Class Notes

Amy Ellwood, MSW '83, Professor Emerita of Family Medicine & Psychiatry, University of Nevada School of Medicine, since retiring is currently doing volunteer teaching as an Adjunct Professor at UNLV School of Medicine's Psychiatry Residency and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship programs. She teaches a course on family therapy and supervises the fellows' family therapy cases. She also volunteers on the Southern Nevada Human Trafficking Task force.

Dr. Carlos Protzel, MSW 99, began teaching as an adjunct assistant professor in USC's MFT program this year. Teaching a class on psychopharmacology & addiction tx. He has been providing multi-state telehealth psychotherapy since 2012 through his private practice (protzeltherapy.com). Earned full/temp licensure as a Psychologist (PsyD) in CA, FL, NH, GA, IN, SC, TX, LA and full Social work licensure in CA, MI, MT, and soon NY.

Sharon Wysocki, MSW 89, in 2006 left a mental health and chemical dependency practice in Ann Arbor, MI to pursue medical social work possibilities in rural southeastern Arizona. Since having experience as an equine assisted psychotherapist, she also pursued the dream of having a small horse ranch in which she could utilize her horses as part of the healing process – physically, mentally and emotionally. She did just that and was awarded the Pride of City of Safford award in 2009 for her work with horses and hospice patients. In 2014, she moved to Tucson to continue her work in mental health and hospice, unfortunately, this time without the horses. In 2018, her life took an unexpected turn. She evolved into a professional actor and signed with the South West Artist Group talent agency. Since then Sharon has appeared in two westerns, a horror film, TV commercial and her first supporting actor role in a film headed to the film festival circuit. Her next goal is to develop and act or do voice-overs in public service announcements for non-profits – voluntarily. The biggest surprise she discovered in the film industry is the numerous social workers who have become film makers as an avenue for activism. Her niece, Grace Wysocki, is about to embark on her journey in the Masters of Social Work at the University of Michigan. Sharon is very excited to see what frontiers her niece is about to challenge with the help of the talent in the U of M’s Social Work Department. Go Blue!

Nancy Kusmaul, MSW ’00, an assistant professor in the social work program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, was selected for the 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program. She will spend the year working with Congress and with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on issues related to quality of life and quality of care for older adults.

Tyrone Hairston, MSW ’86, is a Training and Personal Development Consultant with clinical experience in intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), substance use disorders (SUD), and mental illnesses (MI). He also specializes in Utilization Management Processes with a specialty in crises and substance abuse. He was a former adjunct faculty member, and has also been recognized by “Who’s Who Among Teachers” in 2000. Tyrone is also a devoted husband, father, family member, and friend.

Meryl Nadel, MSW '73, has published Not Just Play: Summer Camp and the Profession of Social Work, Oxford University Press. The first book on this topic in many decades, it argues that the summer camp experience is more than recreation. Among other historic sources, it discusses the innovative University of Michigan Fresh Air Camp which was affiliated with the School of Social Work. She is also a Professor of Social Work at Iona College, New Rochelle, NY, and is also the recent author of "The Pittsburgh Survey of 1907-1908: Divergent Paths to Change" in Social Service Review, Vol. 93, Issue 4.

Lila Swell, MSW ’58, was inducted into the Eleanor Roosevelt Society Kappa Delta Pi, which is only for lifetime members, in October of 2019 for her contributions and pioneering work in effective education in schools throughout the United States of America.

Nancy Kusmaul, an assistant professor in the social work program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, was selected for the 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program. She will spend the year working with Congress and with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services working on issues related to quality of life and quality of care for older adults.

Lois Aptekar Kalafus, MSW ’67, worked at Family Service of Greater Boston from 1967 until 1988, when she moved to California. She then worked as a therapist in the psychiatry departments of San Jose and Palo Alto Medical Groups. Since retiring in 2009, she has volunteered teaching English to new immigrants. In a recent trip to Tanzania, she met a Tanzanian social worker who educates and counsels Tanzanians with Albinism. Lois found her most impressive, and if others are interested in learning about the program, they can visit www.albinism-tz.org.

Karen (Ferguson) Bagwell, MSW ’88, has retired after 27 years in the mental health field, and now only works when she wants to!