University of Georgia School of Social Work PhD Program Viewbook 2019-2020

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO APPLY

PHD PROGRAM

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WELCOME FROM THE DEAN WE ARE COMMITTED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE A MESSAGE FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR THE MISSION OF THE PHD PROGRAM MEET THE FACULTY COMPETITIVE FUNDING! WHAT OUR CURRENT STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE PROGRAM PHD STUDENT RESEARCH PHD GRADUATES THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BIRTHPLACE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ATHENS, GEORGIA - A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

PhD students Luis Alvarez-Hernandez and Mariam Fatehi at the 2019 School of Social Work end of the year celebration.

WELCOME

View a short welcome message from Dean Scheyett on YouTube.

from the Dean

Welcome to the University of Georgia School of Social Work! As social workers, we are passionate about finding solutions to social problems and promoting well-being and social justice. As social work educators, we are looking for people who share this passion.

Social work is a powerful and rigorous profession that confronts many of the 21st century’s biggest societal challenges. Through practice, policy, and research, social workers address issues such as mental illness, substance misuse, child welfare, trauma, discrimination, community disempowerment, and poverty.

The School of Social Work is dedicated to preparing skilled and culturally responsive social work scholars to be leaders in addressing these social challenges.

We do this through an emphasis on dynamic research, excellence in teaching, and commitment to community service. This is why our school integrates rigorous research methodologies with a community-based social justice focus and emphasis on evidence-based practices.

The PhD program provides the professional social worker the opportunity to gain advanced training in scientific research and program evaluation skills under the guidance of faculty who are nationally recognized in their areas of study. The program provides intensive mentoring, promotes student productivity and publication, and supports students as they present their work at national and international conferences.

Our Athens campus is located in a beautifully renovated, 19th century textile mill on the banks of the North Oconee River. We are walking distance to the Tate Student Center, Zell B. Miller Learning Center and the Main Library, and near both downtown Athens and the East Athens community.

Please come visit us and see all that we have to offer. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions or thoughts about opportunities for collaborations that further our mission.

Anna Scheyett Dean and Professor amscheye@uga.edu, (706) 542-5424

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THE UGA SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK IS COMMITTED TO

SOCIAL JUSTICE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK FACULTY STATEMENT ON SOCIAL JUSTICE At the UGA School of Social Work, we believe social justice occures when systems of all sizes (individuals, families, communities) are able to safely and dependably to obtain the civil and human rights and resources they need to thrive. These include but are not limited to health; economic growth; social rights, equity, and inclusion; safety; freedom to move about the world; social support; food security; a clean environment; education; employment; childcare and housing. Eliminating social injustice is central to our work as social workers, requires brave and

assertive action and effort, and must be present in all we do and say. The School of Social Work advocates for social justice by fighting for the rights of people and communities, particularly those who have experienced marginalization, stigma, discrimination and oppression in any form. We partner with communities in Georgia and around the world to embrace and speak truth to power and privilege and to promote change for social justice in our classrooms, our research and our service.

Approved unanimously by the faculty of the School of Social Work on September 15, 2017

To learn more about the UGA School of Social Work’s commitment to social justice, check out our Social Justice Wanted magazine and/or visit the Center for Social Justice, Human and Civil Rights website.

Laurie Anderson, UGA School of Social Work

School of Social Work students at the 2018 Social Justice Symposium, Athens, GA 11 3

A MESSAGE

from the PhD Program Director

Thank you so much for your interest in our PhD program here in the UGA School of Social Work!

Here are some important things to consider when “Thinking UGA” and the PhD. Our program: •

Emphasizes community engaged scholarship and exemplifies a sustained commitment to social justice;

• Boasts nationally and internationally recognized faculty with innovative and expansive areas of expertise

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Has a diverse student body that brings a wide variety of experiences and interests;

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Provides excellent financial support in the form of research and teaching assistantships;

Provides opportunities to participate in faculty driven and independent research and publish in top tier refereed journals; and

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Provides opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship within a robust program of study;

Provides multiple graduate certificate opportunities including gerontology, women’s studies, qualitative studies, quantitative methods, and nonprofit management and leadership.

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Provides a rich and nurturing research environment;

If you have any questions about our PhD program, School, the university, or would like to visit our campus, please feel free to contact us at sswphd@uga.edu or 706-542-5461.

Thank you again for “Thinking UGA!” We hope to hear from you soon.

Y. Joon Choi, PhD PhD Program Director and Associate Professor choiyj@uga.edu, 706-542-0844

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CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO APPLY

The

MISSION

of the University of Georgia School of Social Work PhD Program, founded in 1990, is preparing social work scholars to situate their teaching and research in history, philosophy, and theories of social work and social welfare, with two-fold emphasis: (1) Producing scholars who have the capacity to work interdisciplinarily through an epistemologically diverse, research-intensive program of study, and (2) producing social work educators through instructional and mentored experiential learning opportunities.

To learn more about the PhD program’s mission and objectives on research and teaching visit our website at SSWPHD.UGA.EDU.

Why choose UGA?

Check out this video from the UGA Graduate School.

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MEET THE

FACULTY TENURED, TENURE TRACK AND CLINICAL

Our faculty members are respected and recognized scholars and teachers who have engaged in innovative research on some of the most pressing problems we face today— racism, poverty, mental health, addiction, trauma, health disparities, immigrant and refugee rights, aging, and many others. They both engage in rigorous research and mentor future generations of social work practitioners and scholars.

Click on any of the faculty members’ pictures to link to their SSW faculty web page which includes a short biography, research interests and CV.

ADRIENNE BALDWIN-WHITE Assistant Professor

Y. JOON CHOI

Associate Professor PhD Program Director

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JENAY BEER

JAVIER BOYAS

HAROLD BRIGGS

Assistant Professor School of Social Work & College of Public Health

Associate Professor MSW Program Director

Pauline M. Berger Professor in Family & Child Welfare

LLEWELLYN CORNELIUS

ALLISON DUNNIGAN

JENNIFER ELKINS

Donald L. Hollowell Distinguished Professor, CSJ Director, Caribbean Study Away Program Director

Assistant Professor

Associate Professor MSW/JD Program Coordinator

ROSALYN DENISE CAMPBELL Associate Professor

RACHEL FUSCO

Associate Professor, Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Health & Wellbeing

MARY CAPLAN

Associate Professor

JEREMY GIBBS

Assistant Professor

JUNE GARY HOPPS Thomas M. Parham Professor of Family & Children Studies

KRISTINA JASKYTE Associate Professor

SHARI MILLER

KATE MORRISSEY

ANNA SCHEYETT

TIFFANY WASHINGTON

Associate Professor & STAHL Associate Dean Clinical Assistant Professor

Dean & Professor

Associate Professor Ghana Study Away Director

TONY LOWE

Associate Professor

ANTHONY MALLON Clinical Associate Professor INPO Director, MA NML Program Director

ORION MOWBRAY LARRY NACKERUD Associate Professor Director of Research

Professor

REBECCA MATTHEW

JANE MCPHERSON

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Global Engagement Director

DAVID OKECH

MICHAEL ROBINSON

Associate Professor

Associate Professor MSW Admissions Coordinator Northen Ireland Study Away Director

REBECCA WELLS Clinical Assistant Professor MSW/MPH Program Coordinator

Check out the UGA School of Social Work 2018-2019 Research Review, a compendium of recent faculty and doctoral student research activity.

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COMPETITIVE

FUNDING GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS Prospective PhD students admitted to the School of Social Work will be offered FOUR YEARS OF GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP FUNDING FOR FULL-TIME STUDY. Students receiving funding will be awarded the Dean’s Research Assistantantship Award in the first and second year of the PhD program, and in the third and fourth year, a teaching assistantship.

In subsequent years of study, students may apply for various teaching, graduate, and/or research assistantships, either in the SSW, another department at UGA, or through extramural funding, which provide equivalent stipends and tuition waivers, on a semesterby-semester basis.

CLICK HERE for additional financial assistance information.

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Following are just a few of the numerous extramural awards that our PhD students received during the 2018-2019 academic year. Click the links to learn more about the award!

Southern Regional Education Board’s Doctoral Scholars Program Award and Doctoral Dissertation Award Pre-Dissertation Fellowship by the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work Asian and Pacific Islander Social Work Educators Association Doctoral Fellowship

AWARDS

Minority Fellowship for Doctoral Students by the Council on Social Work Education

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & 9

Read what our current

PHD STUDENTS are saying about the program

Click on any of the student pictures on these pages to view their online profiles.

“The SSW PhD program at UGA provided me with the resources and support I needed to become a much stronger researcher, writer, and scholar. I’ve had many opportunities to publish and present my research and am grateful for the mentorship that I have received from faculty and peers alike.”

Katherine Gower, 3rd Year Student

“As a bilingual and Latinx PhD student, it has been encouraging to see the diversity of the students and faculty in the program. I am constantly receiving support from the School of Social Work and other departments on campus as I conduct research and present at conferences.”

Luis Alvarez-Hernandez, 2nd Year Student

To learn more about our current students and recent graduates, visit the Student Profile section of our web site.

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“I have received extensive mentorship from faculty and support from my peers during my studies in the doctoral program. I have had the opportunity to work on numerous publications and conference presentations. As an international student, I really appreciate the diversity and welcoming environment at UGA.” Abha Rai, ABD*

“Being a student in the UGA Social Work Program has been an enriching and motivational experience. The program leadership, faculty, and support staff have provided me with the resources necessary to succeed in both the classroom and throughout my research endeavors; all while fostering professional and personal growth.”

George Mois, 3rd Year Student

“After a remarkable career in direct practice, UGA School of Social Work offers an academic program that values my field experience and rigorously challenges me to grow as a researcher and educator. I am grateful for this journey of critical reflection and opportunities for generating new knowledge in social work.”

Shena Leverett Brown, ABD

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*ABD - All But Dissertation

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PHD STUDENT

RESEARCH

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Doctoral students at the UGA School of Social Work are engaged in research that explore various issues of great relevance to our communities, all of which affect diverse populations at the individual, organizational and/or policy levels.

What the UGA School of Social Work PhD students learn from their research will advance not only our knowledge on these issues, but also have tremendous implications for social work practice, policy, education and research.

PhD student George Mois and volunteer Phyllis Hamilton put an interactive companion through its paces in the Assistive Robotics Technology Lab at UGA. In collaboration with Jenay Beer, assistant professor in social work and public health, Mois is conducting research in assistive technology to improve the quality of life for older adults, children and at-need populations.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

Photo by Laurie Anderson/UGA School of Social Work

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STUDENT RESEARCH

TOPICS

INCLUDE:

MENTAL HEALTH  ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM  DISABILITY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS & COMMUNITY ORGANIZING TRAUMA AND VIOLENCE  RURAL SOCIAL WORK AGING  IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES

What’s wrong with these pictures?

Statham, GA Urban/Metropolitan

Danielsville, GA Urban/Metropolitan

Lexington, GA Urban/Metropolitan 14

There are over 75 federal definitions of rural, which can lead to discrepancies in funding, resource allocation, and health research. But how do you define rural? Take a 4-question survey by clicking the link below!

Survey has completed.

Approved by UGA’s IRB | elisa.childs@uga.edu

PhD candidate Joel Izlar (ABD) is working on a case study examining how the “Really Really Free Market” functions as a vehicle for alternative social services, community organizing and protest against waste. The market is an experiment in gift economics, where resources are shared (food, goods, and services) at no cost (money, trading, and bartering is not allowed).

Map of Los Angeles County census tracts depicting clusters of high and low incidence rates of child maltreatment in 2015.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and California Child Welfare Indicators Project

Tenesha Littleton (ABD) is exploring how the geographic availability of housing affordability is related to neighborhood child maltreatment rates.

Using data from the U.S. Census, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the California Child Welfare Indicators Project, she utilizes a cross-sectional ecological design and employs spatial analysis for this research.

What is “rural”? Second year PhD student Elisa M. Childs and Associate Professor Dr. Javier Boyas teamed up to “define rural” with a 4-question survey.

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MEET OUR

GRADUATES

The UGA School of Social Work community extends beyond Athens, Georgia through the research and accomplishments of our diverse PhD alumni. These graduates are thought leaders in both academia and other settings, such as government agencies, independent research centers, and the military, in finding solutions for social problems and in promoting social justice for the most vulnerable individuals, families and communities.

A complete list of the UGA School of Social Work PhD graduates, along with dissertation titles, committee members and recent dissertation abstracts may be found on our web site.

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Doctor of

2019 Spring/summer PhD graduates.

L-R: Junghee Bae, PhD, Porter F. Jennings, PhD, Lindsey R. Disney, PhD, Dana R. Dillard, PhD, and Amanda D. Ham, PhD Not pictured, Yolanda Machado-Escudero, PhD, and Eunhye Kim, PhD

CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON HOW TO APPLY

Philosophy

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SHERINAH K . SAASA PhD ‘18

Assistant Professor Brigham Young University School of Social Work

“My doctoral experience at UGA deepened my commitment to principles of social justice and equity, expanded my ability to generate knowledge, and fueled my desire to move social welfare policies and social work education forward.”

Sherinah Saasa is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Brigham Young University. Her research centers on African immigrant adjustment in the U.S., and international child welfare with a focus on the intersection of poverty, education inequality, gender-based discrimination and HIV/AIDS on the outcomes of vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa.

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XIAOCHUAN WANG PhD ‘18

Assistant Professor University of Central Florida School of Social Work

“The rigorous trainings in theories, philosophies and research methods, plus the intensive and supportive research culture, as well as interdisciplinary inspirations offered by the UGA doctoral program helped me to clearly identify my research interests, refine my research agenda, and strengthen my research capabilities.”

Xiaochuan (Sharon) Wang is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at University of Central Florida. Her research interests center on mental health and aging. Specifically, her research looks at the influence of support networks on mental health, and individual and structural factors of mental service underutilization, with a focus on new immigrants. She also explores how intersectionality may affect well-being and successful aging among older adults.

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STEPHE N V. M CGARITY PhD ‘18

Assistant Professor University of Tennessee School of Social Work, Nashville

“I had access to some of the best and brightest faculty in our field.

Through those professors, I was challenged to hone my research skills, develop a compelling research program, and tackle some of the most persistent and emerging social problems of our time.

All of that in one of the best cities in the South!”

Stephen McGarity’s research looks at how to increase access to mainstream financial products and build financial literacy among that population. He is also working on developing a smart phone app for people with disabilities that will provide financial literacy training, offer access information on tax-advantaged savings accounts, and connect users with local nonprofits that can help with financial planning.

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NICOLE A. CO RL E Y PhD ‘17

Assistant Professor Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work

“As a result of my experiences at the UGA SSW, both my research and teaching demonstrate my commitment to practice, liberatory and transformative social justice.”

Nicole Corley’s research focuses on the academic experiences of black students from single-mother homes.

Corley’s research explores the intersections of resilience, resistance, and racial socialization as a means to better understand the academic experiences of black students and their families. Her research departs from the deficit orientation, or disparity data, that focuses on under-achievement, toward an understanding of the factors and processes that contribute to the strengths and academic success of black students.

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J. LLOY D AL L E N PhD ‘17

Assistant Professor Wayne State University School of Social Work

“Faculty members were willing to work collaboratively with students on various research projects often resulting in multiple journal article publications coupled with national and international conference presentations.”

J. Lloyd Allen is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Wayne State University. His current research focuses on parent-child communications with self-identified gay males. He has published several articles on African-Americans in academia, female social workers, substance use among gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, and evaluated Canadian schools of social work.

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D EBRA LU BAR PhD ‘13

Deputy Director for Management and Operations National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, Georgia

“The growth I experienced as part of the program prepared me to lead public health and public policy activities that support health and well-being around the world.”

Debra Lubar has led CDC’s Office of Appropriations, working closely with the White House and Congress on CDC’s budget and related policies. This included efforts to support emergency responses that saved lives around the world during the Ebola and Zika outbreaks. Her current position is part of the Senior Executive Service, leading infectious disease policy, communications and management activities, and helping to translate public health research into policies and programs that improve health around the world.

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ATHLETICS

LIBRARIES

The ARCH

UGA Mascot UGA X Welcome to the

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA UGA Traditions THE CHAPEL BELL

VISIT OUR CAMPUS

Click on any of the above pictures to learn more about UGA

The Birthplace of Public Higher Education in America CLICK HERE TO APPLY 24

The University of Georgia, a land-grant and sea-grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities, is the state’s largest, oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education. Its motto, “to teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things,” reflects the University’s integral and unique role in the conservation and enhancement of the state’s and nation’s intellectual, cultural, and environmental heritage.

— from the Mission of the University of Georgia

THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA . . .

was chartered by the Georgia General Assembly Jan. 27, 1785. It is America’s first statechartered university and the birthplace of the American system of public higher education.

was ranked 16th among public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 “Best Colleges” edition and 13th on Kiplinger Magazine’s 2019 “100 Best Values among Public Colleges and Universities.”

has approximately 1,600 graduate faculty who are highly regarded for their scholarship and research, with many receiving prestigious national and international honors, prizes and awards.

libraries are ranked among the nation’s best research libraries with a total of 5.2 million volumes and one of the nation’s largest map collections.

is home of the Peabody Awards, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Georgia Museum of Art, and Georgia Museum of Natural History.

The university’s athletic programs — 21 varsity athletic teams competing as the Georgia Bulldogs — are among the most successful in NCAA Division I, and its English bulldog mascot, Uga, consistently ranks as one of the nation’s most recognizable mascots.

Hairy Dawg 25

ATHENS, GEORGIA A great place to live!

Warmly referred to as the “Classic City,� Athens is a reflection of the New South, filled with southern charm while progressively developing in cultural and industrial areas. Athens provides all the luxuries and convenience of a booming metropolitan area without the urban congestion and cost. Great restaurants, art museums, performance venues, recreational opportunities, historic sights, a diverse population, and of course Georgia Bulldog athletics make Athens an exciting place to live.

Athens is also world-renowned for its vibrant music scene. It is the birthplace of R.E.M., Widespread Panic, the B-52s, and countless other bands on the rise.

Living in Athens is relatively low cost compared to other cities of its size. One of the many cost of living comparison calculators on the Internet can help you determine if living in Athens could save you money. And Athens is only 70 miles from all that the capital city of Atlanta has to offer!

To learn more about Athens, go to VisitAthensGA.com.

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ATHENS The Classic City 27

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