School of Social Work News

MSW student Cassandra Kelly has been selected as the 2023 University of Michigan National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Student of the Year. NASW selects students for this honor based on criteria that includes demonstrated leadership qualities, contribution to the positive image of a social work program, commitment to political and community activities, success in academic performance and the student’s representation of the NASW Code of Ethics.

Online Award Ceremony

Friday, April 14, 2023, 6-8 PM

RSVP »

Professor Emeritus John Tropman’s new book, “Fixing Broken Meetings: A Manual on Meeting Rotten-osity, Deleterious Decisions, and Ineffective Implementation,” examines the myriad ways in which meetings regularly fail and how individuals and organizations can produce efficient meetings that lead to effective decision making. The book serves as a resource for courses and programs in business and organizational behavior, as well as for anyone interested in improving the functionality of meetings within their organizations.

Professor Luke Shaefer spoke with Marketplace about the recent report showing that only 25 percent of those who were out of work in 2022 applied for unemployment benefits.  “There is undoubtedly a set of people who actually are eligible for benefits and should be getting them,” said Shaefer, who calls unemployment benefits “the most arcane and complicated” government program.

Lauren Whitmer, Joint PhD in Social Work and Anthropology, has successfully defended her dissertation entitled "Ay Amiga, ¿Qué Puedo Hacer? Oh Friend, What Can I Do?: An Ethnographic Analysis of How Socio-Cultural and Structural Factors Shape Help-Seeking Relationships for Intimate Partner Violence in Lambayeque, Peru." Her committee included Beth Glover Reed (co-chair) and Richard Tolman.

Assistant Professor Rebeccah Sokol has been named a 2023 Public Engagement Faculty Fellow. The university launched its Public Engagement Faculty Fellowship program in 2020 to help faculty bolster their knowledge and skills, and also reflect on how public engagement aligns with their scholarly identity. The effort includes creating an interdisciplinary, intergenerational learning community, as well as encouraging recognition of and experimentation with all forms of public engagement.

ENGAGE Program Manager Fatima Salman spoke with WDET about both the critical role social workers play in supporting individuals and communities and how the celebration of Social Work Month supports the profession.

The state of Michigan officially recognized March as Social Work Month thanks to a resolution by State Representative Carrie Rheingans, MSW ’11.

Associate Professor Terri Friedline spoke with “Marketplace” about the benefits of public banking, especially given the recent turmoil in the banking sector. Not only would public banking provide a full range of services to underserved communities, but they also generally offer more safety than private banks. “State- and municipal-owned banks are intended to be publicly accountable, transparent, democratic,” Friedline said.

PhD student Jay Kayser wrote about the overreliance of medication in the treatment of depression in The Conversation last week. “The U.S. health care system relies heavily on medication and other biomedical treatments for depression. But in fact there are numerous non-drug-based solutions for prevention and treatment of depression.”

Kayser also discussed his research with Michigan Public Radio. “There are alternative treatments out there that really can tap into someone's own abilities to be resilient and to recover from depression. Medication is an excellent option for many, but we kind of want to expand the conversation out to cover alternative approaches, too,” Kayser said.