School of Social Work News

Associate Professor Katie Maguire-Jack has received 2023 Doctoral Student Organization Faculty Award. The Doctoral Student Organization bestows this award to a faculty mentor who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to mentoring, developing and supporting doctoral students.

Assistant Clinical Professor Justin Hodge was named the 2023 Student Union Teacher of the Year. This award is given by the School of Social Work students and recognizes faculty who have demonstrated commitment to improving DEI, made an outstanding and positive contribution to the School’s climate, and whose skills, dedication, understanding and caring have made a positive impact on students.

Professor Trina Shanks has received the 2023 Distinguished Faculty Award. This highly esteemed peer award recognizes governing faculty members who demonstrate excellence in domains including longevity of service to the School; national recognition in scholarship and service; excellence in teaching and mentoring; outstanding service to the School and the University; and contribution to the professional community.

Field Faculty and Lecturer Yatesha Robinson has received the 2023 Distinguished Lecturer Award. This highly esteemed peer award recognizes excellence in teaching and mentoring of students and the very highest ideal of a School of Social Work lecturer.

Nina Jackson Levin, Joint PhD in Social Work and Anthropology, successfully defended her dissertation, "Meta/Static Ethnography of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncofertility Research and Practice at a United States Hospital: Implications for Sexual and Gender Minorities.” Her committee included Bradley J. Zebrack (co-chair) and Shanna Katz Kattari.

Jackson Levin plans to complete a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Michigan Department of Endocrinology.

Professor Rich Tolman and the Michigan Father Practitioner Network have received a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation aimed to increase the capacity of Michigan programs that engage and deliver services to fathers, improve the well-being of their children and support father involvement.

Professor Joe Ryan was quoted in the Michigan Chronicle about new protocols set by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services as part of their Keep Kids Safe Action Agenda. 

“MDHHS demonstrates a strong commitment to data-driven decisions to help keep children safe and guide the development of services for families,” he said. “Department actions such as increasing the number of family resource centers that provide critical services to vulnerable families and expanding home visiting programs are examples of efforts that are evidence-based and designed to strengthen families and help protect children in Michigan.”

Assistant Professor Lindsay Bornheimer and Research Project Coordinator Juliann Li Verdugo received a 2023 Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) Outstanding Research Mentor Award. 

Each year, UROP recognizes outstanding mentors who have exceeded expectations in providing opportunities and guidance to their UROP students. These exceptional mentors demonstrate an interest in the college experiences, academic goals and career plans of their students.

Bornheimer and Li Verdugo were nominated by their undergraduate student, Natasha Matta, and were honored during the UROP Spring Research Symposium.