School of Social Work News

Professor Robert Taylor has been awarded the 2014 Pearmain Prize.  He is being recognized for making outstanding contributions to the field of translational aging research that demonstrates excellence in bridging science to practice and/or  policy.  This prize recognizes the sustained body of work produced by Professor Taylor.

The University of Southern California Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging fosters and recognizes excellence in research and community  partnerships that further the needs of minority older persons, particularly  those from undeserved backgrounds. Toward that end, the Pearmain Prize for Excellence in Research on  Aging was established.

The Student Union Teacher of the Year Award for the 2013-2014 school year is Shari Robinson-Lynk. She was nominated by a member of the student body and was selected based upon a submitted essay detailing some of the remarkable ways that Shari has influenced the students in her classes.

Every year the SSW Student Union puts out a call for nominations to the students regarding the teacher of the year. This is an award asking students to submit the name of a teacher they feel has been particularly powerful in their learning and who they hold as the model for an educator in the SSW.

Cassie Zwart (MSW Candidate 2014) co-presented "Creating a Climate of Wellness and Dignity for All: Weight Stigma and Size Diversity Allyhood for Our Clients, Our Colleagues, Our Communities, and Ourselves" in Columbus, OH at the Big Ten Counseling Centers Conference 2014 on February 20, 2014.

Matthew Nahan (MSW'14) was part of the winning team for the Nonprofit and Public Management Center's (NPM) 2014 Social Impact Challenge! This year NPM partnered with Detroit Future City to address transportation access in Detroit Neighborhoods.

The Social Impact Challenge is a live, multidisciplinary case competition for U-M graduate students. Students from 10 different schools and colleges came together in teams to tackle transportation access in 3 specific Detroit Neighborhoods. 13 teams (3-4 students each) participated. 

Matthew's team "Le Rouge" presented the Neighborhood Transit Alliance to a judging team that included Dan Kinkead (Director of Projects for Detroit Future City Implementation Office), Rev. Joan Ross (Executive Director for the Greater Woodward Community Development Corp), Andy Didorosi, (President and Founder of the Detroit Bus Company), and Prof. Larry Gant, (SSW/Art & Design). 

The team included students from Ford School, Ross, and Taubman, as well as Matthew.
 

Assistant Professor Reuben Miller conducted a workshop on prisoner reentry for researchers and service providers in New York.

The Curtis Research and Training Center at the School of Social Work hosted the first annual Program Evaluation Symposium on Friday, February 14, 2014.  This day-long event was organized by the Program Evaluation Group and culminated with a keynote address by the President of the American Evaluation Symposium (AEA), Dr. Beverly Parsons.

Dr. Parson's keynote, "Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future," highlighted the need for systems thinking, buidling new relationships, and an emphasis on sustainable, equitable living in evaluation. After the keynote address, attendees were invited to participate in small group discussions based on the topic of the keynote. Dr. Parsons will use feedback from the event to inform the direction of the AEA Annual Conference.

Asssistant Professor Desmond Patton's paper titled, "Exploring the Social Media Behaviors of Gang Members," has been accepted for presentation at the 6th Annual Health Disparities Conference at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Bill Vanderwill along with MSW students Emily Whitley, Kimson Bryant, and Hannah Reinmann have had their proposal, "Creating Socially Just Neighborhoods: The Power of Art," accepted for presentation at the COLC-NASW Michigan Conference.