News

Donations from One Day One KU will provide funds to students through scholarships, the Student Emergency Fund, and the Practicum Student Support Fund.

Wed, 05/06/2026

KU announces new 2026-2027 Self Memorial Scholars

Twenty-one students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year. The award is given to outstanding seniors from KU who will be transitioning into their first year of a master’s or doctoral program at KU in the fall 2026 semester.

Tue, 05/05/2026

Graduating Student Spotlight: Travis Channell

Get to know more about MSW student Travis Channell as he shares his thoughts ahead of graduation.

Tue, 05/05/2026

KU International Affairs awards grants for research and collaboration abroad

From listening to labor advocates in Nigeria to tracking the physics of river mixing in Chile, KU researchers are expanding understanding across borders. KUIA has awarded $75,000 to 35 faculty and students engaged in projects spanning 23 countries.

Tue, 04/28/2026

How KU social work students benefit from practicum education

Students gain real-world experience and receive one-to-one mentoring during their social work practicum placement. Current MSW students share what they've learned in practicum.

Mon, 04/27/2026

MSW Student Spotlight: Brittany Bates

In her practicum at a rural mental health clinic, Bates observes and shadows mental health professionals across individual, group, and family therapy and mobile crisis services. She leads a psychoeducation group on communication while continuing to refine her interpersonal skills as she progresses into her clinical year. She is passionate about supporting underserved populations and improving access to mental health care.

Thu, 04/16/2026

KU researchers enhance training for the Kansas health care workforce to prevent substance use disorders

Researchers in the KU School of Social Welfare have updated training materials that prepare health care providers to prevent, identify and treat substance use disorders across Kansas. SBIRT — Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment — is an evidence-based approach to talking with people about their substance use.

Tue, 04/14/2026

Graduating Student Spotlight: Lily Shine

Lily Shine, who will graduate in May with her Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, has made it a life mission to tackle homelessness.

Mon, 04/13/2026

Research finds efforts to end child marriage in Malawi leave out local knowledge, culture

University of Kansas researchers propose viewing the problem through an African feminist lens that would engage culture, local customs and knowledge to address an issue that has persisted despite legal reforms.

Tue, 04/07/2026

KU MSW program ranks No. 22 among public schools in U.S. News & World Report

KU has 55 graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities — including eight in the top 10 — in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.

Tue, 03/31/2026

Social Welfare assistant professor Claire Willey-Sthapit to receive International Research Award, deliver talk

Claire Willey-Sthapit, assistant professor in KU's School of Social Welfare, will receive the KU International Affairs Advisory Board International Research Award and speak April 29. Her research examines domestic violence policy across the U.S. and Nepal, highlighting community-based responses and challenging global assumptions about prevention and intervention.

Wed, 03/25/2026

Professional writing course helps Social Welfare students enhance evergreen skills

Joe Bush, professional writing consultant and adjunct instructor for the KU School of Social Welfare, is teaching SW 410 this spring. Bush worked with the Bachelor of Social Work curriculum committee to update and modernize the course.

Tue, 03/17/2026

KU Libraries partner with Social Welfare associate professor to launch inaugural David M. Bergeron and Geraldo Sousa Exhibit

In a new exhibition in Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas, historical texts and contemporary artwork sit side by side, inviting intergenerational exploration and new ideas about the universal experience of growing older. An opening reception for “Aging, Art, and Activism: Reimagining Our Aging Futures through Creative Representations and Personal Narratives” will take place March 31.

Thu, 03/12/2026

MSW Spotlight: Aurea Bailey

Aurea Bailey, who will receive her MSW from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare in May, currently lives in St. Robert, Missouri. Her family had to move there abruptly when her husband was relocated, but the nature of the online MSW program through Jayhawk Global kept options open for Bailey.

Tue, 03/03/2026

Seminar to prevent sexual violence on campus earns national recognition

More than 7,000 KU students have completed the Prevention is Possible Seminar since 2018. The program - a partnership between the KU Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center and the KU School of Social Welfare - earned a 2025 NASPA Innovative Program Award.

Thu, 02/26/2026

KU among top-ranked public institutions for research expenditures in social work

Research and development expenditures spanning all University of Kansas campuses climbed to $610.6 million in fiscal year 2025, surpassing the previous record of $546.1 million by 12% and marking a full decade of sustained research growth.

Wed, 02/25/2026

Social Work MSW Macro Spotlight: Melissa Wilson

Wilson, MSW 2023, graduated from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare with a macro specialization to do just that. Wilson always wanted to help people through her career. Her job at the Missouri State Public Defender's office as a mitigation specialist helps her do that.

Tue, 01/27/2026

Alumni Spotlight: Jacob McKee

Social Welfare alum Jacob McKee is proud of his Master of Social Work degree and the path it led him on. McKee, a deputy director of improvement in the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Improvement Office, shares his experience through a variety of roles in his career.

Tue, 01/27/2026

Social Work MSW Macro Spotlight: Emma Kelley

In her work as a research project coordinator for UMKC's Urban Education Research Center, Emma Kelley, MSW 2024, combines interests in macro-level social work and program evaluation.

Fri, 01/16/2026

KU professor leads project to document history, preserve KC-based movement to fight for better restaurant pay

Tadeo Weiner Davis, assistant professor of social welfare at the University of Kansas, earned a grant to preserve materials of Stand Up KC, a movement dedicated to earning better pay for fast food and casual restaurant workers, and record oral histories of those involved.

Mon, 01/12/2026

Social Welfare event will explore intersection of social work, labor, economic justice

The panel, hosted by Social Welfare assistant professor Tadeo Weiner Davis, will feature social workers who will share their experiences at the intersection of social work’s commitment to economic justice and the struggles in organized labor. It will award two hours of continuing education credit.

Media Contacts