School of Social Work News

Assistant Professor of Social Work Kristin Seefeldt is recognized by the Society for Social Work and Research for her book, “Abandoned Families: Social Isolation in the Twenty-First Century.” The 2018 Society for Social Work and Research Outstanding Social Work Book Award recognizes outstanding scholarly contributions that advance social work knowledge. Through in-depth interviews over a six-year period with women in Detroit, Seefeldt charts the increasing social isolation of many low-income workers, particularly African Americans, and analyzes how economic and residential segregation keep them from achieving the American Dream of upward mobility.   

LEO Lecturer Tony Alvarez gave the 2017 Kurt Hahn Address at the Association for Experiential Education International Conference in Montreal. The Address is presented annually by a person designated by the Board of Directors who has contributed to the development and advancement of experiential education with the tenacity and conviction exemplified by Kurt Hahn.

Associate Professor Andy Grogan-Kaylor’s article, “Income inequality and high blood pressure in Colombia: a multilevel analysis” was published in Cadernos de Saúde Pública.

Professor Brad Zebrack’s article, “Sexual functioning among young adult cancer patients: A 2-year longitudinal study” was published in Cancer.

Assistant Professor Xiaoling Xiang and Associate Professor Emily Nicklett received a grant from the Community Memorial Foundation via the Aging Care Connections for their community-engaged project which aims to evaluate the Aging Well Neighborhood initiative in Illinois. The Initiative is a collaboration of businesses, health care agencies, and nonprofits to create "health neighborhood" that assists the whole person aging in place and affirms the benefits of a life-long process of wellness and prevention.

Daniel Kaplan (MSW student) wrote a Jewschool article about Birthright Israel. 

Director of Joint PhD Program and Associate Professor Daphne Watkins is one of five social work scholars selected to be featured at the Society for Social Work and Research's (SSWR) Brief and Brilliant TEDx-style session in January. This year’s conference theme is "Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity and Justice". Related to this theme, each speaker will be asked to complete the statement “I dream a world….”. The Brief and Brilliant session was developed last year with the goal of translating social work research to engage a broad audience and emphasize the public relevance of this work.

Assistant Professor David Córdova was selected by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to present at the 2018 Office of Diversity and Health Disparities’ Diversity Supplements Workshop in March.