Research Office News

Lecturer Tony Alvarez’s new book, "Adventure Group Psychotherapy an Experiential Approach to Treatment" explores what is necessary for an experiential therapy group to function effectively, and the practical skills needed to inspire success.

"This inspiring and essential resource provides powerful tools and techniques for adventure therapy practitioners and students," said Will White, co-founder, Summit Achievement, and author of "Stories from the Field: A History of Wilderness Therapy".

Associate Professor Terri Friedline’s new book, “Banking on a Revolution Why Financial Technology Won't Save a Broken System,” takes a critical look at advancements in financial technology (“fintech”) in the banking and financial industries, and makes the case for a more inclusive financial system. "Banking on a Revolution" is deeply rooted in theory and research, and it presents new interpretations of the climate crisis, student loan debt, and community benefits agreements and their relationships to the financial system. The book makes a compelling case for a revolutionized financial system that centers the needs, experiences, and perspectives of those it has historically excluded, marginalized, and exploited. 

"To create a more equitable and democratized financial system, we need to shift the balance of power away from banks and lenders and toward people,” says Friedline. “Social movements can shift power imbalances and hold institutions accountable for the racist inequalities they have created — tasks for which fintech was not really designed."

 Lorraine Gutiérrez, associate dean for educational programs and professor of social work, is receiving the 2020 Career Achievement Award from the Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA).  The award honors the lifetime contribution of a person in the field who has made a major contribution to community practice. She is a leader in scholarship on group work, empowerment, multicultural practice and research for community change that has advanced these areas and enriched social work education and practice.  She has exemplified an academic life that connects her teaching and research with her service that has enhanced her school, campus, community and profession. 

"There is no greater honor than being recognized by my peers,” said Gutiérrez  .  “I joined ACOSA when I was a doctoral student in 1986 and it has always been an important part of my community-focused work. I have been happy to be contributing to the field of community practice."

ENGAGE Program Director and Lecturer Ayesha Ghazi-Edwin received a Certificate of Appreciation from the James T. Neubacher Awards Committee, a unit of the U-M Council for Disability Concerns. The certificate is in acknowledgment of her efforts to advance the cause of accessibility and justice for the disability community.  In addition to her work at the school, Ghazi-Edwin is also the Fund Development and Research Specialist at Detroit Disability Power, a disability justice nonprofit organization in Detroit.  She also serves on the Michigan Social Work's Inclusion and Access Taskforce. 

Established by the university’s Council for Disability Concerns in October 1990, the award is a memorial to James T. Neubacher, a university alumnus and columnist for the Detroit Free Press who advocated for equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities.

Rose C. Gibson Collegiate Professor Emerita of Social Work Letha Chadiha is receiving the 2020 Career Achievement Award from the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work. This award recognizes a faculty member who is an outstanding leader in social work education and aging with significant achievements including major research and publications, prominence in promoting education in gerontology, and mentoring faculty and students interested in aging.

ENGAGE Program Manager and Lecturer Ayesha Ghazi-Edwin is one of the 100 Detroit activists featured in "i.Detroit," a mixed media project by British artist Marcus Lyon. She was selected after a 6-month nomination process as an activist who is making a significant difference in Detroit. The project includes a book of portraits, a smartphone app and a 7-inch vinyl record; it also maps the DNA of its subjects to create what Lyon calls a “human atlas” of the city.

Assistant Professor Lisa Fedina was awarded a 2020 Young Investigator Grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She will conduct a national survey with young adults ages 18-24 to identify protective factors for suicide that promote resilience among young adults, particularly those most at risk.

“We know that people often do not have isolated experiences with violence, but studies have not yet measured the range of victimization experiences in order to understand its full burden on mental health. This study represents an important step to build this underdeveloped area of research through theory-driven, person-centered approaches, allowing for greater accuracy in predicting suicidal behaviors by accounting for the effects of violence victimization over time and factors that may support resilient trajectories among youth,” says Fedina.

Professor Emeritus Charles Garvin was recently inducted into the NASW Social Work Pioneers. Pioneers made important contributions to the social work profession, and to social policies through service, teaching, writing, research, program development, administration and legislation.