School of Social Work

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Professor Katie Edwards discussed her lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on the Science Friday podcast. Since January, the NIH has made sweeping cuts to research funding. “Initially, I was feeling so helpless and just like, this is the end of my career. This is the end of all the work we’ve done to prevent violence, improve youth outcomes. This is all ending. And then I got angry and then I said, I’m going to do something about this. And now, I’m suing the NIH,” she said.

Professor Rogério Pinto spoke with Concentrate Media as part of a story about Washtenaw County’s drag scene and using drag as activism. “Drag allows for creativity that is striking, provocative, and sometimes triggering, but allows for a level of humor that other things may not necessarily have,” Pinto said. “By using humor, drag makes me more vulnerable and allows me to convey an idea that could otherwise be very flat.”

Assistant Professor Rebeccah Sokol wrote an article in The Conversation about teens’ access to firearms at home.  

“More than half of U.S. teens living in households with firearms believe they can access and load a firearm at home. Even when their parents report storing all firearms locked and unloaded, more than one-third of teens still believe they could access and load one,” wrote Sokol. “Prior research shows that teens who believe they can access a firearm are more likely to access and carry one. This is particularly concerning for teens who already have a higher risk for dying by suicide

Professor Andrew Grogan-Kaylor’s new book, “Multilevel Thinking: Discovering Variation, Universals, and Particulars in Cross-Cultural Research,” has been published by Oxford University Press. The book provides an introduction to multilevel modeling, which allows researchers to explore the variation and diversity across a data set.

On June 12, 2025, the Regents of the University of Michigan named Professor Connie Sung the inaugural Annmarie Hawkins Research Professor in Disability Justice. This esteemed position is made possible by a generous gift from Neil and Annmarie Hawkins to support research that advances the practice-based understanding of how to effectively support people with disabilities in living, working, and thriving in community settings. This term-of-years research professorship will enable Sung to dedicate time and resources to transformative research projects focused on community-based interventions that

Lecturer Sean de Four’s op-ed “How Philanthropy Can Help Nonprofits Meet the Moment,” was published in Bridge Michigan.  

“These are difficult times for nonprofit organizations, the foundations that support them and the broader philanthropic community. But the outpouring of concern and willingness to help is inspiring. We should harness this opportunity to not only respond to urgent needs that arise, but to also address some of the longstanding issues in our sector.”

Associate Dean Robert Ortega has been appointed as a member of the Council on Social Work Education Board of Accreditation. Ortega will start his three-year term on July 1. The Board of Accreditation maintains and advocates for quality in social work education by overseeing the accreditation/candidacy process for more than 960 social work programs in the United States and its territories.

Brittani Parham, Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Psychology, has successfully defended her dissertation entitled "Compounded Disadvantage: Exploring the Intersection of Race, Sex, and Child Welfare in Juvenile Justice." Her committee included Matthew Smith (co-chair), Joseph Ryan and Camille Quinn. Parham is currently exploring job market opportunities in social work or juvenile justice policy.