News

Thu, 10/12/2023

Melinda Lewis promoted to full professor of the practice

Melinda Lewis earned a promotion to full professor of the practice. Lewis has been with the School of Social Welfare since 2013.

Mon, 10/02/2023

Alumni Spotlight: Sheria Howard

Sheria Howard was a case worker for five years until the death of Michael Brown in 2014. She saw how the local government was handling the situation and wanted to bring change through policy.

Mon, 10/02/2023

Alumni Spotlight: Kelly Harrington

Kelly Harrington graduated with a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a macro specialization in 2016. Since then, Harrington has worked in program management and evaluation in areas including economic development and health.

Mon, 10/02/2023

Alumni Spotlight: Leslie Butsch

Leslie Butsch started her career as a direct social worker. In roles as a case manager and advocate within the foster care system and in a domestic violence shelter, Butsch said she began to see the gaps in the systems her clients interacted with.

Tue, 09/26/2023

Haricombe Gallery to open new exhibit with events featuring KU scholars in association with Common Book Program

A new digital exhibit in Watson Library’s Haricombe Gallery will showcase KU scholars, centering the importance of imagination and visionary thought in cutting edge research. The exhibition, entitled “Pushing Boundaries with Science and Fiction,” is inspired by the KU Common Book Program’s 2023-2024 selection, “The Parable of the Sower,” a...

Wed, 09/20/2023

One year after Mahsa Jina Amini's death, KU researchers analyze social media responses in Iran

One year ago, Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Jina Amini was killed, setting off some of the largest protests in Iran’s recent history. A new study from the University of Kansas examines how social media has powered the protests and if the cause has shifted away from a women’s rights focus, like many before it.

Tue, 09/05/2023

Study examines role of religion in substance use services

People have turned to religion and spirituality to deal with crises and critical needs for centuries. A new publication from KU and Georgetown University explored the religious orientation of facilities within the substance use and addiction system of care.

Thu, 08/31/2023

2023-2024 Sigler Aging Scholars announced

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is pleased to announce the Sigler Aging Scholars Program has selected three students as the 2023-2024 Sigler Aging Scholars. ...

Thu, 07/13/2023

KU School of Social Welfare’s partnerships equip more social workers to serve rural Kansas

To help meet the great need for clinical social workers in Kansas’s underserved rural and frontier communities, the KU School of Social Welfare has launched a second master of social work partnership that will make it easier for students who live in rural communities to earn their MSW closer to home.

Fri, 07/07/2023

New Professor of Practice will support MSW partnership program in Salina

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is excited to announce Rebeca Sandoval as the School’s newest professor of practice. Sandoval will start with the School this fall and teach in the new Master of Social Work program offering in Salina. The program is a partnership between Kansas State...

Thu, 06/22/2023

New Professor of Practice will support DSW program at the School of Social Welfare

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is excited to announce Dr. Lisa Street as the School’s newest professor of practice. Street starts with the School this summer and will primarily teach in and support the new, fully online Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) program, which begins this fall. ...

Mon, 06/19/2023

Kansas Families Are Benefiting from Family First Initiative

KU Evaluation Helps Guide Expanding Program Designed to Keep Kids in Their Homes and Out of Foster Care

Thu, 05/25/2023

New tenure-track faculty to start at School of Social Welfare for the 2023-2024 academic year

The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare is excited to announce two new tenure-track faculty. The new faculty bring with them innovative research knowledge and expertise to the School. Please take a moment to read more about our new scholars. ...

Mon, 05/22/2023

Celebrating Dr. Mahasweta Banerjee’s career at KU

Dr. Mahasweta Banerjee will retire from the School of Social Welfare at the end of June, after 31 years at KU. Read about Dr. Banerjee's career accomplishments, research and significant contributions to the School of Social Welfare.

Mon, 05/22/2023

2023 Dean's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching and Mignot Award Granted to Heather Bradley

The 2023 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching and the Mignot Award was awarded to Heather Bradley-Geary, M.S.W. for the 2022-2023 academic year. Heather is an adjunct professor and a field liaison for the KU School of Social Welfare. As an adjunct professor, Heather Bradley-Geary teaches undergraduate courses in...

Mon, 05/22/2023

Dr. Pegah Naemi Jimenez awarded 2023 Suzanne & Harry Statland Research Staff Award

For the first time ever this year, the School is proud to present a new annual award recognizing the outstanding research and scholarship work of research staff. The inaugural recipient of this award is Dr. Pegah Naemi Jimenez. ...

Mon, 05/22/2023

Dr. Juliana Carlson awarded 2023 Suzanne and Harry Statland Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship

To acknowledge outstanding contributions in our School to the advancement of science and knowledge through scholarship and research, we are proud to announce that this year’s Suzanne and Harry Statland Award recipient is Dr. Juliana Carlson. ...

Mon, 05/22/2023

Dr. Nancy Kepple awarded 2023 Gene A. and Gretchen Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching

The KU School of Social Welfare is pleased to announce the 2022-2023 Gene A. and Gretchen Budig Award for Excellence in Teaching. In recognition of contributions to students and the teaching mission in the KU School of Social Welfare, Dr. Nancy Kepple is honored with the Budig Award for Excellence...

Fri, 05/12/2023

2022-2023 Margo Award Winners Announced

The Margo Awards are named for Margaret Schutz Gordon, Professor Emeritus who served with distinction as Professor and Director of Field Education at KU SSW from 1970 to 1983. ...

Tue, 05/09/2023

KU Announces New 2023-2024 Self Memorial Scholars

LAWRENCE – Nineteen students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year. ...

Fri, 05/05/2023

Scholars Outline Responsibilities of Schools of Social Welfare in Era of Anti-Trans Legislation

LAWRENCE — Through workshops and scholarly writing, experts from the University of Kansas are guiding conversations about the roles and responsibilities that schools of social work have to educate the next generation of social workers serving LGBTQ+ individuals in an environment of expanding anti-trans legislation across the country. Adding weight...

Mon, 05/01/2023

School of Social Welfare Center will Host 2023 LGBTQ Research Symposium

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare Center for LGBTQ+ Research and Advocacy will host its annual LGBTQ Research Symposium next month. This virtual event will take place June 1-2, offering live sessions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...

Tue, 04/25/2023

New faculty member gleans insight for preventing domestic violence from work in Nepal

Domestic violence (DV) is a global health issue that impacts the well-being of survivors, families, and future generations. Claire Willey-Sthapit, Ph.D., assistant professor in the KU School of Social Welfare, has studied responses to DV both in the United States and Nepal, gaining insight into community responses that empower survivors and hold those who use violence accountable.

Mon, 04/24/2023

Racial Equity Collaborative will present community forum

LAWRENCE — The Racial Equity Collaborative will host a community forum from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 3 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. Forum guests will discuss the confusion of neglect and poverty, the progress of kinship care in the state of Kansas and how to make meaningful...

Fri, 04/21/2023

New faculty member will lead the School of Social Welfare in emerging field of eco social work

The School of Social Welfare will be a part of important global movement. Joonmo Kang, Ph.D., joined the faculty in 2022 to help engage in research focused on climate/environmental justice and to develop new courses in eco social work that will help equip today’s students to be tomorrow’s eco-justice social workers.

Tue, 04/04/2023

Study shows link between wealth, health differs across race, ethnicity in young adulthood

Tue, 02/28/2023

KU part of project to train future social workers to recognize domestic abuse

Wed, 01/25/2023

Study shows pandemic put duties of employers on those directing own in-home care without added resources

LAWRENCE — As the U.S. population ages, the number of people receiving long-term services and supports in their own home has grown, including the use of self-directed care. Self-directed care enables long-term care recipients to hire and manage their own workers, rather than using a home care agency. The COVID-19...

Wed, 01/18/2023

Grand Challenges for Social Work Events Spotlight Progress on Complex Social Issues

A series of Grand Challenges for Social Work events spotlights the work of KU faculty and the progress they are making with their community partners.

Tue, 01/17/2023

Study shows SMART Recovery holds potential to help LGBTQ population with alcohol, substance use

LAWRENCE — People looking for help in reducing their alcohol and other substance use often turn to 12-step programs. But while research shows that LGBTQ individuals are more likely to struggle with substance use issues than their peers, they also often face barriers to engaging in traditional treatment programs. A...

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