School of Social Work News

Professor Daphne Watkins has received the 2022 Distinguished Faculty Award. Watkins is a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor who studies behavioral interventions for historically marginalized groups, mixed methods approaches to research in context, and leadership development and organizational structures. She is the Director of the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Center for Health Equity and Research Training. 

"The SSW Distinguished Faculty Award means a lot to me. As someone trained in anthropology and public health, this acknowledgment speaks to the respect my colleagues have for the interdisciplinary nature of my work and what I bring to the School. Social work has been my home for well over a decade, but not without some uncertainty on my part. Early in my career, I wondered if I could truly embody social work’s values in my research, teaching and service. This award confirms I am not only working hard to represent the School in a positive light globally and domestically but that the faculty see me, respect my efforts and are proud to have me as a colleague.” 

Congratulations to the following faculty members whose promotions were approved by the U-M Board of Regents last night: Jaclynn Hawkins,  Shanna Kattari and Addie Weaver were promoted to associate professor with tenure. Shawna Lee, Matt Smith and Karen Staller were promoted to professor. Earlier this spring, Rick Barinbaum and Daphne Brydon were promoted to Lecturer II and Yatesha Robinson to Lecturer IV.

The inaugural Innovation in Research and Teaching Award recognizes research — with either incremental innovation that builds over time, with its impact to be felt in the future, radical Innovations that current issues in the moment they occur and disruptive innovation that challenges the status quo — or existing theories, methods, and pedagogies.

The Child Welfare Student Association visited the Michigan state capitol on April 25 to mark National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The students listened to inspirational speakers, networked with legislators and took a tour of the capitol building.

The work and achievements of Clinical Assistant Professor Daicia Price will be recognized at the 2022 WCC Foundation Women's Council Celebration of Women's Leadership—a virtual event on Wednesday, May 25 at 5 PM. The award honors women who have made significant contributions to the Washtenaw County community.

Associate Professor Terri Friedline’s op-ed in The Emancipator on how reviving post office banking could advance racial equity. “More than 60 million Americans – one-fifth of the population – live in communities without a bank. They’re left either to travel long distances to handle their money or use more expensive nearby options like check-cashing companies, payday lenders and currency exchanges,” writes Friedline. Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research and The Boston Globe’s Opinion team are collaborating to resurrect and reimagine The Emancipator, the first abolitionist newspaper in the United States, founded more than 200 years ago.

Clinical Assistant Professor Justin Hodge, MSW ‘13, has been appointed Chair of the Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity by Governor Whitmer. The commission was created to develop policies and programs to reduce poverty in the state of Michigan. Hodge was appointed to the commission in October, 2021.

Clinical Associate Professor Debra Mattison was awarded a 2022 Provost’s Teaching Innovation Prize. These awards honor faculty who have developed innovative approaches to teaching that incorporate creative pedagogies. Mattison along with a team from U-M’s Center for Interprofessional Education received the award for developing a fully virtual, co-curricular certificate program, for which Michigan Medicine’s Office of Patient Experience connects students with real patients, referred to as patient advisers, and their families. Mattison was also awarded an innovation prize in 2015 for an Interprofessional Education Team-Based Clinical Decision Making course.