School of Social Work News

Joseph Himle, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, Howard V. Brabson Collegiate Professor of Social Work, was honored with the 2019 Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research Distinguished Clinical and Translational Research Mentor Award. This prestigious award recognizes faculty who foster the intellectual, creative, scholarly and professional growth of students, fellows and trainees in the areas of clinical and translational health and research. 

Patrick Meehan successfully defended his dissertation "Making Change Where it Counts: Social Work and Elected Office." His committee consisted of Barry Checkoway, Ann Lin (co-chairs), Katie Richards-Schuster and Vincent Hutchings.

Angie Perone, PhD student, has been selected as a 2019-2020 NASW/CSWE Social Work HEALS Fellow. The fellowship strengthens delivery of health care services in the United States by advancing education and training of health care social workers.

Associate Professor of Social Work and Poverty Solutions Director, Luke Shaefer, said Congress should keep the earned-income tax credit as a work inducement and include a separate plan to help those who have fallen out of the labor market.

Luke Shaefer (and Kathyn J. Edin) book "$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America" recommended by Elizabeth Warren in Vox interview as one of three books that have changed the way she thinks about our economy.

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.

Andrew Gilroy, MSW student has been named a 2019 Pat Tillman Scholar. Tillman Scholars have served their country, and are committed to strengthening communities at home and around the world.
After graduation, Gilroy intends to launch a social enterprise focused on transportation solutions. He desires to connect communities that lack transportation options with improved employment prospects that are otherwise inaccessible.

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.