School of Social Work

Professor Robert Joseph Taylor spoke with WEMU about how unmarried African Americans form family-like relationships with their close friends to fulfill each other’s needs. “In general, women are closer to their friends than men and there are some differences in terms of friendship contact.”

Lexx Brown-James, director of the School’s Sexual Health Certificate Program, spoke with SELF magazine about how to incorporate temperature play into your sex life.

Assistant Professor Fernanda Cross received a K01 Career Development grant from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities for her project entitled “Enlace Familiar: Combating Mental Health Stigma, Improving Mental Health Literacy, Supporting Mental Health Discussions at Home, and Access to Care among Latinx Adolescents from Mixed Status Families.”

“This funding will allow me to both learn about intervention development and then develop and test an intervention to increase access to mental health treatment among Latinx adolescents from mixed-status families,” said Cross

Professor Terri Friedline’s research on how financial institution locations are influenced by a neighborhood’s racial composition is featured in DBusiness. Friedline’s study analyzed the placement of banks, credit unions and alternative financial services — such as payday lenders — in six Detroit area counties. Her research shows that banks and credit unions tend to withdraw from areas as Black populations grow, whereas alternative financial services target these areas. 

“Some may argue that payday lenders open storefronts in ways that respond to market demand, but this argument is rooted in

Nikole Hannah-Jones was the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Social Justice Changemaker Lecture presented by the School of Social Work at the Michigan Union in October 2024. 

Hannah-Jones is the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she founded the Center for Journalism & Democracy. Over the course of her career investigating racial inequality and injustice, she has earned numerous awards including a MacArthur Fellowship. But she is probably best known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project, which began as an initiative from The New York Times

Clinical Assistant Professor Ayesha Ghazi Edwin is the recipient of the 2024 James T. Neubacher Award. The annual U-M award is presented to a student, alumn, faculty or staff member who has exhibited leadership and service in support of the disability community.

“I am deeply honored to receive the James T. Neubacher Award. This recognition reflects the work of so many people committed to disability justice within our university and community. My journey as an advocate began with my own experiences as a student facing new health challenges, and it has grown through partnerships with incredible

Associate Research Scientist Roland Zullo spoke with The American Prospect on the historical impact of unions on presidential elections.   

Unions “help working-class people get out the vote,” he said, because unions “underscore the importance of voting and educate members on why it’s important. One of the big effects unions have on politics and our society in general is they help make democracy work.”

Beginning in January 2025, the MasterTrack Certificate (MTC) program, currently available on Coursera, will change its name and platform. The same great content and curriculum will be available as the Social Work Essentials Certificate (SWEC) and will replace the MTC as our School’s certificate program. It will be hosted on Canvas and maintained by our own social work program. All existing course content will be maintained in the transition, with only minor changes to accommodate the Canvas platform. The transition will be finalized in April 2025 when Coursera will no longer offer the MTC

Associate Professor Anao Zhang and PhD student Rachel Brandon are part of a team that recently received a grant from the Children's Cancer Research Fund. Their project evaluates the virtual delivery of a strength-based psychological treatment to young adults with cancer.   

“We are excited to receive this grant and conduct a pilot clinical trial at Michigan Medicine's Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program,” said Zhang. “It is also very exciting to involve Rachel Brandon, a joint social work and psychological doctoral student, as a study co-investigator and project coordinator to further

ENGAGE Program Manager Fatima Salman, MSW ’15, has been appointed Vice President of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Previously, Salman was president of the NASW Michigan Chapter and chair of the NASW Council of Chapter Presidents.

“I am excited to step into the role of vice president of this very critical organization that serves all social workers in the country,” said Salman. “I look forward to bringing my diverse background and strong skill sets to this organization and hope to be an asset as we champion social justice and empower social workers. I also am happy to be