Students News

PhD student Olivia Chang was quoted in a recent MSN article about her research on the connection between veterans with PTSD and their use of corporal punishment in their parenting practices. “Understanding a child’s emotions and behavior is essential for effective parenting. This study reveals the challenges parents face in deciphering emotional cues, particularly when shaped by factors like racial background and the effects of traumatic stress,” said Chang. The story also was published in Medical Xpress.

MSW students Jacob Inosencio and Sabrina Lanker have been named 2025 Dow Sustainability Program Fellows by U-M’s Graham Sustainability Institute. Fellows are chosen through a competitive nomination and application process designed to attract and recognize top talent from across U-M’s academic disciplines. Each fellow will receive a $25,000 stipend along with supplementary project funding, professional development opportunities, and hands-on experience collaborating with external organizational partners.

"I am honored to represent the School of Social Work in the Dow Sustainability Program. By infusing social work values into these critical discussions, I hope to help drive meaningful, sustainable change in collaboration with our various community programs while always keeping equity and environmental justice at the heart of our efforts,” said Inosencio. “I’m also eager to learn from the incredible team of graduate students, whose diverse perspectives will undoubtedly enrich my current and future work in community development."

“Critical mineral production is in increasing demand as clean energy and electric vehicle production soars,” said Lanker. “I will be working on a project titled "Pathways for Sustainable Critical Minerals Extraction on U.S. Private Lands" with the National Wildlife Federation. Through this project, my team will explore best practices for minimizing the environmental, wildlife, Indigenous and cultural, and human health impacts of new critical mineral mining on private lands in the U.S. This project brings together two of my biggest passions, environmental science and social work. I am excited to provide my unique perspectives on environmental advocacy and environmental justice while exploring sustainable methods for mineral extraction!”

Associate Professor Anao Zhang and PhD student Rachel Brandon are part of a team that recently received a grant from the Children's Cancer Research Fund. Their project evaluates the virtual delivery of a strength-based psychological treatment to young adults with cancer.   

“We are excited to receive this grant and conduct a pilot clinical trial at Michigan Medicine's Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program,” said Zhang. “It is also very exciting to involve Rachel Brandon, a joint social work and psychological doctoral student, as a study co-investigator and project coordinator to further boost the implementation of the trial.”

PhD Student Irene Routté has received the 2024 Outstanding Doctoral Student Award from the Association for Community Organizing & Social Action (ACOSA). This award honors meritorious scholarship in the field of community practice.

Clinical Assistant Professor Ayesha Ghazi Edwin spoke with CBS Detroit about a new “right to sit” ordinance she introduced in her role as Ann Arbor City Council Member. MSW student Jessica Riley’s participation in the public comments is included as part of the story. The ordinance was approved in October.

Additional media coverage:

• MLive

U-M’s Anti-Racism Collaborative, an initiative of the National Center for Institutional Diversity, has announced the 2024 Anti-Racism Grants.

Professor Joseph Himle and Associate Professor Addie Weaver have received an Anti-Racism Grant for their project FARWell: The Formula for Anti-Racist Wellness and Therapy. This project  — a community-university partnership between My Brother’s Keeper, Formula 734, and social work researchers at U-M and The Ohio State University — will support the development and evaluation of a transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety, designed for and by young Black men.

Joint PhD Student Irene Routté has received an Anti-Racism Graduate Research Grant for her project Landscapes of (Im)Mobility: Congolese Refugee Youth, the U.S. Resettlement System and Spatial Negotiations of Belonging.

Associate Professor Odessa Gonzalez Benson has received an Anti-Racist Digital Research Initiative Grant for her project A Digital Collection as Narrative and Visualization of the Journey of Resettled Refugees.

The Anti-Racism Grants are sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research in partnership with the National Center for Institutional Diversity’s Anti-Racism Collaborative, which aims to support and amplify the work of anti-racism scholars at U-M.

MSW student Lady Funcke has been named one of the Latinx Research Week 2024 Familismo Award Winners. Latinx Research Week is an interdisciplinary, conference-style series of events hosted annually on the U-M campus. The Familismo Award is a testament to individuals who embody the values of love, respect, ethics of care and community, which are essential for fostering supportive academic communities. 

“I am deeply touched to have been chosen for this award, as it signifies my commitment to welcoming and inclusive practices, caring deeply for the holistic success of individuals and communities, and nurturing sacred relationships through meaningful interactions and collaborative endeavors,” said Funcke.

MSW Student Kevin Nguyen has been selected as the 2024 U-M National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Student of the Year. In bestowing this award, NASW looks at criteria including demonstrated leadership qualities, contribution to the positive image of a social work program, commitment to political and community activities, success in academic performance and representation of the NASW Code of Ethics. The award ceremony will be held Friday, April 12, 2024, 6-8:30 PM in Lansing, Michigan.