School of Social Work News

Associate Research Scientist Roland Zullo discussed Michigan’s right-to-work law with WEMU. “Repealing right-to-work certainly helps the labor movement on a couple of levels. But the main one,” said Zullo “is that it shows that labor has regained a little bit of political power in this state.”

Ramona Perry, Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Psychology, has successfully defended her dissertation "Black During COVID-19: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Adoption of COVID-19 Risk Reduction Behaviors among Black Adults." Her committee included Jamie Mitchell (co-chair) and Jaclynn Hawkins.

After graduation, Perry will be co-owner of an evaluation consulting firm.

Associate Professor Camille Quinn will receive the 2023 Milestone Achievement Award from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. The Milestone Achievement Award honors Crown Family School alumni for their exemplary social work values, exceptional performance in clinical or administrative practice, and a strong commitment to the social work profession.

Lecturer Erin Martinez-Gilliard’s new book, “Sex, Social Justice, and Intimacy in Mental Health Practice: Incorporating Sexual Health in Approaches to Wellness,” will be released on March 21.  The text equips mental health professions to integrate discussions about sexual health, identity and relationships into the scope of their client’s mental health.

Professor Daphne Watkins is the co-editor of “Health Promotion with Adolescent Boys and Young Men of Colour: Global Strategies for Advancing Research, Policy, and Practice in Context.” The book unpacks the complex intersections between age, race and gender in the diverse lives of young males of color.

Dean Emerita Paula Allen-Meares spoke with public radio station WNIJ about an initiative in Rockford, Illinois using poetry to increase health awareness. The six-part video program was created in partnership with the University of Illinois in Chicago, of which Allen-Meares is chancellor emerita. 

Allen-Meares has a long history of using the arts as an avenue to advance social work. During her tenure at the School of Social Work, she established the School’s groundbreaking and influential art collection.

Assistant Professor Rebeccah Sokol is the principal investigator of a three-year project recently funded by the CDC entitled “Evaluating a school-based social and material needs identification system to prevent youth violence involvement.” The project will evaluate the effect of Pathways to Potential (P2P) on youth violence outcomes by using administrative data sources and surveys of key program staff. P2P is a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services program that seeks to improve school communities’ social conditions by identifying and reducing the level and concentration of risk factors for chronic absenteeism. Professor Joe Ryan is a co-investigator of this project.

Lecturer Trevor Bechtel, PhD ‘08, spoke with Michigan Radio’s Stateside about how the prevalence of guns in our society affect police interactions. Bechtel is also the Student Engagement & Strategic Projects Manager at U-M’s Poverty Solutions and is a co-author of their recent report examining the use of force by law enforcement.