Robert Joesph Taylor was installed as the Harold R. Johnson Professor of Social Work on March 6. Taylor delivered an installation address "Family and Church Support Networks of Older African Americans" highlighting his research. He is one of the nation’s foremost experts in the informal social support networks (i.e., family, friends and church members) of adult and elderly Black Americans as well as religious participation among African Americans.
He is the founding editor of African American Research Perspectives and is currently on the editorial boards of the Journal of Marriage and the Family and Race and Social Problems. Taylor was ranked number one in the top 20 most cited African American scholars in social work.
Associate Professors Brian Perron and Joe Ryan's Child and Adolescent Data Lab was featured in the U-M Research article, "Policy Numbers".
LEO Adjunct Lecturer Daniel Fischer and Professor Mary Ruffolo, who is also the co-chair of the workgroup, have been appointed to the curriculum group for the interprofessional education initiative. The curriculum work group is charged with exploring the curricula and accreditation standards of the health science schools to assess the role of interprofessional education at U-M.
Assistant Professor David Córdova, along with his Detroit community partner Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, presented his research, "Preventing Substance Abuse and Mental Health Problems Among Detroit Hispanic Youth," at the Urban Research Center 20th Anniversary Symposium on January 21, 2016. The project aims to narrow and ultimately eliminate Hispanic health and mental health inequities in Detroit.
Assistant Professor Emily Nicklett's article, "Access to Care and Diabetes Management Among Older American Indians with Type 2 Diabetes" was accepted for publication in the Journal of Aging and Health.
Assistant Professor Mathieu Despard was named a Faculty Associate with the Center for Social Development at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. He is currently conducting research on the outcomes of a large scale tax-time savings experiment and on the promise of employer-based financial wellness programs in partnership with the Center for Social Development.
Webmaster Robert LaRoe was chosen as a session presenter and will give his talk, "Improving Your Website's Performance" at the May 5th-6th HighEdWeb Michigan Regional Conference at Grand Valley State University.
Professor Emeritus Charles Garvin and Professor Richard Tolman's book, Group Work Research, was published this month by Oxford University Press as part of the "Pocket Guide to Social Work Research Methods" series. The book illustrates how to plan and conduct group work research, including studies of the impact of groups on individual members, group conditions, and other systems external to the group.
Professor Emeritus Charles Garvin's new book Social Work and Social Justice: Concepts, Challenges, and Strategies will be published on March 25, 2016 by Oxford University Press. The book details the importance and complexity of social justice work and discusses the practical and ethical challenges involved.
Associate Professor Daphne Watkins and Assistant Professor Jamie Mitchell recently published an article, "Perceptions and Receptivity of Non Spousal Family Support: A Mixed Methods Study of Psychological Distress Among Older, Church-Going African American Men" in the Journal of Mixed Methods Research. The study explores the role of nonspousal family support on mental health among older, church-going African American men.
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