2026-27
PhD Program
GRADUATES SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
socialwork.rutgers.edu New Brunswick, NJ, 08901
Dear Colleagues: It is my pleasure to introduce the Rutgers School of Social Work PhD graduates featured in this Candidate Book. Our graduates have established strong records of research, publication, and scholarly presentations, reflecting their commitment to advancing knowledge and addressing pressing social issues. Their expertise spans a diverse range of areas, including social support and reciprocity in refugee and immigrant communities, social-emotional learning in secondary schools, social networks and support for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, social innovations on aging, reproductive choices and pregnancy outcomes of transition-age youth, and gender-based technology-facilitated violence, and faithbased approaches to ending homelessness. Collectively, they represent a talented and productive cohort of emerging scholars, educators, and researchers who are pursuing careers as tenure-track faculty, postdoctoral fellows, research faculty, and research affiliates. I encourage you to learn more about each candidate by visiting their individual webpages through the QR codes provided in this booklet. These pages offer additional information about their research, teaching, and professional interests. I am also happy to discuss any of our graduates and their areas of expertise. Please feel free to contact me at csimmel@ssw.rutgers.edu for additional information. Thank you for your interest in our graduates. I am confident they will make significant contributions to scholarship, teaching, and the communities they serve.
Sincerely,
Cassandra Simmel, MSW, PhD Director, PhD Program Rutgers University School of Social Work
Lucy Alvarez, MSW PhD Candidate Dissertation: Evaluating the implementation of social-emotional learning in NYC middle schools: A mixedmethods pilot study.
STATEMENT Lucy N. Alvarez is an LMSW and PhD candidate in the School of Social Work at Rutgers University. She completed her BA in Social Anthropology at University of Michigan, and her MSW at Columbia University School of Social Work, where she was in the Dialectical Behavioral Training (DBT) program. Lucy’s experience spans the fields of school-based mental health, mass incarceration, and child welfare. Lucy brings over a decade of clinical and supervisory experience in trauma-informed care and DBT with youth, families, and communities impacted by systems involvement, including mass incarceration and child welfare. She is currently completing her dissertation, Evaluating the implementation of socialemotional learning in NYC middle schools: A mixed- methods pilot study, examining how middle schools are implementing SEL based on state guidelines and the relationship between SEL implementation and school climate. In addition to her dissertation work, Lucy conducts research on the impact and implementation of a randomized control trial for a social-emotional learning intervention in high schools, a statewide continuous quality improvement study assessing family experiences of child welfare practices, multiple reviews of educational interventions, and a project on qualitative researcher well-being. Her research has been published in journals that focus on children’s well-being, services, social work, and prevention science. Lucy has taught in-person, online, and asynchronous policy and clinical courses in the MSW programs at Rutgers University and Columbia University. Lucy is expected to graduate with her PhD in Social Work in March 2027.
RESEARCH INTERESTS Implementation science Social-emotional learning Organizational climate and effectiveness Research-policy-practice gap
TOWARD A MORE JUST FUTURE.
EDUCATION Master of Social Work Columbia University BA in Social Anthropology University of Michigan
GET TO KNOW Lucy ln254@ssw.rutgers.edu
SHANNON P. CHEUNG, MSW, PhD Candidate Dissertation: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Gender-Based Technology-Facilitated Violence In Online Gaming Communities.
STATEMENT Shannon P. Cheung (they/she) is a PhD Candidate at Rutgers School of Social Work. They earned her MSW and BASW at Rutgers SSW in 2020 and 2019, respectively. With a concentration in clinical social work, they completed the Addiction Counselor Training Certificate Program at SSW, including coursework on behavioral addictions. During their field placement, Shannon provided group counseling and case management services to adults with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders, and throughout their undergraduate program, they volunteered as a Crisis Response Advocate at Rutgers University’s Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance. Shannon’s three-paper dissertation, “A Mixed Methods Exploration of Gender-Based Technology-Facilitated Violence In Online Gaming Communities,” utilizes a mixed methods approach to explore the social and developmental processes of gender-based technology-facilitated violence, along with individuals’ meaningmaking of such experiences in the online gaming community. This dissertation applies natural language processing, grounded theory, and thematic analysis to analyze social media and interview data. It is preceded by Shannon’s large body of scholarship, which includes research on violence and victimization, technology-facilitated social and developmental processes, digital health interventions, and health and wellbeing. These works have been published in academic journals such as Trauma, Violence, and Abuse; Emerging Adulthood; and Ethnic and Racial Studies. Shannon’s anticipated graduation date is Spring 2027
RESEARCH INTERESTS Gamification and gamblification Mental and behavioral health risk among marginalized populations Technology-mediated abuse, harassment, and violence
TOWARD A MORE JUST FUTURE.
EDUCATION Master of Social Work Rutgers University Bachelor of Social Work Rutgers University
GET TO KNOW Shannon Scheung@ssw.rutgers.edu
JORDAN GOODWIN, LSW, MDIV PhD Candidate Dissertation: Meeting the needs of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness: Centering youth perspectives on social networks and homeless service access.
STATEMENT Jordan Goodwin is a PhD candidate in Rutgers University’s School of Social Work. She completed her BS in Psychology at the University of Florida, later earning a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Social Work from Rutgers. Jordan is a licensed social worker in New Jersey with seven years of experience providing social services and housing navigation for families in affordable and transitional housing. As an ordained Presbyterian (U.S.A.) minister, she has provided pastoral counseling as a chaplain in psychiatric and general hospital settings. Jordan has also supervised students on multiple program evaluations of faith- and state-based organizations, including in her current role as Project Coordinator on a state-wide collaborative quality improvement project studying the perspectives of families with child welfare involvement. Jordan’s research interests center on the welfare and social networks of youth, service provider experiences, substance use prevention, and trauma-informed solutions to homelessness. Her dissertation, Meeting the needs of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness: Centering youth perspectives on social networks and homeless service access, was funded by the American Psychological Association and Society for Research in Child Development. It employs a mixed-methods approach, including a social network analysis and in-depth interviews with youth to inform the development of LGBTQ-affirming homeless services in faith-based and secular settings. Jordan has published 10 papers in housing policy, child welfare, research and education journals. She has taught 24 MSW-level courses at Rutgers related to research methods, clinical practice, child welfare policy, and intersectional social justice.
RESEARCH INTERESTS Permanent Supportive Housing and solutions to homelessness Disparities in access to housing and homelessness services Child welfare Social networks Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care
TOWARD A MORE JUST FUTURE.
EDUCATION Master of Social Work Rutgers University Master of Divinity Princeton University Bachelor of Psychology University of Florida
GET TO KNOW Jordan jmg595@ssw.rutgers.edu
Natalie Pope, PhD, MSSW, MBA Dissertation: Age-Friendly Initiatives as Community Interventions: An Exploration of Implementation Components and Processes.
STATEMENT Natalie E. Pope received her PhD from the Rutgers School of Social Work in October 2026. She holds an MSSW and MBA from the University of Louisville, coupled with 7+ years of experience as a professional in academic centers on aging and social work. Pope’s research is situated at the intersection of community practice and gerontological social work. She uses communityengaged and action research to explore the implementation, sustainability, and impact of community interventions on aging and related social policy innovations. In particular, she studies how community leaders work through organized community initiatives—such as age-friendly community initiatives, Villages, and state-level policy programs—to improve social, service, policy, and systems environments for aging and health equity. Pope’s scholarship integrates theorizing from social work community practice and implementation science to advance knowledge on social innovation on aging. Illustrating this expertise, Pope’s three-paper dissertation explored the implementation and sustainability of age-friendly initiatives as community interventions on aging. Her dissertation used qualitative and quantitative approaches to develop insights into community-centered social change processes among age-friendly initiatives in New Jersey. Specifically, her dissertation studied the ways older adult leaders work toward age-friendly social change, the relational networks of interorganizational partnerships on aging (through social network analysis), and the ways age-friendly work continues and evolves from communities across systems levels. Pope’s research spans 12 peer-reviewed articles in top journals of aging and social work, in addition to 40 academic presentations and invited talks. Her teaching experience includes methods-related course instruction at the doctoral level, guest lectures, workshop presentations, and mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students.
RESEARCH INTERESTS Community interventions and public sector innovations on aging Age-friendly systems change and capacity building Macro social work practice and implementation science Community-engaged and action research
TOWARD A MORE JUST FUTURE.
EDUCATION PhD In Social Work Rutgers University Master of Science of Social Work University of Louisville Master of Business Administration University of Louisville BA, Middle Eastern Studies and Religion
Center College
GET TO KNOW Natalie Natalie.pope@rutgers.com
Nora Sullivan, MDiv, MSW PhD Candidate Dissertation: Faith and Housing First: A MultiMethod Examination of Federally Funded, Faith-Based Organizations Operating Housing First Programs.
STATEMENT Nora Sullivan, MDiv, MSW brings an interdisciplinary perspective to housing and homelessness research, grounded in ministerial and social work training and a decade of experience in faith-based and homeless services, research, and community advocacy. She holds master’s degrees in divinity and social work and is completing a PhD at the Rutgers School of Social Work, with expected completion in Spring 2027. Her methodological training includes qualitative and mixed methods, ethnography, and community-based participatory research. Her scholarship centers on faith-based approaches to ending homelessness, with particular attention to evidence-based practices such as the Housing First model. Nora examines the ways faith communities can contribute to equitable homeless service provision and housing development. Her dissertation examines the intersection of faith and Housing First among service providers, while her broader research addresses health and homelessness, harm reduction, palliative and end-of-life care, and the needs of historically marginalized communities. A deeply collaborative scholar, Nora has developed extensive relationships with housing, homelessness, harm reduction, and faith-based organizations locally and nationally. Her work has led to invitations to speak at prominent academic and public forums, including the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a leadership role with the National Faith Coalition to End Homelessness. Her commitment to equity extends to teaching, mentorship, and public service. She has mentored and taught students from middle school to the master’s level and brings a relational, justice-centered approach to teaching. She has also led antiracism initiatives within the Rutgers Social Work PhD program and advocated for graduate workers around housing and rental justice. Her interdisciplinary training, research experience, collaborative networks, and commitment to community-engaged scholarship position her to contribute meaningfully to social work and social policy education, research, and practice.
RESEARCH INTERESTS Faith-based social services Homelessness Housing First End-of-life care Harm reduction Community organizing
TOWARD A MORE JUST FUTURE.
EDUCATION Master of Social Work Rutgers University Master of Divinity Harvard Divinity School BA, International Relations, Religion Drake University
GET TO KNOW Nora Nora.sullivan@rutgers.com
Melanie Yu, PhD, MSW Dissertation: Refugee reciprocity as a critical apparatus for reimagining resettlement work: A qualitative examination of refugee reciprocity and solidarity.
STATEMENT Melanie Yu received her Ph.D. from Rutgers University School of Social Work program in October 2025. She also holds a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University (May 2020) and a Master of Education from Teachers College, Columbia University (May 2020). Throughout her doctoral studies, she served as the full-time director of an intensive case management program for refugees. Her direct service experience, as both a case manager and director for an intensive case management program, deeply informed her scholarly trajectory and played a critical role in shaping the focus and development of her dissertation research and academic portfolio. In this capacity, she also supervised other social work students completing their fieldwork requirements. Utilizing artifact elicitation and interviews with refugees and refugee-serving staff members, Mel employed a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore and understand the concept of reciprocity (giving and receiving help) within a refugee community. Her dissertation, entitled Refugee Reciprocity as a Critical Apparatus for Reimagining Resettlement Work: A Qualitative Examination of Refugee Reciprocity and Solidarity, generated a working mid-range theory that illustrates how reciprocity functions and manifests in different refugee contexts. To date, she has published seven peer-review articles, including one as first author. In addition to her research, she serves as an adjunct instructor in the RUSSW master’s program where she has taught Diversity and Oppression and Social Work with Refugees and Immigrants. She continues to work directly with refugee and immigrant communities through her ongoing role as the director of Refugee Health Promotion for refugee and immigrant communities.
RESEARCH INTERESTS Refugee and immigration policy Reciprocity, social support, and mutual aid Refugee peer services Qualitative research methods
TOWARD A MORE JUST FUTURE.
EDUCATION
PhD In Social Work Rutgers University
Master of Social Work Rutgers University Master of Arts, Education Teachers College, Columbia University BA, Psychology Rutgers University
GET TO KNOW MELANIE melanieroseyu@gmail.com
STELLA ZHU, MSW, PhD Candidate Dissertation: Understanding reproductive choices and pregnancy outcomes of transition-age youth in foster care: A mixed-method study.
STATEMENT Stella Zhu is a PhD candidate at Rutgers University School of Social Work. She holds an MSW from the University of Maryland and is a Licensed Master Social Worker in Maryland. A mixed- methods scholar at the intersection of reproductive justice and child welfare, she explores how institutional conditions shape reproductive and parenting decisions. Her dissertation, Understanding reproductive choices and pregnancy outcomes of transition-age youth in foster care: A mixed-method study, theorizes foster care as a reproductive context. Integrating linked child welfare and Medicaid records with qualitative interviews, she connects pregnancy patterns with young people’s accounts of the relationships, constraints, and meanings surrounding reproductive decisions in care. Her dissertation is supported by the Society of Family Planning’s 2026 Emerging Scholar in Family Planning award. In addition to her dissertation, Stella conducts qualitative analyses of patients’ embodied experiences of motherhood following fetal diagnosis and examines how service barriers constrain child welfare workers’ practice. She has published three peer-reviewed articles, including a first-authored article in Qualitative Health Research on data integrity in online qualitative research, and has two additional manuscripts under review. Stella has taught Evaluation of Social Work Practice and Programs and Methods of Social Work Research in Rutgers’ MSW program, with experience in both in-person and asynchronous online instruction. Her teaching emphasizes making research accessible and applicable to social work practice.
RESEARCH INTERESTS Reproductive justice and adolescent sexual health Youth transitioning out of foster care Child welfare-impacted families and service access Medically complicated pregnancies and decision-making
TOWARD A MORE JUST FUTURE.
EDUCATION Master of Social Work University of Maryland Baltimore Bachelor of Arts Human Development RUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
GET TO KNOW Stella yz1287@ssw.rutgers.edu