School of Social Work News

Associate Professor Kristin Seefeldt and Lecturer Trevor Bechtel spoke to the Ann Arbor City Council earlier this month about a new program which would provide a universal basic income to 100 Ann Arbor residents engaged in some form of entrepreneurship. The program is a partnership between the city and U-M’s Poverty Solutions, who will administer the program and analyze the findings. 

“We want to see how this guaranteed income allows this community to improve their personal economic security and wellbeing, whether that’s through expanding their business efforts or by scaling back,” said Seefeldt, who will lead the research efforts. Assistant Professor Rebeccah Sokol is a co-principal investigator. Associate Professor Terri Friedline and Professors Joe Ryan and Trina Shanks are also on the research team.

“We know some community members were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic,” said Councilmember Linh Song, MSW ’04, who advocated for the initiative. “This program recognizes and addresses this inequity so that program participants can have a fighting chance to continue to live and work in Ann Arbor.”

Lecturer Jen Towns wrote a new book titled “Our Deepest Roots: Navigating Past Trauma to Build Healthier Queer Relationships.” Towns shares stories from her own personal and professional experiences as a trauma therapist, trauma survivor and queer woman to explore how trauma in childhood or adulthood — combined with being part of the queer community — can impact intimacy, attachment and our everyday interactions with those closest to us. The book, she says, “is neither exclusively memoir nor academic, but a gentle blending of the two.”

Professor William Elliott III spoke with St. Louis public radio about the transformational power of Child Development Accounts and the effect they can have on multi-generational poverty. One of the key things he’s learned, Elliott says, is that the way out of poverty lies along the path of asset accumulation. “Building assets allows people to build their full potential,” he says, “because it augments their ability to tackle the system.”

Assistant Director of Research & Financial Operations Jodi Caviani and Hannah McPherson, administrative assistant to the Associate Dean of Educational Programs, have both received the 2023 Colleen Karim Staff Excellence Award. This new award recognizes staff members who accomplish exceptional performance and achievements in their job role, going above and beyond in their day-to-day efforts, championing and supporting the work of others, and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

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.