workers on the Central Coast of California , Jaclyn Boyd and Denise Ojeda

GENDER DYSPHORIA IN ADOLESCENCE AND THE MODELS OF CARE: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW , Arnold Briseno

THE EFFECTS OF PARENTING STYLES ON COMMUNICATION AMONG ASIAN AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS , Abigail Camarce

BARRIERS TO AND FACILITATORS OF CARE: EXPLORING HOW LOW-INCOME WOMEN ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE IN A RURAL COMMUNITY , Sydney Taylor Casey

CLIENT PERPETRATED VIOLENCE AND SAFETY CULTURE IN CHILD WELFARE: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW , Amber Castro

ACCESSIBILITY OF SERVICES FOR TRANSGENDER ADOLESCENTS FROM A CHILD WELFARE PERSPECTIVE , Eduardo Cedeno

WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO SEEKING PSYCHOTHERAPY SERVICES ACROSS DIFFERENT RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS? , Deysee Chavez and Elisa Rodarte

Homelessness In The Coachella Valley , Katrina Clarke

Challenges Veterans Encounter Receiving or Seeking Mental Health Services , Denise D. Contreras and Andrea Ramirez

EXAMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW , Elizabeth Ashley Contreras

IS A SOCIAL SUPPORT BASED MODEL BETTER FOR TREATING ALCOHOLISM? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW , Jordan Anthony Contreras

SOCIAL WORKERS’ PREPAREDNESS FOR PRACTICE WITH PATIENTS EXPERIENCING PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS , Paula Crespin

INVESTIGATING THE LEVEL OF EVIDENCE OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND PARENTING PRACTICES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW , Eloisa Deshazer

MENTAL HELP-SEEKING: BARRIERS AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS: THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ADDRESSING THOSE BARRIERS , Charneka Edwards

Treatment not Punishment: Youth Experiences of Psychiatric Hospitalizations , Maira Ferrer-Cabrera

THE BARRIERS TO NATURAL OUTDOOR SPACES: PERSPECTIVES FROM PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY DISABILITIES , Sierra Fields and Kailah Prince

IMPLEMENTATION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND CURRICULUM FOR ELEMENTARY-AGED CHILDREN , Indra Flores Silva and Jason Kwan

POOR ACADEMICS FROM COLLEGE STUDENTS GRIEVING THROUGH COVID 19 , Sarah Frost

COMPASSION FATIGUE IN SHORT TERM RESIDENTIAL THERAPEUTIC PROGRAM SETTINGS , Sandra Gallegos

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GUN VIOLENCE RESTRAINING ORDER , Bonnie Galloway and Yasmeen Gonzalez-Ayala

STRESS AND HELP-SEEKING IN FARMWORKERS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY , Alexis Garcia and Daniela Mejia

THE EFFECTIVNESS OF FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM , Maria Delcarmen Garcia Arias and Ashley Hernandez

PARENT INVOLVEMENT AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AMONG LATINO FAMILIES , Diana Garcia and Gabriela Munoz

IMPACT OF SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ON STUDENT ATTENDANCE AT A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICT , Johanna Garcia-Fernandez and Morgan Stokes

BARRIERS TO GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE , Gloria Garcia

THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF PLACEMENT INSTABILITY FOR PREGNANT FOSTER YOUTH , Amanda Garza and Shayneskgua Colen

PROGRESSION OF BLACK WOMEN IN TENURE RANKED POSITIONS , Unique Givens

Child Maltreatment Primary Prevention Methods in the U.S.: A Systematic Review of Recent Studies , Maria Godoy-Murillo

Assessing and Meeting the Needs of Homeless Populations , Mitchell Greenwald

Parity In Higher Education In Prison Programs: Does It Exist? , Michael Lee Griggs and Vianey Luna

SURROGACY AND IT'S EFFECTS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE GESTATIONAL CARRIER , DayJahne Haywood

SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT WITHIN THE US PRISON SYSTEM , Timothy Hicks

LGBTQ+ College Students Hopeful Future Expectations , Savannah Hull

EFFECTS OF VOLUNTARY REMOVAL ON AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY , Miriam Jimenez

THE MOTIVATING FACTORS AFFECTING THE CONTINUANCE AND COMPLETION OF SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT FOR MOTHERS , Jacquetta Johnson

FACTORS AFFECTING THE ENROLLMENT AND GRADUATION RATES AMONGST AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES IN THE UNITED STATES , Tracie Johnson

SUPPORTING FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY , Lisa Marie Jones-Wiertz

PROTESTANT CHURCH WORKERS' KNOWLEDGE OF CHILD ABUSE REPORTING AND REPORTING BEHAVIOR , Rachel Juedes

Social Media Told Me I Have A Mental Illness , Kathleen Knarreborg

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ROLE MODELS, SOCIOECONOMIC MOBILITY BELIEFS, AND ACADEMIC OUTCOMES , Christian Koeu and Marisol Espinoza Garcia

CULTURAL AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS OF UTILIZING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN A SCHOOL-BASED SETTING FOR LATINX POPULATIONS , Silvia Lozano and Bridgette Guadalupe Calderon

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH THAT PARTICIPATED IN EXTENDED FOSTER CARE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW , Kassandra Mayorga and Roxana Sanchez

NON-BINARY IDENTITY WITHIN COMPETENCY TRAINING FOR MENTAL/BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW , Alexis McIntyre

Childhood Neglect and Incarceration as a Adult , Marissa Mejia and Diana Gallegos

IMPACT OF RESOURCE SCARCITY ON UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION , Sebastian Melendez Lopez

STUDY EXPLORING FEELINGS OF SELF-BLAME AND SHAME AMONG INDIVIDUALS RAISED BY SEVERELY MENTALLY ILL CAREGIVERS , Joanie Minion

THE OBSTACLES FACING HOMELESS VETERANS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS WHEN OBTAINING HOUSING , Melissa Miro

STUDENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION RECEIVING SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND ITS IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH , Cristina Palacios Mosqueda

COMMERCIALLY SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN TARGETED WITHIN SOCIAL SERVICES , Britny Ragland

ART THERAPY FOR BEREAVED SIBLINGS AFTER PEDIATRIC CANCER DEATH , Daniela Ramirez-Ibarra

HOW DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACT EXTENDED FOSTER CARE SOCIAL WORKERS WHILE PROVIDING SOCIAL SERVICES , Omar Ramirez and Victoria Lopez

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BODY MODIFICATION BIASES IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD , Lonese Ramsey

Bridging Training Gaps: Assessing Knowledge and Confidence of Mental Health Interns in Opioid Misuse Intervention for School-Aged Children and Adolescents , Carolina Rodriguez and Gabriela Guadalupe Gonzalez

PERCEPTIONS OF YOUTH ATHLETE SAFETY PARENTS VS DIRECTORS , Nicole Anais Rodriguez

SPIRITUALITY AND RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION: EXPERIENCES OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS MEMBERS , Elizabeth Romberger

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND ALTRUISM: THE IMPACT ON SOCIAL WORK AS A CAREER CHOICE , Nancy Salas and Brittany Altuna

MAJOR FACTORS OF SUSTAINING RECOVERY AFTER RELAPSE FROM A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER , Amanda Tei Sandhurst

UNDERSTANDING THE PERSPECTIVES AND ATTITUDES OF 12-STEP PARTICIPANTS TOWARDS MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT , Christopher Scott

THE UTILIZATION OF MUSIC AND AUTONOMOUS SENSORY MERIDIAN RESPONSE IN REDUCING STRESS , Robert Scott

THE AFTERMATH OF THE PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON COLLEGE STUDENT DEPRESSION , Lorena Sedano

Exploring the Experiences of Minority Former Foster Youths During and Post Care: A Qualitative Study , Caithlyn Snow

Factors that Contribute to Disparities in Access to Mental Health Services within Hispanic Adults , Jasmine Soriano

THE CHALLENGES TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES MEMORANDUM: FOSTER CARE AS A SUPPORT TO FAMILIES , Rebecca Joan Sullivan-Oppenheim

RESILIENCE IN FATHERHOOD: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ABSENT FATHERS ON BLACK AMERICAN MEN'S PARENTING NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES , Ericah Thomas

FACTORS THAT IMPACT FOSTER YOUTHS’ HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION , Esther Thomas

EXAMINING A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEXUAL SATISFACTION AND CHILD MALTREATMENT , Amanda Titone

THE PRESENT STRUGGLES OF IMMIGRANT FARMWORKERS IN CALIFORNIA , Leslie Torres and Angelica Huerta

PROGRAM EVALUATION OF SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING SERVICES , Yvette Torres and Emily Ann Rodriguez

Stressors, Caffeine Consumption, and Mental Health Concerns among College Students , Stacey Trejo

DISPARITIES SURROUNDING THE AVAILABILITY OF FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS IN THE WORKPLACE , Marlene Ventura

MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT HELP SEEKING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS AMONG LATINX COMMUNITY , Nancy Vieyra

JUSTICE-INVOLVED STUDENTS: EFFECTS OF USING SUPPORT SERVICES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS , Gabby Walker and Sofia Alvarenga

MANDATED REPORTERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND REPORTING OF CHILD ABUSE , Alexis Reilly Warye

THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCY MODEL (CRM) APPLIED TO TEACHER’S WELL-BEING , John Waterson

Addressing Rural Mental Health Crises: An Alternative to Police , Faith Ann Weatheral-block

Theses/Projects/Dissertations from 2023 2023

PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO CONGREGATE CARE AND FOSTER YOUTH OUTCOMES , Tiffany Acklin

YOU CALL US TREATMENT RESISTANT: THE EFFECTS OF BIASES ON WOMEN WITH BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER , Cassidy Acosta

EXAMINING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED CALIFORNIA STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED FROM PROJECT REBOUND , Ashley C. Adams

ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO POLICE INTERVENTIONS WHEN RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISES INCIDENTS , Karen Rivera Apolinar

Understanding Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice , Arielle Arambula

IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROFESSORIAL-STUDENT RACIAL MATCH AND ACADEMIC SATISFACTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS , Ashlei Armstead

NON-SPANISH SPEAKING LATINOS' EXPERIENCES OF INTRAGROUP MARGINALIZATION AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR ETHNIC IDENTITY , Marissa Ayala

SERVICES AVAILABLE IN THE MIXTEC COMMUNITY AND THE BARRIERS TO THOSE SERVICES , Currie Bailey Carmon

IMPACT OF OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ON THE SELF-ESTEEM, SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND COMFORT LEVEL OF BLACK AND BROWN GIRLS , Nathan Benham

THE ROLE UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT RESOURCE CENTERS PLAY IN SUPPORTING UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION , Cynthia Boyzo

Program Evaluation of Teen Parent Support Group , Brianne Yvonne Irene Brophy

THE IMPACT THE JOB STRESS OF A CHILD WELFARE SOCIAL WORKER HAS ON THE QUALITY OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR INTIMATE PARTNER , Nadine Cazares

Adverse Effects for Siblings Who Witness Child Abuse , Leslie Chaires

ASIAN DISCRIMINATION: IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL WORK , Sunghay Cho

PERCEIVED FINANCIAL STRAIN AND ITS EFFECTS ON COLLEGE STUDENTS’ WELFARE , Monica Contreras and Clarissa Adrianna Martinez

The Media and Eating Disorders , Diane Corey

INCREASING TEACHER AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN , Sarah Alexis Cortes

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Social Issues Dissertation Award

This award recognizes excellence in socially relevant research.

Deadline: May 1, 2023 ; May 1, 2024 ; May 1, 2025

Sponsor: Division 9

• Description
• Eligibility
• How to Apply

The Social Issues Dissertation Award recognizes doctoral dissertations in psychology (or in a social science with psychological subject matter) that best demonstrate scientific excellence and potential application to social problems. A first prize of $750 and a second prize of $500 will be award.

Any doctoral dissertation in psychology (or in a social science with psychological subject matter) accepted between March 1 of the previous year and up to the deadline of the current year is eligible. Applicants must have successfully defended their dissertation prior to the current year's award deadline. Please note that in the award year an individual or group may only submit one paper to one SPSSI award (from amongst the Allport, Klineberg and Dissertation Awards) and applicants may not submit to the Dissertation Prize twice.

Annual deadline: May 1

Online submissions are the preferred method.  Please limit the number and size of files uploaded when applying online.  Apply online now .

The application should include a 500-word summary of the dissertation. The summary should include title, rationale, methods and results of dissertation, as well as its implications for social problems. Please also include a cover sheet that states the title of your dissertation, your name, postal and e-mail addresses, phone number and university granting the degree. 

All applicants will be notified of their status by July 1. Finalists will be asked to provide:

• certification by the dissertation advisor of the acceptance date of the dissertation
• a full electronic copy of the dissertation. 

The final decision will be announced by September 1.

School of Social Work

2024 PSU Research Award Winners Announced

Annual Awards acknowledge exceptional research, scholarship, creativity, and commitment to student success

by Molly Baer Kramer April 22nd 2024 Share

Today, Portland State University announced its 2024 awards for excellence in research, mentoring, and research administration . PSU’s Research Awards acknowledge faculty who exhibit exceptional research, scholarship, creativity, and commitment to the success of PSU students, and recognize one research administrator who makes an outstanding contribution to the production of research at the university. 

Six of the 15 research awards are university-wide; individual colleges and schools award the remaining nine. 

"I am thrilled to celebrate this year's award recipients at Portland State University,” said Rick Tankersley, Vice-President for Research & Graduate Studies, whose office manages the awards process. “These awards showcase the diverse and impactful contributions of our faculty and staff across various disciplines. Each winner enhances our mission through outstanding research and mentorship, enriching both PSU and our student community. It's especially exciting to introduce the 'Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year' award for the first time this year, highlighting our commitment to excellence and innovation in undergraduate education."

This year’s awardees will be celebrated at a special reception on Friday, May 10, to conclude the university's  Research Week .

The university research award winners are:

• Presidential Career Research Award:  Birol Yeşilada , Professor in Political Science and International Studies and Director, Center for Turkish Studies and the Mark O. Hatfield Cybersecurity & Cyber Defense Policy Center
• Early Career Research Award:  Fang Song , Associate Professor in Computer Science
• Research Faculty Award:  Papireddy Kancharla , Research Assistant Professor in Chemistry
• Graduate Mentoring Excellence Award:  Karen Haley , Professor in the Postsecondary, Adult, and Continuing Education (PACE) program
• Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year:  Bill Griesar , Teaching Assistant Professor in Psychology
• Research Administrator of the Year:  Becca Lockwood , Sponsored Projects Officer

The college/school research award winners are:

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Researcher of the Year:  Alida Cantor , Associate Professor, Geography
• College of Education Researcher of the Year:  Rana Yaghmaian , Associate Professor and Department Chair of Counselor Education
• College of the Arts Researcher of the Year: Alison Heryer , Costume Designer, School of Art + Design
• College of Urban and Public Affairs Researcher of the Year: Lindsay Benstead , Professor, Department of Politics and Global Affairs
• Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Researcher of the Year: Raúl Bayoán Cal , Professor, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
• OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Researcher of the Year:  Neal Wallace , Professor, Health Management & Policy, Health Systems & Policy
• School of Business Researcher of the Year:  Marta Stelmaszak Rosa , Assistant Professor of Information Systems
• School of Social Work Researcher of the Year:  Matthew Town , Assistant Professor, Social Work
• University Honors College Researcher of the Year:  Amy Borden , Associate Professor, Humanities and Film Studies

Recipients of the awards are faculty and staff members at PSU who have shown extraordinary dedication to their work, going above and beyond to make progress in their fields and inspire the next generation. They are nominated by their colleagues and then selected by a jury of their peers, based on the significance and quality of their academic or creative work and their strong commitment to creating an environment that supports student success and research excellence. "This year, we are particularly proud of the contributions of our research administrators, whose efforts are crucial in facilitating our pioneering research endeavors," Tankersley stated.

"I am delighted to honor the remarkable achievements of our award winners, whose work spans multiple disciplines at Portland State University,” said Tankersley. “These accolades reflect our faculty and staff's significant impact on our academic community and their fields. Their dedication to research excellence and student success not only advances PSU's mission but also inspires within and beyond the university."

Related Links:

• View bios of the 2024 Research Award recipients here

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Online MSW student who changed careers named MSW Spirit of Social Work awardee

“In the right light, in the right time, everything is extraordinary.” –Director Aaron Rose. 

Even though Rose was most likely making a cinematic reference, Nada Dorman believes that it extends to so much more.

“When I think about this, I think about having faith that things will be okay and work out and that patience is everything,” Nada said. 

Nada is the Garland School’s MSW Alicia Martinez Spirit of Social Work Award recipient, and this quote describes her life’s journey quite well. Nada was a non-traditional graduate student in our online MSW program. After working 20 years in the marketing/public relations profession, she decided to make a change. Even though her first career was full of exciting jobs like working with Netflix, she found this path not to be the one she was called to walk. 

“I’ve always had a helper spirit, but I studied communications, pursued a master’s [degree] and had a really exciting and successful career in marketing and PR, but it just wasn’t fulfilling,” Nada said. “So at 40, my kids weren’t babies anymore, they were in elementary school, and I decided, it was my turn to go to school too.”

Nada, born in Oklahoma to Egyptian parents who immigrated to the US, credits her own journey in therapy for pointing her in the direction of social work as a career.

“I was 22 when I went to therapy for the first time. It was long overdue, and I found so much relief from anxiety,” Nada said. “Then later, I went again in my late 20s and had the same kind of experience. That time, I stayed with that therapist for more than 10 years. Both clinicians were LCSWs. I’d been so supported and inspired for so long that I knew I could do that for others; I wanted to do be that person.” 

Nada said choosing the online program at Baylor was a “win-win” for her.

“I started [the program] in January 2022. I only applied to Baylor and UT, but I had already completed two degrees at UT, and I was really drawn to the intimacy of the Baylor program,” Nada said. “With the pandemic, the online function was a no brainer. And as a mom, I was able to still pick up my kids and make dinner and be me for them, but still do this. It was a win-win!”

I can’t tell you what an honor it is to receive this award. I’m so humbled. I used to think these awards were for the residential students, not the online campus and certainly not for those in the 40 plus category!

During her time in the Garland School’s MSW Standard Program, Nada had two internships. Her first was with Jewish Family Services. When she started, the list to see a therapist was 100-people long, and it took a year to be seen. She saw a need and went to work addressing the problem. She contacted everyone on the list and asked them to join an anxiety support group (as this was a common factor with everyone) and her group therapy began. Her second internship was with Any Baby Can, an agency that strengthens families so children succeed. She worked primarily with teen and young post-partum moms struggling with anxiety and depression. 

Nada graduated from the MSW online program in December of 2023, and is currently working as a school social worker with the Austin Independent School District. Her days are filled with seeing the needs of those around her and problem solving to make things better. 

“I’ve been working as a crisis social worker with Immigrants and refugees, homeless families and foster kids, and if I can offer a piece of advice that has already served me well…listen to your gut, that is definitely part of the process. The needs in our community are so vast, from basic hygiene to trauma repair. I focus on being there, in school, helping them, their families and finding them support throughout the summers and the fact I’ll meet them in August when they’re back.” 

Nada noted the gifts her social work education and her social work professors gave her during her time at the Garland School of Social Work that has carried into her new career.

“Social workers have an incredible sense of intuition that our professors have helped us fine tune. Use your research skills to read about what you’re thinking and feeling about a client. Tune in to what you’re seeing,” Nada said. “You should always be assessing. That competency doesn’t just sometimes need to happen, it’s like a sensor that allows us to engage without words.”

One of Nada’s professors had this to say about her, “Nada is an outspoken advocate for the marginalized. She is the kind of social worker we love to teach and see enter the profession as she loves micro, mezzo and macro work. She currently works in a school, but she regularly shows up at the capitol to lobby for laws and policies that empower those that have been left out. She doesn’t just care; she responds to make a difference!”

Nada added, “I can’t tell you what an honor it is to receive this award. I’m so humbled. I used to think these awards were for the residential students, not the online campus and certainly not for those in the 40 plus category!”

Congratulations, Nada! We are so proud of you and the work you are doing to support children and families in your school and around the Austin area. We look forward to watching you grow in your social work journey. Sic, ‘Em!

• Diana R. Garland School of Social Work

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2024 BSW & MSW Scholarship Recipients

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the School of Social Work is able to offer a number of scholarship opportunities to our BSW and MSW students each academic year. These scholarships not only help students meet their financial obligations but also recognize their academic achievements and contributions to the social work profession. Congratulations to our scholarship recipients!

Donna Millette-Fridge Scholarship

This scholarship was established in memory of Donna Millette-Fridge by the School of Social Work in recognition of her commitment to helping the mentally ill become self-sufficient.

Andrea Churchill , Bachelor of Social Work

My education here has been amazing and I look forward to continuing my graduate studies here for the 2024-2025 year. Being a social work major, my internship experience has really helped me put what I have learned in the classroom into real-life scenarios. Without this internship, I would not be ready for a career in the field, and I know that UConn makes a great connection with the classes offered and internship sites. As a non-traditional student coming back to school at 38 years old, I have to worry about household bills like my mortgage, utilities, and car payment, along with a job, classes and field placement. This scholarship helps me immensely to relieve some of the stress associated with school-related costs.

Raymond and Mary Borecki Buck Endowed Scholarship Fund

Mary Borecki Buck is an UConn School of Social Work alumna committed to supporting the education of future generations of social workers. This scholarship, created by Mary and her late husband, Raymond, will provide financial support to a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work program.

Jessica Banning , Bachelor of Social Work

I enrolled at the UConn School of Social Work at the age of 41. The cohort model of learning pushed me to engage with my peers and become comfortable asking questions. I work a full-time job doing case management for a local non-profit organization and wrapped up an internship with the East Hartford Police Department's Crisis Intervention Division. The instructors in the BSW program are patient, understanding and compassionate. There was never a period in my experience as a student that I felt alone. I am able to align myself with people who share similar values, who respect difference, and share ideas openly. I would like to say thank you for encouraging me to keep going forward!

Shania Shealey , Bachelor of Social Work

UConn has been such a great experience for me! I've been able to grow into the person I always wanted to be in a short period. I'm a first-generation college student in my family and it's been an honor to be blessed with the opportunity. What makes me proud to be part of UConn is the friendships I have made since starting UConn, from the wonderful professors and faculties who have taught me such valuable lessons, to the classmates that have been there for me during hard times. It has brought me joy to be around others who have the same values, beliefs, and thoughts as me. Thank you for having faith in me to receive this scholarship. You have given me a huge boost to continue my education as I begin my Master's program in the fall of 2024.

Charlotte M. Kinlock Endowment Fund in Social Work

Established by Charlotte M. Kinlock, graduate of the school and adjunct faculty member. This award provides financial assistance to a student in a field placement working on LGBTQIA+ issues and provides financial support to school-sponsored organizations and activities that promote an understanding of LGBTQIA+ issues.

Kallan Doyon , Individual, Groups and Families concentration

Dr. adelaide sandler master of social work student support fellowship.

Angela Rossi, Policy Practice concentration

When I was accepted into the MSW program for the Spring 2022 semester, I cried. UConn made me realize I belong in all spaces and my voice matters. There are two classes that I have taken in my time at UConn that really changed my perspectives of the world: The first was NURS 2175: Global Politics of Childbearing and Reproduction as an undergrad with Dr. Thomas Long. The second was during my MSW program: BASC 5300 with Dr. Gio Iacono. Without these classes, I feel I would not have found my path in political advocacy and becoming a Political Social Worker. This award let me work one less day a week which allowed me to go to my internship at the Connecticut General Assembly with Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, and to network with legislators and lobbyists and community advocates.

Dr. Albert Alissi School of Social Work Scholarship Fund

This scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Albert S. Alissi, faculty emeritus, to provide financial assistance to a student conducting group work practice.

Julia Demichele , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

I am most appreciative of my experience in Puerto Rico with the Social Work in Puerto Rico course last summer. I learned so much about how social work is done differently in Puerto Rico and the many implications this has for us as social workers in the states. My entire understanding of myself as a future micro practitioner was flipped upside down and I saw how imperative it is for macro social work to inform everything I do. I want to share my gratitude for the generosity of the scholarship donor. With the financial support, I have been able to pick up less overtime shifts at work and attend more university events, immerse myself in readings, and connect with peers and colleagues.

Esther R. Pahl Fellowship for Social Work Excellence

Esther Pahl is a 1952 graduate of the School of Social Work. She credits her UConn social work education for her long and meaningful career caring for others. She established this scholarship to provide meaningful support to a student in need with an interest in working in a mental health setting.

Luis Gonzalez , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

I'm proud to be a UConn Husky because I know whatever route I choose, I have support from my professors, advisors and peers whenever I need guidance. I am most appreciative of the internships that UConn provides. I would tell the scholarship donor that I am very grateful for the opportunity for my voice to be heard. As a first-generation Latino student, I am honored to be chosen and because of you, I am able to lessen my financial burdens and finish off my graduate program stronger. I thank you for seeing my resilience as a grad student, and I would love to pay it forward in the future so I can make the same impact.

Laura Gordon, Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

I have truly been overwhelmed by the amount of support in both undergraduate and graduate studies for nontraditional students like myself who are also parents. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to receive such a generous scholarship. As a mother and a student, I am constantly working on financial balance. This scholarship award has allowed me to take a breath and focus on my work, to ensure that I have the tools for success like books, supplies, access to a parking pass and childcare when needed; to be able to go above and beyond and expand my knowledge in my area of study through additional books and seminars. This is truly an amazing gift and I have ensured that it will support my growth in social work.

Frank V. Carollo Scholarship Fund

Mr. Frank Carollo was a 1953 graduate of the UConn School of Social Work who worked part-time while attaining his education. He established this scholarship to assist students who find it necessary to work to supplement their living expenses while attending school.

Monique Asselin , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

Sarah babbs , individuals, groups and families concentration.

I am proud of the School's focus on combining the macro and micro lens to educate integrated social workers. I am appreciative of the academic opportunities I have had as a student, in particular courses focused on systemic injustice and social change, health inequities and disability justice, and for the internship opportunity. Working on an adult inpatient psychiatric unit has given me ample opportunities to learn about clinical systems, trauma-focused care, and how systems of oppression affect individuals on a daily basis. Thank you for your generosity in recognizing the value in our work as MSW students, and choosing to offer those of us who must work while in school the opportunity to have some breathing room financially.

Andrea Calderon , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

Ruthliann carmona , individuals, groups and families concentration.

UConn has connected me to an internship that provided me with important hands-on practice and has revitalized my passion for social work. Thank you so much for your generous donation. Receiving my MSW has been my goal for the past four years since I decided I wanted to pursue a career in school social work. Throughout my educational career, I have had to work a part-time job to provide for my basic needs. Being awarded this scholarship allows me a certain level of flexibility in which I can focus more on school without having to make sacrifices in other parts of my life. I am thankful to the donor and to UConn for being chosen for this scholarship and the opportunities it brings.

Krista Ferrelli , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

Being a single mom and a student has had many challenges during my college career, so I am very grateful for this scholarship! Only being able to work two days a week because of my unpaid internship three days a week has made things tough, so I am happy beyond belief to receive this. One of the things I am most appreciative for at UConn has been my internship experience at the Root Center for Advanced Recovery because I want to work with people who have substance use disorder and I am learning a lot here. Thank you for your kindness and for helping me and the other students at UConn. It means a lot to me because help to reduce my student loan is wonderful!

Tanajah Harris, Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

I love the close community that I have experienced at UConn School of Social Work. I am most appreciative of the internship opportunities that have been offered to me. By being able to get the experience of working closely in mental health and substance use communities, my eagerness to get out there and begin contributing to this population has only grown. I would like to tell my scholarship donor that I am beyond grateful to have been a recipient of this award! You have no idea how much this means to me and how much this award will impact my life and current financial struggles. You have blessed me with the opportunity to lift a great deal of weight off of my shoulders.

Roshae Harrison , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

The people at the UConn School of Social Work are open, loving and accepting. I am most appreciative for my internship with The Bridge Family Center. It has only confirmed that my educational journey has been well spent. If I had a chance to thank a scholarship donor in person, I would thank them for their contribution and kindness. Their donation allows people like me to have a better opportunity to finish college with a less worry about debt. I come from an immigrant family, who only had a dollar in their pocket and a dream. Scholarships and loans have allowed me to attend college and go after my own dreams that may one day help repay my parents for all the sacrifices they have made.

Karina Hummel, Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

I am most appreciative for my internship with CCGC North Star IOP through UConn. I would not have gotten the extensive experience in a clinical placement and seeing the impact through the kids without it. I have gotten the opportunity to learn and work on my practicing skills by providing daily group therapy, individual therapy and family therapy. I have loved working with the family system and connecting with school social workers in order to best provide for the child. I am beyond grateful for receiving this scholarship. As a master's student balancing education, an internship and work throughout, is a major relief. It's hard to put into words the feeling of pure joy and relief when I received this scholarship.

Lorena Martinez , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

Gage Murphy , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

What excites me most about UConn is the opportunity to connect and network with other students in real time in order to grow as an aspiring social worker. I am most appreciative of the incredible internship opportunity I have had this year. I have had the opportunity to work directly under a licensed social worker and carry my own caseload, lead a variety of groups with another intern, and get involved in a number of projects aimed at providing better care to clients at the practice. Receiving this award serves as a beacon of hope and encouragement, reminding me that my contributions and dedication to the field of social work are valued and recognized. It motivates me to advocate for those who are marginalized and strive to create positive change in our communities.

Juliana Servetnick , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

The UConn School of Social Work has been so welcoming and supportive. My professors have made me think critically and fueled my passion for social work. While interning has been difficult to balance, it has been an inexhaustible source of knowledge and experience. I am so thankful to my internship placements (Connecticut Children's Medical Center and Pinnacle Behavioral Health) and incredible supervisors for guiding my growth. I want to thank the Frank V. Carollo Scholarship Fund for their generous donation to my education. The funds are a massive help for me as I navigate my graduate education with an internship while working full-time.

Arianna Skelcher , Individuals, Groups & Families concentration

I am truly grateful for the enriching academic journey I've had at UConn. The professors here genuinely care about their students' success and wholeheartedly support them throughout the entire semester. My internship has given me the gift of experience, but also connection. Having the opportunity to form meaningful connections with the children I work with and positively impact their lives is truly incredible. As a first-generation college student, receiving this scholarship is truly heartwarming. My journey has been marked with unwavering determination, building a life from humble beginnings. Balancing two jobs, full-time schooling and an internship has been challenging, yet I wouldn't alter a single aspect because I am wholeheartedly pursing my dreams.

Naiela Suleiman , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

Carlos Velazquez, Community Organizing concentration

I am most thankful for my time spent in classes, conducting research, studying, and discussing ideas with amazing minds and critical thinkers. I am also grateful for the ability to complete an internship within the East Hartford community and to connect with so many passionate individuals in this field. I am incredibly grateful for being selected for the Frank V. Carollo scholarship fund, one of my proudest life accomplishments. It is a privilege and honor to receive this scholarship. I hope to emulate the good work accomplished by Mr. Carollo throughout his career as a clinical social worker and meet my clients with the same passion, care, and attentiveness to their needs. It is a great honor to receive this scholarship and I hope to continue Mr. Carollo's legacy in the field of social work.

Corey Zemke , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

I am most appreciative of the opportunity to study in Germany to focus on the implications the Holocaust had on Social Work Practice. Not only have I always wanted to travel to Germany but have always had an interest in the Holocaust. I would never have had the opportunity to learn from German Social Workers and indulge myself in the culture and learning that is presented. I am incredibly appreciative of this scholarship. Working full time outside of school is very challenging and to have some cost of school offset is a big relief. I now feel I can focus more on my studies without worry of my next meal and/or paying for books/tuition. This scholarship makes me feel seen and understood as a working student.

CJK Dragonfly Social Work Fellowship

The CJK Dragonfly Social Work Fellowship was established to provide financial support to Master of Social Work students who are completing a practicum placement providing mental health services.

Ariana Brasman , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

I am proud to be part of a growing number of people who are looking to serve those less fortunate and help create the bridge to finding available resources and getting the help they need. I appreciate both internships I’ve held as they have given me a greater perspective into what the community needs are and how they differ across cities. It gives me greater insight into struggles with domestic violence, homelessness and substance use. I would like to say thank you for helping me cover the cost of my bills in particular rent and electric. It helped me feel some breathing room to focus more on school and my internship.

Dr. Julio Morales Jr. Fellowship Endowment

Established in honor of Dr. Julio Morales Jr., retired professor, Dean of Students, and founder of the Puerto Rican and Latin@ Studies Project, the Fellowship provides financial support to an MSW student who demonstrates a commitment to engaging in outreach programs in the Latino community and has, or will have, completed their field education practicum in the Latino community. Preference given to students who are fluent in both English and Spanish.

Jaileene Arriaga, Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

F. louise boatman scholarship fund.

The F. Louise Boatman Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial support for students enrolled at UConn School of Social Work.

Kate Hickie , Community Organizing concentration

Ivor j. echols endowment fund.

Friends and colleagues of the late Dr. Ivor J. Echols, faculty member and prominent member of the African American community, established this award in her honor on her retirement.

Hailie Percy-Campbell , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

Mary deane-scalora endowment fund.

This scholarship was established in memory of Mary Deane-Scalora, MSW, by her family to provide financial assistance to a master’s level student with demonstrated interest in working with or for the advancement of the poor in a social services agency or educational institution.

Olivia LaCasse , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

UConn offers so many opportunities for learning and growth within my field, and its ability to connect us to agencies in the state that help us flourish as social workers is unique to the school's reputation and investment in the community. The program's focus on macro and micro-level social work is vital in my competence and world view. My field placement experience was daunting at first but has only honed my confidence in my abilities and fit in my career choice. Hands-on experience is an invaluable tool in becoming the best social worker I can be.

Mary Porter Wright and John Wright Fellowship in Social Work

Mary Porter Wright is an alumna from UConn School of Social Work.

Madison Zuckerman , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

I am most appreciative of my research experience at UConn, as I believe that is what propelled me forward into not only having a better understanding of my passions and interests, but also set me up for success for graduate school and my career beyond. I am going to school to be a social worker, to be someone who can help lift others up, help them work through their traumas, fears, relationships, and other challenges. I take the importance of this work extremely seriously, and it is a goal of mine to continue working towards being the best clinician I can be. Knowing I have a chance to shift my focus away from financial stress, and instead focus on helping others, my true passion, is a blessing.

Mary Ellen and John D. Killeen Master of Social Work Scholarship Fund

Mary Ellen Killeen is a School of Social Work graduate who established this fund to provide financial support for students enrolled in the Master’s of Social Work program.

Kevin Champagne , Individuals, Groups and Families concentration

Evelyn Perez , Community Organizing concentration

What excites me is being a part of this UConn Nation. Since I moved from Peru to Connecticut I always dreamed of being part of this university and I fulfilled my dreams by doing my BSW and MSW. I am proud to be a student at UConn not just because of the quality of education but their mission for students to be ethical, spiritual and responsible citizens. Also, I am proud of the values I learned. Doing my internship helped me interact with many organizations and meet professional people who helped me develop professionally. Thank you very much for helping me and giving me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams.

Miriam Silverman Memorial Scholarship

The Miriam Silverman Memorial Scholarship was established in her memory by her husband and friends to provide financial support to students in need.

Faith Armah , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

Murry shapiro endowed scholarship fund.

Paul Shapiro, a retired assistant attorney general and former Mayor of Mansfield, Connecticut, established the Murry Shapiro Scholarship in memory of his late father, a former member of the Group Work faculty who taught at the School of Social Work.

Sarah Gunn , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

I am extremely proud to be a part of the UConn community. There is a reason our school is so well-known across the country. It is an amazing school with high-quality programs that prepare students for their future. I appreciate the many opportunities that UConn provides to help support students in academics and other areas of need. I have been fortunate enough to receive multiple scholarships through the school which have helped me purchase textbooks and school supplies. I am extremely grateful that I was offered this scholarship, which will help me through my final semester. This generous donation will ease my financial stress so that I am able to focus on my studies and finish my degree with a successful semester.

Nancy Tarr Berdon Fund

The family of Nancy Tarr Berdon established this award in memory of Tarr Berdon, a noted professional social worker in the New Haven area committed to working with the poor.

Fernando Valenzuela , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

Peter petrella fellowship for the school of social work.

The Peter Petrella fund supports fellowships for incoming or continuing graduate students enrolled full-time in the School of Social Work. Students may be incoming or continuing and must demonstrate academic achievement. Priority will be given to students who demonstrate financial need.

Kyla Kelley , Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration

Having lived in Connecticut my entire life, I find it incredibly exhilarating to be a part of a nationally recognized program that is known for its rigorous standards. The combination of small class sizes, extensive internship options and high level of student support creates a comprehensive educational experience that goes beyond the classroom. It not only equips me and my peers with the necessary knowledge and skills but also nurtures personal growth and professional development. I am truly grateful for these aspects of the program, as they contribute to a well-rounded and enriching educational journey. If given the chance to express my gratitude to the scholarship donor, I would emphasize just how deeply appreciative I am to have been chosen as a recipient of this prestigious award.

Shirley & Howard Dickstein Scholarship Fund

This scholarship was established by Shirley and Howard Dickstein to assist students with their expenses while attending school.

Joyce Lopes , Individuals, Groups & Family Practice concentration

Alyssa sullivan , individuals, groups & family practice concentration.

As an MSW student, I have greatly appreciated my field placements. My interests and input were taken into consideration during the placement process, and I was lucky to be placed in two excellent agencies were I have gained valuable experience in the field. Furthermore, I am so appreciative of the professors. I have had some excellent teachers who are both knowledgeable in content and bring practice experience to their position. This scholarship will help in covering the various expenses that come with graduate education, from tuition and fees to textbooks to the cost of commuting. It has been challenging to balance the demands of a full-time course load, field hours and employment. The financial assistance and peace of mind this generous donation provides is very appreciated.