Archive for 2019
August 12, 2019
Beer, Handa chosen as first Innovation Fellows
Faculty members Jenay Beer and Hitesh Handa have been selected as UGA’s inaugural Innovation Fellows for fall 2019. Throughout the semester, the pair will receive a crash course in technology commercialization and learn how they can shape their research programs to more effectively align with industry priorities and, ultimately, serve the public’s needs. Announced by President […]
December 19, 2019
New evaluation tool aids Day Reporting Centers
by Laurie Anderson | Dec. 19, 2019 The road to recovery can be full of detours. Sometimes people need extra guidance to find their pathway to success. That’s the idea behind Georgia’s Day Reporting Centers. Since 2002, these centers have provided intensive, community-based counseling and rehabilitative services for nonviolent probationers and parolees with substance use […]
November 19, 2019
UGA receives $15.75M to combat human trafficking
by Laurie Anderson | November 19, 2019 The University of Georgia has been selected to receive $15.75 million from the U.S. Department of State to expand programming and research to measurably reduce human trafficking. The new award, funded by the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office), will scale up […]
November 4, 2019
Social work faculty member promotes inclusion through scholarship, service
Laurie Anderson | Nov. 4, 2019 At age 14, Llewellyn Cornelius was unwittingly exposed to his future career. Raised in a slum tenement in East Harlem, he earned money one summer assisting his father in the mailroom of the National Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers. The nonprofit addressed social problems, poverty, health care and […]
October 24, 2019
Employee engagement a key to success, says nonprofit leader
by Adelia Henderson | Oct. 24, 2019 When it comes to running a successful organization, concepts like determination and loyalty often come to mind. But sometimes, a key to success can be something as small as switching out flooring. Pamela Landwirth (AB ’73), found this out during the bi-annual ‘Cookies and Conversation’ meetings she holds […]
October 18, 2019
Great Commitments: A public health crisis
You can’t solve a public health crisis if you don’t have the workforce to tackle it. And the U.S.—Georgia, in particular—has a massive shortage of health care professionals trained to address substance use disorders. The University of Georgia’s School of Social Work is aiming to close that gap, by partnering with local behavioral health agencies […]
October 10, 2019
Bob Sleppy (BS ’05, MBA ’10) makes a difference at Nuçi’s Space
by UGA Alumni Association | Oct. 10, 2020 Bob Sleppy (BS ’05, MBA ’10) is the executive director of Nuçi’s Space, an Athens, Georgia, nonprofit that allows musicians to meet with doctors about physical and/or mental health issues. For World Mental Health Day today (October 10), we asked Bob to share a little about Nuçi’s […]
September 26, 2019
UGA offers the first fully online Master of Social Work in Georgia
By Laurie Anderson | Sept. 26, 2019 The University of Georgia School of Social Work now offers the first fully online Master of Social Work degree in Georgia. All coursework, with the exception of a required field internship, can be taken online. Applications are being accepted for the inaugural cohort, scheduled to begin Fall 2020. […]
September 15, 2019
Focus on Faculty: Javier Boyas
Javier Boyas is an associate professor of social work who conducts research that seeks to eliminate health disparities, particularly those affecting the Latinx community. Where did you earn degrees and what are your current responsibilities at UGA? I received my baccalaureate degree in sociology and Spanish from Western Illinois University, my Master of Social Work […]
August 28, 2019
Researchers get $1.4M to combat opioid crisis
In 2017, with about 2.1 million people in the United States suffering from substance use disorders, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency to address the nation’s growing opioid epidemic. As part of a new initiative called the Five-Point Strategy, the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) recently […]
August 27, 2019
Human trafficking in Georgia: The need for data
The 13 men were promised jobs, food and lodging. Instead, they were paid little or nothing, housed in deplorable conditions and provided scant food. If they complained or spoke of leaving, their employer threatened to have them deported. The incident happened in Georgia in 2018. In July 2019 the men—guest agricultural workers on H-2A temporary work […]
January 14, 2019
Annual Social Justice Symposium Tackles Local Concerns
By Laurie Anderson | January 14, 2019 On Saturday, January 26, students from the University of Georgia School of Social Work will host a day-long series of free workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities on ways to create a sustainable, more just lifestyle for people living in the Athens-Clarke County area. “There’s so much going […]
July 5, 2019
UGA assists in first assessment of peer support
Individuals in recovery from addiction or mental illness often struggle with managing wellness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Without any assistance, many cycle back into hospitals, jails or homelessness. Georgia’s peer support program helps people achieve well-being and independence, and will soon benefit from work conducted by University of Georgia researchers. Over the next 16 […]
June 19, 2019
Teaching trauma-informed care in the courtroom
A judge will decide whether Amanda Tate and her husband, Eric Tate will lose their parental rights. Juvenile court judge Ashley Willcott will decide whether Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services is correct to want to terminate the parents’ rights. But this isn’t a real trial. It’s a mock trial. Alexis Trumble, who is […]
June 5, 2019
UGA collaborating on child welfare workforce education
Two universities and a state agency are combining forces to increase Georgia’s capacity to deliver high-quality child welfare services.Over the next four years the University of Georgia School of Social Work, in collaboration with Georgia State University School of Social Work and the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, will evaluate the health of the […]
May 15, 2019
Study identifies factors associated with farmer suicide
by Laurie Anderson | May 15, 2019 Georgia farmers are champions at tackling challenges they can see – bad weather, insects and livestock disease, to name a few. Their higher-than-average suicide rate, however, indicates they may need some support in addressing stress and depression. A new study led by a University of Georgia researcher, in collaboration […]
May 14, 2019
Voices for Change: Communication solutions for a troubled world
Claire Jordan (ABJ ’18), sswpr@uga.edu The ability to communicate is an essential skill for social workers, but in recent years the public sphere has become a challenging environment for productive conversation. The pressure and passion behind the countless agendas and ideologies leave little room for listening or for compromise. In response to this, Anna Scheyett, dean […]
April 8, 2019
Child welfare expert named Berger Professor
Harold Briggs, a leading authority on child welfare, has been appointed the Pauline M. Berger Professor in Family and Child Welfare in the UGA School of Social Work. Briggs, a professor at the school, is nationally known for his innovative studies focused on putting families first in child welfare systems of care. He has been […]
April 2, 2019
Study outlines ways to engage vulnerable communities
Be there. Let the community see you. That’s the key to assessing the needs of vulnerable communities according to a new study from the University of Georgia. Community needs assessments lay the foundation for improving local health care services, but local leaders may be making decisions based on skewed results if the assessment doesn’t capture a […]
March 21, 2019
Assistant professor studies the ways robots can help an aging population
Jenay Beer has been thinking about how people interact with robots since she was a kid. She grew up watching Star Wars, fascinated by the way R2D2 “beep-booped” his way through conversations with other characters, and The Jetsons, where Rosie wheeled about, frenetically managing the family’s futuristic home. Now, as an assistant professor and researcher at UGA’s Institute […]
March 12, 2019
UGA School of Social Work rises in national rankings
The UGA School of Social Work’s master of social work program rose to No. 22 in national rankings, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s latest list of the nation’s best graduate schools. The position is the highest the program has reached and marks the second year it has risen in the rankings. The […]
March 11, 2019
Poor sleep a problem for foster children
Health effects of insomnia can persist into adulthood. Children living in foster care may have a higher risk of developing insomnia, and this can lead to long-term mental and physical health problems, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Georgia. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 24 adults who lived in foster […]
