Carol Meza-Bakke

Dr. Meza is an Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient with 12 years of military experience and the founder of Outside the Wire Veterans Foundation, a 501©3 that provides nature-based therapies for service members, survivors of military sexual trauma, and their families. Dr. Meza joined the faculty in the School of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences in the fall of 2022 and the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas as an adjunct in the Summer of 2024. Dr. Meza earned her Ph.D. in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, and her dissertation focused on military women who were sexually assaulted while serving active duty and sought mental health services within the civilian sector. Prior to joining KU and PSU, Dr. Meza worked for the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office at Fort Snelling in St. Paul, MN, serving the veteran population and their families. She also has many years of experience in child welfare in the state of Kansas as well as interpreting for the courts. Dr. Meza is interested in research topics related to intimate partner violence, military sexual trauma, best practice mental health modalities for service members, gun violence prevention, preparing social work students for gun violence, and undocumented immigrants/refugees residing in the United States.

Dr. Meza’s latest projects include the revision of the Council on Social Work Education Military Social Work Guide, a qualitative study titled "Unveiling the Experiences and Unmet Needs: A Qualitative Exploration of Undocumented Immigrants Residing in Kansas"; a qualitative study titled "Addressing Gun Violence Through Social Work Education,"  a qualitative study titled: “A Qualitative Exploration of Therapy Preferences Among Military Service Members,” and a qualitative study titled: “Navigating Cultural Identity: Perspectives of Underrepresented Students in an Online Social Work Doctoral Program.”

In her spare time, Dr. Meza enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, engaging in activities around their hobby farm, serving her community, the veteran population, rescuing homeless cats and dogs, fishing in the lakes and strip pits of Southeast Kansas, and participating in trapping, hunting, and camping.