School of Social Work News

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Joseph Himle will serve as interim dean of the School of Social Work beginning on January 1, 2022.

“It is an honor to serve as interim dean of the School of Social Work. The School has thrived under the stellar leadership of Dean Lynn Videka and I look forward to leading the school until a permanent dean is appointed,” Himle said. “The School of Social Work has tremendous faculty, students and staff who will all join together to guide the school during this transition period.”

Dean Lynn Videka will step down from the deanship at the end of the year. An advisory committee is conducting a search for the next dean of the School.

William Elliott was the keynote for the Alice P. Lin Memorial Lecture at Columbia University. Elliott’s talk, "We Also Have to Give Children Something to Live For: Children's Savings, Student Debt, and Wealth Inequality,” argued that the drive Americans have demonstrated throughout their history comes not just from having enough money to pay their bills each week or enough to live on, but from the promise of a better future and that Children’s Savings Accounts can play a role in realizing that future.

Elliott is a social work professor, director of the Joint PhD program in social work and social science and the founding director of the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion.

Assistant Professor Shanna Kattari and Lecturer Leonardo Kattari were awarded the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Scholarship Award at the Council on Social Work Education annual meeting, as co-authors on the paper “Differential Experiences of Dating Violence and Sexual Violence Among Trans/Gender Diverse Youths.” The award recognizes scholarship that contributes to knowledge about sexual orientation and gender identity and expression; the individual and systemic issues associated with these topics; the development of social work curriculum materials and faculty growth opportunities relevant to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression; and the experiences of individuals who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and/or two-spirit.

MSW student Catie Bargerstock is the recipient of the 2021 MSW Student Leadership in Diversity Scholarship from the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Social Worker (NASW). Bargerstock will be honored at NASW- Michigan’s virtual Legislative, Education & Advocacy Day on October 28.

Clinical Assistant Professor Justin Hodge, MSW ‘13, has been appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity. The commission was created to develop policies and programs to reduce poverty in the State of Michigan. “I'm excited to be able to inform and influence policy at the state level to expand economic opportunity for our most vulnerable Michiganders,” said Hodge.

Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management Tim Colenback has received the National Deans and Directors of Social Work Admissions (NDDSWA) 2021 Years of Service Award. NDDSWA — a national organization affiliated with the Council on Social Work Education — established this award to recognize and honor exceptional individuals in the field of graduate recruitment and admissions.

The awards committee highlighted Colenback’s achievements in recruiting and cultivating the next generation of leaders and educators.  They also recognized his creative and innovative approach to admissions, the ongoing support and mentorship that he has provided to colleagues, and his lasting impact on NDDSWA. 

Colenback worked as a social worker before joining the School in 1993 as the assistant director for student services. In 1999, he took on the role of assistant dean for student services, and has successfully led the School’s Office of Student Services and Enrollment Management for 22 years.

Colenback is an incredible leader and mentor. Several of the staff members he has mentored have gone on to become directors in career services, student services, and diversity, equity and inclusion offices.

Colenback is a strong and vocal advocate for students.  He is deeply skilled in educating prospective students about the profession, brainstorming with students to tailor their program to their specific interests, creating unique plans for students experiencing personal and financial crises, and at assisting alumni with professional decisions. Through his service on numerous committees, task forces and workgroups, Colenback always ensures that the student voices are represented.

Colenback is a true example of how the social work skill set can be applied in a higher education setting.

“NDDSWA has provided invaluable support to admissions directors and deans, including me, for over 25 years,” said Colenback. “The organization has played a critical role in the recruitment of new people into the professions of social work. It has been my pleasure to be a part of the organization since 1999 and I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of the Years of Service Award.”

Professor Brad Zebrack, PhD student Nina Jackson Levin and Assistant Professor Anao Zhang are researchers and leaders of the new Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology program, which was recently established at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the Rogel Cancer Center. They discuss the program, and why it’s important to have a program that addresses the unique needs of cancer patients of this age, with the U-M Lab Blog.