School of Social Work News

Congratulations to the 2014 Organization of Latino Social Workers award recipients:

Adjunct Professor Laura Sanders - Activist of the Year

Laura shared her award with Melanie Harner, Margaret Harner and Ramiro Martinez the other co-founders of the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition of Immigrant Rights.

Esther Ayers – MSW Student of the Year

Elise Hernandez – PhD Student of the Year

The Organization of Latino Social Workers is committed to improving the overall health and psychological well-being of the Latino population. The organization seeks to promote access to educational and economic opportunities for all Latino social workers.
 

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.

Maureen Kelly, MSW ’79, has been the executive director of Cathedral Counseling Center for 20 years. The non-profit mental health agency has doubled its capacity to 25,000 visits per year to meet the pressing need. 

Aubrey (Williams) Patino, MSW '05, was selected to participate in the Transatlantic Practice Exchange.  Aubrey spent two weeks placed at a homeless assistance organization in the exchange country.  She developed a research proposal and explored the work of the "Making Every Adult Matter Coalition" which is based out of Cambridge.  Aubrey met with providers so that she could bring her findings back to the U.S.

Betty Brown-Chappell, MSW ’71, retired from Eastern Michigan University on September 1, 2013. She also published Open Secrets: A Poor Person’s Life in Higher Education. In addition, Dr. Brown-Chappell has a chapter review of Marcus Hunter’s Black City Makers in the Spring 2014 SSA Review published by the University of Chicago.

JoAnne O’Rourke, MSW '86, accepted a new position as the Director of Research for the College of Health and Human Services at Western Michigan University. 

Jordana Muroff, MSW ’99, PhD ’04, was promoted to associate professor with tenure at Boston University. 

Rebecca Kenderes, MSW ’12, was recognized in the Detroit Free Press for her partnership in "Lots of Love Detroit." The project aims to beautify neighborhoods and give back to Detroit by lending out lawn equipment and tools such as lawnmowers and weed whackers at no charge. The project has received several grants for addressing this need.