Faculty News

Katrina Ellis was selected to an NIH-funded Obesity Health Disparities Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research Program (PRIDE) summer research training program. The goal of PRIDE is to increase underrepresented faculty with research careers focused on obesity disparities and chronic diseases.

Assistant Professor Odessa Gonzalez Benson was quoted in the Michigan News article “For new refugees, ‘higher education is a path to freedom’” about the campus visit of a group of Congolese high school students and community leaders from Grand Rapids.  Sponsored by [RE]vive, a student-driven refugee education initiative, the visit included tours of several schools - including SSW - as part of a college readiness program.

Associate Professor Shawna Lee and PhD student Joyce Lee’s research “The effect of paternal cues in prenatal care settings on men’s involvement intentions” is cited in the Huffington Post. Most photos and brochures in a typical OB-GYN waiting room focus on mothers, but adding some subtle father-friendly visual cues could be a simple way to boost a dad’s parenting confidence, according to Shawna Lee and Joyce Lee's new study.

Lynn Videka, Dean and Carol T. Mowbray Collegiate Professor of Social Work, is the recipient of the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration’s Edith Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement. Videka received her AM in 1976 and her PhD in 1981. The award honors alumni who have made outstanding contributions, which have enhanced the social work profession overall. Her vision at the University of Michigan is one that encompasses robust research, innovative cross-disciplinary collaborations and rigorous engaged education for the next generation of practitioners.

Associate Professor Kristin Seefeldt is cited in the New York Times, "Why There Has Been a Surge in Single Mothers Who Work".  “Even with increased wages and even with the changes that are being made around leave policy and the like, employees are still at the mercy of their employers,” said Seefeldt.

MSW Program Director Barb Hiltz was elected president and Michelle Mattison, MSW student representative of the NASW-Michigan Chapter. 

Michigan Social Work, together with Poverty Solutions, the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion and The Annie E. Casey Foundation, hosted academics, researchers, financial analysts, elected officials and policy experts at a conference to discuss Children’s Savings Accounts (CSA).  The conference was organized by Professor William Elliott.  Dean Lynn Videka welcomed the participants and introduced keynote speaker, SSW alumnus, Michael Sherraden.  Associate Professors Terri Friedline and Trina Shanks also spoke during the three-day event.  Conference sessions included creating policy for financial inclusion, current research initiatives to evaluate CSA outcomes, and an overview of how to start and fund a CSA.