Faculty News

Congratulations to the recent SSW faculty who were promoted at the last Regents meeting.

From left to right:

• Dr. Joseph A. Himle promoted to Full Professor
• Dr. Daphne C. Watkins promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure
• Dr. Shawna J. Lee promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure
• Dr. Bradley J. Zebrack promoted to Full Professor 

SSW is collaborating on a new course to break down the silos in the education of healthcare workers to optimize patient care. The schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Social Work, and College of Pharmacy are launching an innovative course titled Team-Based Clinical Decision Making. The winter 2015 course is the first of its kind at U-M and may be one of the largest semester-long inter-professional education course in the country. SSW's Associate Professor Brad Zebrack and lecturer Debra K. Mattison are participating in teaching the course, along with faculty from each of the participating schools.

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan announced the distribution of $150,000 in grants to fund 18 projects through its YOUth Voice Social Justice grant program. The University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Youth Dialogues on Race and Ethnicity in Metropolitan Detroit-- Michigan Youth and Community Program is a consultant to the project and served as a key facilitator for the summit. Professor Barry Checkoway and Assistant Professor Katie Richards-Schuster are leading this project.

On Friday, December 5, 2014, the Curtis Center Program Evaluation Group convened a panel to talk with the University and the community about the delicate dance between evaluation and philanthropy.  In total, over 70 people were in attendance, including students and faculty from the School of Social Work, members of the University community, representatives from foundations, consumers of evaluation, and professional evaluators.  The conversation was facilitated and moderated by John Tropman, PhD, Professor of Social work.  Panelists included Harlene Appelman, Executive Director of Covenant Foundation; Rob Collier, President & CEO of Council on Michigan Foundations; Jane Fran Morgan, JFM Consulting; and Pam Smith, President and United Way of Wasthenaw County.

Professor Linda Chatters discusses how religion and spirituality affect both physical and mental health in the School of Public Health's Findings magazine (page 28).

Associate Professor Trina Shanks wrote an article, “The Promise of Child Development Accounts: Current Evidence and Future Directions” for the Summer/Fall 2014 issue of Community Investments, “Rebalancing the American Dream: Forging Pathways to Financial Security”.

The School of Social Work Alumni Board of Governors is accepting nominations for the Distinguished Alumni Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes School of Social Work alumni whose achievements exemplify the values of the School of Social Work and who have made an exceptional impact on the profession, the community and/or Social Work education. Nominations are due September 5, 2014.

Lecturer Adrienne Dessel published her book, "Conservative Christian Beliefs and Sexual Orientation in Social Work: Privilege, Oppression, and the Pursuit of Human Rights".