School of Social Work

Dean Emerita Paula Allen-Meares, Professor Rogério Pinto and Assistant Director of Operations Jerome Rork spoke with Concentrate in a feature article about the School’s art collection, which includes works from Diane Arbus, Sam Gilliam, Keith Haring and Robert Rauschenberg.

Assistant Professor Ashley Cureton has been named a 2025 Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. The 15 honorees were selected based on their teaching, research and service from a pool of several hundred nominees. They represent the future of academia and serve as inspirations to students and faculty members.

“I am beyond thankful to receive this incredible recognition. I feel extremely fortunate to have this job, so it is an honor to receive this acknowledgment along with 14 other outstanding scholars throughout the country,” said Cureton. “I am committed to

Professor Andrew Grogan-Kaylor’s research was cited in an article in MSN News on the detrimental effects physical punishment can have on children’s mental health. Grogan-Kaylor’s research found that kids who are spanked more often are more likely to defy their parents and experience an increase in anti-social behavior. They are also at an increased risk for developing aggression, mental health problems and cognitive difficulties.

Professor Daphne Watkins spoke with Forbes about how “Invisible Game,” a new video series of in-depth conversations with celebrated athletes, is helping to create new narratives about mental health, particularly among Black boys and men.

“Not only has this experience been healing for the athletes and celebrities themselves but we’re beginning to hear a lot of positive feedback from people who are watching the series who are feeling like, if this person I admire and look up to has had this experience and they’re brave enough to come forward and speak about it, maybe I can too,” said Watkins.

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