People
Lorraine M. Gutiérrez
Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program, and Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work, Arthur F Thurnau Professor, Professor of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Professor Lorraine Gutiérrez has a joint appointment with the School of Social Work (SSW) and Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan and is a faculty associate in American Culture. She also is a member of the SSW Community Organization Learning Community. Her teaching and scholarship focuses on multicultural praxis in communities, organizations and higher education. She brings to her work community-based practice and research in multiethnic communities in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit and Seattle. Current projects include identifying strategies for multicultural community-based research and practice, multicultural education for social work practice, and identifying effective methods for learning about social justice. Her contributions to undergraduate education have been recognized by the Arthur F. Thurnau Professorship. She is currently an editor or the Journal of Community Practice.
Contact Information
- Email: lorraing@umich.edu
Lauren Davis
Assistant Director of SSW DEI Program
Lauren Davis (she/hers), MSW ‘07 has been working with the School of Social Work since 2008. She is currently the Assistant Director of the School of Social Work’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which is responsible for the implementation of the School's DE&I strategic plan. She also is a field instructor for MSW students in the DEI Office. She has worked in higher education for more than ten years in advising, academic support, admissions, recruitment, and helping students navigate wellness concerns. Her passion is for creating inclusive learning environments where students can thrive academically, personally and professionally.
Contact Information
- Email: laurdavi@umich.edu
Cuauhtemoc Salinas Martell
Program Assistant & DEI Student Advisory Board Representative
Cuauhtemoc Salinas Martell is a Master of Social Work candidate with a practice method in Management of Human Services and practice area in Children and Youth. He is the Graduate Professional Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Student Advisory Board Representative and is confident in his ability to create safe and brave spaces for graduate students. As a former Independent Senator at the University of California, Berkeley, Salinas was able to enact great change in providing students with services and resources so that they can feel supported in and outside of their classrooms. This change has empowered him to continue his student activism work at the University of Michigan. Salinas has already done some foundational work in defining what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is, however, he hopes to amplify these terms so that they can be reflected in the School of Social Work. Salinas wants Latinx, undocumented/DACAmented, queer and 1st generation students to know that their voices matter and that their presence at this institution is what will motivate future lideres y sonadores.
Contact Information
- Email: salinasc@umich.edu
Florence Alexander
Program Assistant
Florence J. Alexander (she/her/hers) is studying Social Policy and Evaluation with a concentration in Community and Social Systems. Her field placement is at My Brother's Keeper/Girl's Equity Network Scholar with One Love Global, Lansing, MI which facilitates racial equity work towards social justice. Florence also serves as a student representative with the School of Social Work's Student Union. Florence's previous work experiences include serving with AmeriCorps, researching recidivism and community outreach programs with Project Safe Neighborhoods, working as an Afterschool Coach with Youth First in her hometown of Saginaw, Michigan, and as a facilitator with Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan. Florence is passionate about bringing communities together, reforming social policies to better serve communities that weren't previously at the table, and continuously learning. Florence's past and future work aligns with DEI office goals as she is dedicated to racial justice, inclusion, amplifying voices that have been historically marginalized, and working towards a transformative society that values all of humanity.
Contact Information
- Email: fjalexan@umich.edu
Jacqueline Ramsey
Program Assistant
Jacqueline Ramsey (she/hers) is a MSW candidate with a practice method in Social Policy and Evaluation and a practice area in Community and Social Systems. She is a Graduate Student Staff Assistant for the School of Social Work's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Jacqueline's attraction to the DEI Office is fueled by her passion for fighting injustices and seeking equity for underrepresented groups. One of her goals for the DEI office is to help establish a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for herself and fellow graduate students. She graduated from Central Michigan University in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology: Concentration in Social and Criminal Justice. She enjoys learning about historical events, being politically engaged within her community, event planning with a purpose, and developing written content for creative and cultural purposes. Jacqueline also has an interest in digital marketing to help further the messages and work that is being done by leaders in the social justice community.
Contact Information
- Email: ramseyjn@umich.edu
Brianna Suggs
Program Assistant
Brianna Suggs (she/her pronouns), is a Master of Social Work student with a practice method in Community Organizing, practice area in Community and Social Systems, along with Social Policy and Evaluation minor. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Education with a degree in Community Engagement and Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in May 2019. Brianna has previously done research regarding the evaluation of youth caregivers in policies and programs, which has nurtured her research interests regarding marginalized youth, family, and institutional dynamics affecting their quality of life. Brianna is also interested in exploring ways the DEI office can help facilitate creating opportunities where all perspectives can be conveyed and supported.
Contact Information
- Email: suggs@umich.edu
Jasmin Aramburu
MSW Intern
Jasmin Aramburu (she/her/hers) is a Master in Social Work candidate with a practice method in Social Policy and Evaluation, and a practice area in Community and Social Systems. She received her bachelor's in social work from St. Olaf College. Jasmin is originally from Chicago where she previously served as a case manager at a community health center primarily helping Spanish-speaking patients navigating the healthcare system. Additionally, she worked as a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseworker for the Illinois Department of Human Services where she mostly served African-American and undocumented women experiencing financial hardship. Throughout her experiences, Jasmin witnessed a need for an increase in culturally sensitive practices and organizational culture reform to improve social service delivery. She also witnessed a need for an increase of resources for Latinx and immigrant communities, particularly new arrivals. Jasmin hopes to develop leadership, program evaluation, and policy analysis skills during her time at Michigan to empower and strengthen marginalized communities, and to increase the pool of representation in higher education and other professional settings.
Contact Information
- Email: ajasmin@umich.edu
Anwesha De
MSW Intern
Anwesha is an MSW student studying Community Organisation with a concentration in Community and Social System and a minor in Social Policy and Evaluation. She is currently an intern in the DEI office. Previously, in India, she completed a master's degree in Women and Gender Studies. She was also a lecturer in an engineering college in India and has taught business communication, values and ethics in profession, organizational behavior to would be engineers. As an international student, she hopes to see a more global perspective being included in the Social Work curriculum. She is also interested in advocating for documented immigrants, regarding policies around labor laws, once she graduates.
Contact Information
- Email: anweshad@umich.edu
Emily Osan
MSW Intern
Emily Osan (she, her, hers) is an MSW candidate with a practice method in Management of Human Services and a practice area of Community and Social Systems and a minor in Social Policy and Evaluation. Emily has worked in a variety of settings at both ends of the spectrum in education and prevention as well as crisis intervention and advocacy services. Most recently, Emily managed client-facing services at a dual domestic violence/sexual assault community-based program. Emily is passionate about amplifying the voices and stories of individuals and groups that have been historically and structurally excluded while collaboratively working to dismantle oppressive systems.
Contact Information
- Email: eosan@umich.edu