School of Social Work News

Stephanie Chang (MSW’14) kicked off her notable first term in the Michigan House of Representatives this past week, as she is the first Asian-American woman to ever serve in the Michigan Legislature. Her current endeavors are featured in The Michigan Daily.

Governor Rick Snyder announced appointments and reappointments to the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice. The committee advises the governor on juvenile justice issues and guides effective implementation of juvenile justice policies and programs. Three of the  committee members are affiliated with the U-M School of Social Work:

Joseph Ryan (MSW’96) is an associate professor at the U-M SSW and a faculty associate for the Center for Political Studies and the Institute for Social Research.

Amy Good (MSW’80) is CEO of Alternatives for Girls. She has more than 27 years of experience working with homeless and high-risk girls and young women, primarily in Detroit.

Terri Gilbert (MSW’87) is executive director of the Oakland County Bar Association. She served as bureau director of child welfare funding and juvenile programs for the State of Michigan’s Department of Human Services.

Research Associate Brandy Sinco completed the statistical analysis for a paper, "Assessing the Effects of Objective LGBQ-Inclusive State and College Structural Factors on the Experiences & Psychological Wellbeing of LGBQ College Students" that was presented at the Society for Social Work and Research conference.

Associate Professor Brian Perron and Angie Perone (PhD student) had an article accepted for publication in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs: "Use of prescription pain medications among medical cannabis patients: Comparisons of pain levels, functioning, and patterns of alcohol and drug use”.

"Policing Black Bodies: A dialogue on Poverty, Police Brutality, and the Way Out" was on the front page of the Michigan Daily.  The panel lead a dialogue on the underlying racial tensions and the ways in which a new generation of activism can provide a way forward. Writer Shaun Ossei Owusu, Assistant Professor Kamau Rashid and SSW PhD student Finn Bell discussed how poverty, race and police brutality have changed throughout U.S. history. The discussion was sponsored by University of Michigan School of Social Work, Learning Community on Poverty and Inequality, U-M School of Social Work and Center for Public Policy in Diverse Societies, U-M Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Associate Professor and Institute for Social Research faculty associate Trina Shanks launched Lansing SAVE (Student Account Valuing Education), a new child savings account program for low-income Lansing families. The program will enable children to have economic flexibility later in life as they establish healthy financial habits during their youth. Lansing SAVE account holders will receive in-school financial education provided by the MSU Federal Credit Union and participate in activities that will help them work towards a college education. SAVE was featured in Michigan News and the Lansing State Journal.

Lloyd E. Shelton (MSW'15) was awarded the 2014 James T. Neubacher Award in recognition of extraordinary leadership and service in support of the disability community.

View his powerful acceptance speech on YouTube »

The U-M SSW Technical Assistance Center was featured in The University Record article, “U-M Detroit Center is Activity Hub in Resurgent City”.