Archive for 2020
May 20, 2020
Grad student ‘brings’ pets to group homes
by Leigh Beeson | May 20, 2020 Kim Wolf had plans to visit her grandma at a nursing home in Maryland. Then, the global pandemic hit. While COVID-19 has ground much of the world to a stop, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus has hit group home settings particularly hard, especially those with frail […]
November 1, 2020
UGA Master of Social Work increases reach and enrollment
Athens, Ga. – In its first year, the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work Online MSW program has nearly doubled its expected enrollment. The creators of the online program, launched in 2019, hoped to increase access to advanced degrees in social work practice and address service shortages in rural and medically underserved areas in […]
October 30, 2020
Director of Institute for Nonprofit Organizations supports United Way
Before Anthony Mallon even moved to Athens or began teaching at UGA, he was involved with United Way. In Richmond, Virginia, when Mallon was a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University, he worked with the organization in many capacities, from job training to assisting with earned income tax credit programs to partnering with local agencies. […]
October 26, 2020
UGA awarded additional $4 million for human trafficking program
The State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) has awarded $4 million to the University of Georgia-based African Programming and Research Initiative to End Slavery (APRIES) to supplement the latter’s international human trafficking research and programming work. The funding is part of the TIP Office’s Program to End Modern Slavery and builds upon […]
October 20, 2020
Voting rights scholar to speak at Parham Policy Day
Andra Gillespie, associate professor of political science and director of the James Weldon Johnson Institute at Emory University, will be the keynote speaker for Parham Policy Day, to be held online Wednesday October 21 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The annual event is organized and hosted by graduate students in the School of Social […]
October 1, 2020
30 Years of Social Justice-Minded Research
by Joon Choi, Ph.D., Doctoral Program Director | Sept. 30, 2020 For the past 30 years, UGA Social Work Ph.D. Program has produced more than 160 social justice-minded researchers and social work educators who train future social work professionals to engage in anti-oppressive social work practice. I am the most proud of our program when […]
September 21, 2020
UGA leads study of family legislation’s implications for children of color
by Laurie Anderson | Sept. 21, 2020 A multi-institution study led by a University of Georgia researcher is looking at how new federal legislation may help children of color stay out of foster care. Among other things, the study will identify the unintended consequences of the legislation related to inequities. Harold Briggs, the Pauline M. […]
August 31, 2020
Student Profile: Grace Gilbert
by Laurie Anderson | Aug. 31, 2020 “I was always told you get out of college what you put into it,” says Grace Gilbert (BSW ’21). She takes that advice seriously. The senior is president of UGA’s chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma, a national service sorority, and a three-year veteran of Road Dawgs. Gilbert says […]
August 31, 2020
Faculty Feature: Lisa Anger
Like many people practicing social distancing during the pandemic, Lisa Anger and her fiancé, percussionist Eddie Glikin, have been spending more time in the kitchen. Anger, a licensed clinical social worker, runs a private holistic psychotherapy practice and teaches family therapy and other courses at the School of Social Work. When she noticed that out-of-work […]
August 27, 2020
New social work minor applicable to many fields
Athens, Ga. – This fall University of Georgia is launching a new minor in social work, designed to prepare students with skills that will enhance their success no matter what career path they choose. The recently approved 18-credit undergraduate minor builds competence in areas crucial to today’s workplace. Topics include diversity, equity and inclusion, verbal […]
August 20, 2020
Greetings from Dean Scheyett
Welcome to the new school year!!! We are so glad to have you join, or re-join, us, even though it is a very different kind of fall. Under regular circumstances, we’d have a celebration in the courtyard, relax and let you know how happy we are to see you. But, prudence dictates we shouldn’t be […]
June 24, 2020
UGA School of Social Work provides support groups for small businesses during COVID-19
Denali Lerch | June 18, 2020 To provide resources for local businesses affected by COVID-19, the University of Georgia School of Social Work is providing solidarity support groups via Zoom. These sessions are designed to help local business owners navigate stress and fatigue derived from running a business during the pandemic. The support groups will […]
June 22, 2020
Addressing the policing crisis
UGA researcher looks at lethal use of force and needed changes Athens, Ga. – Even after the Ferguson riots, it didn’t occur to Michael Robinson to research the frequency of police killings of unarmed Blacks. The African American academic was not studying law enforcement practices, but a brief encounter with a total stranger changed the […]
June 19, 2020
Athens News Matters: Juneteenth, Then and Now
June 19 – also known as Juneteenth – celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. This year, it takes on new significance as attention remains focused on police violence against the Black community. Llewellyn Cornelius, Donald L. Hollowell Distinguished Professor of Social Justice and Civil Rights Studies, spoke about the event’s significance. Listen to […]
June 12, 2020
Area nonprofits are more important than ever
by Emma Auer | June 10, 2020 Nonprofits are mission-driven organizations that often serve vulnerable communities. In circumstances altered by the COVID-19 virus, they are facing unique challenges while also becoming more necessary than ever. Dr. Anthony J. Mallon, director of the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations at UGA, says that nonprofits are by nature resilient […]
May 26, 2020
UGA launches substance use certificate program
by Laurie Anderson | May 26, 2020 Athens, Ga. — People who struggle with drug or alcohol addiction can face difficulties in finding help. For many in Georgia, the severe shortage of counselors hampers recovery. To address the need, the University of Georgia School of Social Work has launched the Graduate Certificate in Substance Use […]
January 17, 2020
Social Justice Symposium explores opportunities for action
Representatives of seventeen organizations will discuss ways to improve the quality of life for vulnerable residents of Athens-Clarke County at the Athens Social Justice Symposium on Jan. 25. The annual event, which brings members of the community together, is organized by graduate students of the University of Georgia School of Social Work. “The Athens Social […]
May 18, 2020
UGA to host human trafficking conference
by James Hataway | May 18, 2020 The University of Georgia and the U.S. Department of State will co-host the Prevalence Reduction Innovation Forum, a virtual gathering of leaders, researchers and policy experts from around the world dedicated to the fight against human trafficking. The event will be held May 20, and registration is free. […]
May 8, 2020
School of Social Work celebrates Class of 2020 online
by Laurie Anderson | May 8, 2020 In celebration of students who graduate this spring and summer, the School of Social Work created an online convocation publication that it released on Friday, May 8. The publication, the brainchild of staff member Kat Farlowe, provided a virtual touchstone for the new alumni on the day that […]
May 7, 2020
Struggling community takes on COVID-19 crisis
On a recent morning outside the offices of the East Athens Development Corporation, a line of volunteers wearing protective face masks lifted heavy boxes of groceries from a truck to tables inside the building. They were answering a call from the EADC, a local enterprise that supports the economic well-being of people in Athens’ most impoverished […]
April 29, 2020
Honors students committed to achievement and service
by Laurie Anderson | April 29, 2020 Two undergraduate students earned high academic honors this year, but their activities show that they shine outside the classroom, too. Emma Clarke planned to study education, but she moved to social work and the BSW program because it would give her “the chance to learn about a vast […]
April 24, 2020
In trying times, maintain your mental health
by Maria Lameiras | April 24, 2020 From exercise and meditation to keeping in touch with loved ones and maintaining routines, University of Georgia experts recommend that people formulate strategies to help mitigate the stress many people are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Stress is simply a reaction that happens when a […]
April 15, 2020
Social work student promotes community mental health
by Laurie Anderson | April 15, 2020 More than ever, it’s important to manage stress. That’s what Caroline Sharkey tells her clients, who range in age from children to adults. The Philadelphia native, who is earning a doctorate in social work at the University of Georgia, is a clinical supervisor and psychotherapist at Project Family […]
April 1, 2020
What is Mutual Aid?
Doctoral candidate Joel Izlar writes about mutual aid in light of the COVID-19 pandemic From the COVID-19 pandemic to the climate crisis, you are probably hearing more and more about mutual aid. So what is this mutual aid thing all about? Mutual aid is when everyday people get together to meet each other’s needs, with the […]
March 21, 2020
School of Social Work responds to COVID-19
by Laurie Anderson | March 21, 2020 Along with the rest of the University of Georgia, in March the School of Social Work temporarily closed its facilities and put classes on hold to reduce the spread of coronavirus. The closure began at 5 p.m. on March 13, in order to give faculty time to transition […]
February 27, 2020
School of Social Work academic advisor embraces order, chaos in everything
by Victoria Vanhuss | February 27, 2020 Visitors to Ellen Pauloski’s office are greeted by a collection of stickers. Once hanging on the wall, the stickers—many of which are mementos from the places she’s lived or visited—are now displayed on a table near her desk. Despite being so well traveled, Pauloski will tell you that […]
February 25, 2020
Faculty member named recipient of 2020 Richard Reiff Award
by Stacey Casuccio | February 21, 2020 Jane McPherson, a faculty member in the School of Social Work, is the recipient of the 2020 Richard Reiff Internationalization Award. Presented by the Office of Global Engagement, the Reiff Award honors a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has made major contributions to the overall internationalization of […]
February 19, 2020
University of Georgia is marshaling its resources to battle farmer stress
By Merritt Melancon | Feb. 19, 2020 Much like their counterparts across the nation, farmers in Georgia have experienced increased rates of suicide and stress over the last decade. To help curb these statistics, an interdisciplinary team of researchers and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension faculty have teamed up to help understand the causes of […]
February 10, 2020
Photovoice project engages youth with policymakers
by Laurie Anderson | February 10, 2020 They say a picture is worth a thousand words. For a handful of Athens youth, pictures can also promote positive social change. The youth, ages 12 to 17, were part of a photovoice project developed by Michael Robinson, an associate professor in the School of Social Work, that […]
February 3, 2020
Research on African American history helps Georgia town win Visionary Cities Award
by Laurie Anderson | Feb. 3, 2020 When it comes to development, most towns look to the future. A School of Social Work faculty member has gotten one Georgia town to use its past. Associate Professor Tony Lowe’s research on a nearly lost tale of early African American civil rights activism in Georgia has helped […]
January 28, 2020
Social Justice Symposium addresses equity, quality of life issues
By Laurie Anderson | January 28, 2020 For many people, the new year is an opportunity to focus on self-improvement. For graduate students at the University of Georgia School of Social Work, it’s an opportunity to focus on working together with the local community to improve the quality of life for all Athens. The fourth […]
