School of Social Work News

Associate Professor Luke Shaefer was featured in The Michigan Daily article, "Author H. Luke Shaefer shares his research on poverty in the United States".

Professor Daniel Saunders’ report for the National Institute of Justice, “State laws related to family judges' and custody evaluators' recommendations in cases of intimate partner violence: Final summary overview” is now available from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, U.S. Department of Justice.

His research is also cited in The Washington Post article, “A divorced dad, estranged kids and a controversial plan to bring them together”.

Joint Doctoral Program Director and Associate Professor Daphne Watkins was named a Fellow of the Saint Louis University Health Criminology Research Consortium.

LEO Lecturer Laura Sanders was selected by a faculty committee to receive the 2016-2017 Distinguished Lecturer Award for her supportive approach, impact, and commitment to social work practice.

Vincent Fusaro successfully defended his dissertation, “The Spirit of '96: States & the Implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families” and obtained his PhD in Social Work and Political Science. Dr. Fusaro has accepted an Assistant Professor of Social Work position with Boston College.

For the second year in a row, U-M will issue the Made at Michigan annual report, a compilation of annual entrepreneurship highlights with a special focus on graduate and undergraduate student ventures created over the course of the year.

The magazine-style publication shines a bright spotlight on nearly 60 student ventures over a broad range of disciplines, including for-profits, social ventures and innovative new products and services with market potential. It also recognizes the programs, schools and colleges dedicated to supporting U-M’s student entrepreneurs and innovators.

U-M SSW has students involved with three of the projects featured in this year’s Made at Michigan report:

• Evergreen Experience: Allison Ewert (MSW 2016) | Erin Mobley (MSW 2016) | Erica Goble (MSW 2019)
• INK’d: Change Kwesele (MSW 2016) | Charlie Brink (MSW 2017)
• Liquid Gold Concept: Samantha Koehler (MSW 2015)

Professor Robert Taylor (1), Professor Linda Chatters (2), Associate Professor Trina Shanks (17), and Associate Professor Daphne Watkins (18) are in the top 20 of most cited African American scholars in social work. The article, “African American Faculty in Social Work Schools: A Citation Analysis of Scholarship” was published in Research on Social Work.

U-M SSW is also the most cited school of social work with African American faculty. The article, “African American Faculty in Social Work Schools: The Impact of Their Scholarship” was published in the Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work.

Associate Professor Robert Ortega was selected to receive the Distinguished Faculty Award. He has provided extensive service to our school, profession, and community, already having received significant national recognition for his scholarship and service.