Clinical And Research Faculty

Christina Dadswell is the assistant director of the Office of Field Education for residential students at the School of Social Work where she is responsible for supporting strategic plans, innovation, curricular development and collaborating with other faculty and social work agency partners across campus and nationally. As a full-time faculty member, she is also an instructor for multiple courses in the Interpersonal Practice and Welfare of Children & Families pathways.

Katie Doyle teaches courses in leadership and management of social impact organizations. Prior to joining the faculty, Doyle was the Executive Director of Ozone House Youth and Family Services in Ypsilanti, MI. This award-winning, 50-year-old nationally recognized nonprofit provides 24-hour crisis intervention, shelter, housing, social support, therapy and case management to help thousands of youth experiencing homelessness and human trafficking as well as LGBTQ+ youth and their families lead safe, healthy and productive lives.

Abigail Eiler, MSW '06, is a licensed clinical social worker and educator with 20 years of experience working in tribal and non-tribal communities across the country and in Canada. In 2014, Eiler started as a LEO Lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and joined the governing faculty in May 2018 as a clinical assistant professor. She was promoted to clinical associate professor in September 2023 and became the Director of Undergraduate Minor Programs in August 2023.

Joseph Gardella, PhD, is a community based participatory action prevention researcher and focuses on preventing violence and promoting wellness, health and positive development across marginalized communities. Gardella’s research is federally (e.g., NIH), state (e.g., department of health), and locally (e.g., school district) funded. He actively works with communities across the United States.

Ayesha Ghazi Edwin, MSW '10, is a political social worker and community organizer with over 15 years of experience in various social justice areas, including labor, healthcare, voting, immigration, housing and disability. Ghazi Edwin serves as an assistant clinical professor, specializing in community-based research, creating community-engaged courses, and fostering learning initiatives that link the university community to social change movements and public policy innovation.

Barb Hiltz is a clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Hiltz is a licensed social worker (LMSW) and also holds a EdM in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership with a focus on diversity and equity in education. Hiltz’s work focuses on the sustainability of community-based organizations, including the role of innovation, social enterprise and social entrepreneurship in shaping social service delivery. Other areas of expertise include leadership, human resource management, fund and program development, and fiscal management.

Justin Hodge is a Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan. He is the co-lead for the Policy & Political Social Work Pathway and the director of the Online Certificate in Political Social Work. Hodge is committed to increasing the presence of social workers in policy and political spaces. He teaches courses that provide students with the tools to engage in politics and approach policy work from a social justice perspective.

Dr. Jester earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

For the last seven years, she was an Associate Research Scientist at Zero to Thrive in the Department of Psychiatry. She evaluated the effects of interventions for young children and families using linear mixed modeling, survival analysis and Bayesian analysis. She has also provided statistical expertise to researchers in the School of Social Work’s Treatment Innovation and Dissemination Research Group.

Erin M. Khang serves as the Director of Field Education and clinical assistant professor at the School of Social Work. She earned her MSSA degree from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

Ann Lampkin-Williams is a clinical professor of social work. Since 2017, Lampkin-Williams has served as dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services at the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-Dearborn). Under the umbrella of the College, she also guides the operations of the university's Early Childhood Education Center. Prior to her current appointment, she served as special counsel to the chancellor for inclusion and strategic projects. In this role, she championed complex personnel and operational transitions in support of UM-Dearborn's Metropolitan Vision.