Summer Commencement August 16, 2025
Our Vision
A Better Society Through Individual and Social Change
Our Mission
Advancing the social work profession’s vision and values, the University of Michigan School of Social Work seeks to develop a more equitable, caring and socially just society. Such a society meets basic human needs, eliminates social and economic inequities and empowers individuals, their communities and institutions to reach their aspirations and potential. Drawing on an interdisciplinary faculty within a public university seated in a region of enormous need and promise, the School is dedicated to education, research and service that fosters progressive change at local, national and global levels.
Land Acknowledgment
We acknowledge that the University of Michigan, named for Michigami, the world’s largest freshwater system and located in the Huron River watershed, was formed and has grown through connections with the land stewarded by Niswi Ishkodewan Anishinaabeg --the Three Fires People, who are the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi--along with their neighbors, the Seneca, Delaware, Shawnee, and Wyandot nations.
Order of Exercises
Processional
Jordan Schug Quartet
Marshals
Brooke Buys
LEO Lecturer
Priscilla Cortez
LEO Lecturer
Greer Hamilton
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Sue Ann Savas
Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work
Welcome and Introductions
Beth Angell
Dean and Professor of Social Work
Land Acknowledgment
Beth Angell
Dean and Professor of Social Work
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami
Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services - University of Michigan
Student Speakers
Bridget Ann Baiardi-Gormely
MSW Degree Candidate
Oksana Hirchak
MSW Degree Candidate
Presentation of MSW Graduates
Readers
Zaynab Boussi
Hooders
Field Faculty and LEO Lecturer
Justin Hodge
Daicia R. Price Field Educator & LEO Lecturer
Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work
Robert M. Ortega, Associate Professor
Hooders
Lydia Li
Readers
Professor of Social Work
Daniel J. Fischer
Erin Martinez-Gilliard
LEO Lecturer
Assistant Dean of Field Education & Clinical Assistant Professor
Closing Remarks
Beth Angell
M. Antonio”Tony” Alvarez, LEO Lecturer II
Dean and Professor of Social Work
Alumni Welcome
Recessional
Jordan Schug Quartet
Judy Levick, Alumni Board of Governors
Closing Remarks
Lynn Videka, Dean
“Hail to the Victors”
Led by Anna Ladd, Auriella “A.J.” Lewis,
Laura Nord and
Maryam Tout
Recessional
Jordan Schug Quartet
Commencement ceremonies have been the site of free expression and peaceful protest for decades at the University of Michigan. The University does not attempt to prevent peaceful protests or other speech protected under the First Amendment.
Today’s ceremony is a way to honor our graduates’ accomplishments and celebrate their hard work. The School uplifts the values of social work, which includes holding space for different opinions and the opportunity for dialogue. Today and every day, we advocate for a safe and peaceful exchange of ideas and we encourage empathy, compassion and respect.
Cover Art
The Real Blue, 1998
Sam Gilliam b. 1933
Sam Gilliam is one of the great innovators in postwar American painting. He emerged from the Washington, D.C. scene in the mid 1960s with works that elaborated upon and disrupted the ethos of Color School painting. Gilliam abandoned the traditional frames and stretchers used in painting. Instead he chose to loosely drape and suspend his paint stained canvases from the walls and ceiling.
Gilliam’s The Real Blue is a four-piece ceiling installation commissioned for the School of Social Work’s lower level and is a centerpiece of its art collection.
Dear Graduates,
Congratulations! We are thrilled to celebrate your hard work and dedication together with your friends, families and loved ones.
In pursuit of your MSW, you have gained the skills, knowledge and training to make a difference in the lives of others. You are effective, practiced facilitators and leaders who know how to take a stand, address injustice and engage the community. As you begin the next chapter of your lives, remember that education is a lifelong process. Keep in touch with your faculty and classmates and keep listening and learning from your clients and colleagues.
University of Michigan social work graduates have a reputation for their expertise, dedication and achievement. Today you join 18,000+ alumni who lead the field as policymakers, agency directors and foundation leaders, who improve lives as accomplished and effective social workers. We look forward to hearing how you apply your talents for the good of people and communities.
You have earned the term “the leaders and best.” On behalf of the Michigan Social Work community, I wish you every success as you reach out, raise hope and change society.
Go Blue,
Beth Angell Dean and Professor of Social Work
About Our Keynote Speaker
Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami
Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami is the Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services at the University of Michigan, where he oversees the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, and is the founding director of the Adaptive Sports & Fitness program. He is also an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Urology and Orthopaedic Surgery.
“Dr. O” was born in Nigeria before immigrating to the U.S. at a young age. He attended high school at Deerfield Academy and college at Stanford University where he also ran track and field, serving as captain his last two seasons and achieving Academic All-American recognition.
He then earned his MD from the University of Michigan before matching into orthopedic surgery at Yale. At the beginning of his third year, he experienced a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him from the chest down. After two surgeries and intense rehabilitation, he was blessed with some return of motor function, and navigates the world as a proud wheelchair user, managing the other long-term sequelae of an incomplete cervical spinal cord injury.
He has been featured on “CBS News,” “PBS News Hour” and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” He speaks around the country on creating a health system that is accessible to and inclusive of both patients and providers with disabilities, and providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities in higher education.
He is passionate about adaptive sports and fitness, striving to provide access to physical fitness and inclusive recreational and competitive sports for all. He coined the catch phrase, “Disabusing Disability,” hoping to demonstrate that DISability doesn’t mean INability.
About Our Student Speaker
Bridget Ann Baiardi-Gormely MSW ‘25
Bridget Ann Baiardi-Gormely (she/her) is graduating with her Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, where she focused on clinical social work and trauma across the lifespan.
During her time at U-M, Baiardi-Gormely served as a career counselor intern at the Center for the Education of Women+, supporting nontraditional students through career transitions, job loss and identity shifts. She has also worked as a community advocate at Michigan Humane, where she connected clients in Detroit with resources for both their pets and themselves, deepening her commitment to equity and small-scale, meaningful impact.
Baiardi-Gormely is passionate about trauma-informed care, and plans to become a licensed trauma therapist specializing in EMDR, animal-assisted therapy and grief work. She hopes to create space for people and animals to heal in compassionate, creative ways.
In her free time, Baiardi-Gormely is an aspiring poet, an iced coffee enthusiast and a proud cat mom to six very loved cats. She would like to thank her boyfriend, Jacob, and the rest of her family and friends for all of their support!
About Our Student Speaker
Oksana Hirchak MSW ‘25
Oksana Hirchak (she/her) is an international student originally from Ukraine. She has been living in the U.S. since August 2021. Hirchak began her journey in Iowa where she completed an associate degree at community college and a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Iowa. She also holds a master’s degree in history from Ivan Franko University of Lviv in Ukraine. Before coming to Michigan, Hirchak worked for a non-profit in western Massachusetts.
At U-M, Hirchak was a 12-month student in the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway. She also earned a Graduate Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Hirchak completed her field placement at Charron Services, where she facilitated groups for male perpetrators of domestic abuse and violence. She also worked at Michigan Medicine, collaborating with the Physicians for Human Rights team to develop and refine professional training materials focused on documenting torture and abuse.
Hirchak previously lived in Beijing, China, where she taught English to adults. She loves traveling and exploring different cultures. Hirchak believes her social work degree opens the door to many meaningful opportunities and plans to begin by pursuing clinical licensure and becoming a therapist.
School of Social Work
MSW Graduates
Daniella Acosta
Hanah Isabel Allen
Elisa Alvarez-Martinez
Joel Anderson
Riley Annear
Iliana Argueta
Annika Faye Arney
Allissa Ash
Alexandria Elisabeth Bageris
Bridget Ann Baiardi-Gormely
Freddie Baker
Anya Baldus
Ava Isabella Bargas
Faith Bartnik
Miracle Baynes
Charlotte Elaine Bazydlo
Ali Bilal Bazzi
Sunshine Berglund
Tetiana Bilous
Elaine Blum
Adela Bogdanic
Kelly Bozyk
Mary Mae Bradshaw
Bridget Brady
Lina Breland
Andrew Vincent Brown
Grace Viola Brunton
Erin Burgess
Joshua Richard Campbell
Katelyn Melissa Ann Campbell
Olivia Jane Campochiaro
Kyle Caskey
Andy Gabriel Checo
Lisa Cole
Ella Marie Cotton
Jordyn Coury
Emerald Cox
Kimberly Rose Daley
Corinna De Vries
Jen Benes Denzin
Sunita Dhawan
Sophie Di Rita
Brent Doornbos
Barbara Annie Draheim
Hailey Eichner
Autumn Eno-Klingler
Charlie Benjamin Everhart
Angelina Wasim Fadhil
Anna Lillian Fitzpatrick
Winnona Flowers-Murch
Arturo Fonseca Andere
Allison Marie Franklin
Elena Fromer
Zihao Ge
Athena Dove Gillespie
Brady Goode
Kendra Grafenauer
Logan Gray
Benjamin Joseph Gregg
Hailey Gross
Taylor David Haglund
Kayla Harding
School of Social Work
MSW Graduates
Anna Marie Harrell
Falon LaBree Harris
Jeromy Harris
Zahraa Hassoun
Courtney Hausner
Nadim J Y Hazboun
Jillian Heemer
Molly Anne Helminen
Megan Elizabeth Hieronymus
Jennifer Hight
Oksana Hirchak
Madison Glyn Holmes
Keji Hou
Shaun Michael Jessmon
Courtney Jones
Serena Sam Kas-Mikha
Aubrey Kim
Hana Kisswani
Danielle Klein
Lauren Kler
Madelyn Koshay
Ashley Anne Krause
Ry Kron
Kristine Krueger
Rachel Kruman
Jennifer Krzeczkowski
Rukia Kufakunoga
Isabella Maria Lamacchia
Lucille Lawrence
Shannon Layton
Desirae Legg
Jennifer Linsenmeyer
Caroline Lohr
Katrina Macphee
Maddison Loraine Mahar
Iris Mapes
Nicholas Adam Martin
Vishaal Mathews
Meredith Helen McConnell
Brianna Shawnta McCray
Allie McDonald
Brianna Meche
Ezekiel Medina
Alison Medlin
Grace Mersino
Carly Miyamoto
Anna Mogill
Jerome Montgomery
Jade Moros
Taylor Gabrielle Morson
Leah Morton
Michael Mosley
Katherine Rosalie Mullany
Haley J. Muter
Reagan Nadai
Eva Rose Nadler
Ayah Ahmed-Wafaa Naga
Kathleen Elizabeth Neill
Cayley Nelson
Marissa Neveau
Amber Lauren Newton
Marilyn Nguyen
School of Social Work
MSW Graduates
Chrissy O’Donnell
Madison Rose Oltersdorf
Alicia Paans
LeighAnna Marie Passeno
Gargi Patel
Lindsey Patrick
Nikeisha Paynter-Bridges
Grace Jennifer Perreault
Julia Rhiannon Plawker
Grace Portenga
Liberty Quijas
Noelle Rager
Sadia Raza
Caitlin Rose Renner
Alexis Ried
Jessica Riley
Rebecca Robinson
Aysia Rodriguez
Heather Lynn Rogers
Maggie Lynn Roop
Elizabeth Ryan
Neeka Safdari
Mariam Amelia Salmassi
Zachary Grady Sessa
Alexis Smith
Eleanor Brigida Frances Smith
Elise Renee Smith
Jessica Smith
Kyra Smith
Logan Smith
Sarah Snow
Roxy Mashkawiziikwe Sprowl
Maggie Sterling
Kay Stevens
Aidan Stickles
Emma Marie Strand
Claire Stubbs
Dominic Sweeney
Nan Tang
Mary Mee Thao
Molly Marie Timmerman
Mary Vallee
Kaitlinn Trisha-Marie Vallely
Lizet Villarreal Bello
Dana Walker
Gabrielle Weber
RheaAnn Pauline Weber
Amanda Rosemary Webster
Siena Weisbrodt
Amy Whitebell
Briana Lynn Williams
Ryan Williams
Elizabeth Fay Wingard
Madeleine Reidy Witt
Caroline Wolverton
Kory Woods
Sydney Woods
Tara-Sky Woodward
Tyler Young
Alexa Zarnick
School of Social Work
Dual Degree MSW Graduates
Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Bridget Brady
Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health
Ezekiel Medina
Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health
Julia Rhiannon Plawker
Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability
Tara-Sky Woodward
School of Social Work Leadership
Dean
Beth Angell
Dean and Professor of Social Work
Associate Deans
Shawna Lee
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Social Work
Robert Ortega
Associate Dean for Educational Programs and Professor of Social Work
Katie Richards-Schuster
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Strategic Initiatives and Associate Professor of Social Work
Matthew Smith
Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Social Work
Assistant Dean
Timothy Colenback
Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management
School of Social Work Leadership
Directors
Abigail Eiler Director, Undergraduate Minor Programs and Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work
William Elliott III Director, Doctoral Programs and Social Science and Professor of Social Work
Karla Goldman Director, Jewish Communal Leadership Program and Sol Drachler Professor of Social Work
Barbara Hiltz Director, MSW Programs and Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work
Erin Khang Director, Field Education and Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work
Katie Lopez Director, Office of Global Activities and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor
Daicia Price Director, Flourish Program and Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work
Michelle Woods Director, MSW Student Career Services
Erin Zimmer Director, MSW Student Services
School of Social Work Faculty
Governing Faculty
Beth Angell
Odessa Gonzalez Benson
Lindsay Bornheimer
Linda Chatters
Candace Christensen
David Cordova
Fernanda Cross
Ashley Cureton
Katie Edwards
Ayesha Ghazi Edwin
Abigail Eiler
Willie Elliot
James Ellis
Katrina Ellis
Lisa Fedina
Terri Friedline
Joseph Gardella
Karla Goldman
Andy Grogan-Kaylor
Greer Hamilton
Jackie Hawkins
Todd Herrenkohl
Barb Hiltz
Joe Himle
Justin Hodge
Jennie Jester
Shanna Kattari
Erin Khang
Ashley Lacombe-Duncan
Shawna Lee
Lydia Li
Katie Maguire-Jack
Debbie Mattison
Patrick Meehan
Jamie Mitchell
Robert Ortega
Sunggeun Park
Brian Perron
Rogerio Pinto
Daicia Price
Camille Quinn
Leigh Rauk
Julie Ribaudo
Katie Richards-Schuster
Joe Ryan
Monica Sampson
Sue Ann Savas
Katie Schultz
Krisitin Seefeldt
Trina Shanks
Beth Sherman
Matt Smith
Rebeccah Sokol
Karen Staller
Connie Sung
Robert Taylor
Rich Tolman
Daphne Watkins
Addie Weaver
Lisa Wexler
Xiaoling Xiang
Mieko Yoshihama
Brad Zebrack
Anao Zhang
Field Faculty
Feyisetan Adunbi
Mona Berry
Zaynab Boussi
Amy Burandt
Miriam Connolly
Christina Dadswell
Rachel Naasko
Rosalva Osorio-Cooksy
Stacy Peterson
Nitesh Singh
Aimée Vantine
Emeritus
Paula Allen-Meares
Oscar Barbarin III
William Birdsall
Letha Chadiha
Barry Checkoway
Tom Croxton
Sandra Danziger
Ruth Dunkle
Kathleen Coulborn Faller
Sheila Feld
Phillip Fellin
Daniel Fischer
Larry Gant
Rose Gibson
Martha Gizynski
Lorraine Gutiérrez
Leslie Hollingsworth
Berit Ingersoll-Dayton
Srinika Jayaratne
Harold Johnson
Edith Kieffer
Sherrie Kossoudji
Laura Lein
Edith Lewis
Shirley Lockery
Susan McDonough
Sandra Momper
Thomas Powell
Beth Glover Reed
Lawrence Root
Mary Ruffolo
Daniel Saunders
Brett Seabury
Vivian Shapiro
Kristine Siefert
John Tropman
David Tucker
Diane Kaplan Vinokur
Elizabeth Voshel
Helen Weingarten
Lecturers
Cilene Adam-Rita
Feyisetan Adunbi
Daniel Alvarez
Gina Ambrogio
Richard Barinbaum
Alethia Battles
Anthany Beasley
Trevor Bechtel
Mona Berry
Zahraa Boussi
Amy Burandt
Brooke Buys
Mary Byrnes
Adisa Chaney
Marna Clowney-Robinson
Miriam Connolly
Rosalva Osorio Cooksy
Priscilla Cortez
Colleen Crane
Julie Cushman
Christina Dadswell
Bonnie Dockham
School of Social Work Faculty (cont.)
Kathleen Doyle
Linda Edwards-Brown
Kallie England
Elizabeth Evans
Antuan Featherstone
Beth Feldkamp
Sean de Four
Joseph Galura
Karyn Gendreau
Terri Gilbert
Tammie Glenn
Irena Glover
Kathryn Greening
Elizabeth Gumbis
Jennifer Heckendorn
Gregory Hoffman
Kathryn Irish
Vance Jackson Jr
Jennifer Jester
Camille Jones
Grace Helms Kotre
Jax Kynn
Jamie LaLonde
Marlanna Landeros
Eric Lock
Phillip Thomas Luttrell
Paula Madden
Douglas Manigault III
Kassandra Maple-Jackson
Erin Martinez-Gilliard
Aliyah Masudi
Nasreen Meah
Aimee Miller
Benjamin Moe
Rachel Naasko
Jennifer Nason
Maureen Okasinski
Ana Catalina Ormsby
Nichole Pangburn
Stacy Peterson
Mari Jan Pitcher
Susan Radzilowski
Kristal Reyes
Sadé Richardson
Osvaldo Rivera
Fatima Salman
Laura Sanders
Diana Seales
Nitesh Singh
Andrea Smith
Relando Thompkins
Jennifer Towns
Abigail Usher
Aimée Vantine
Paige Walker
Carmen Wargel
Stephen Wiland
Whitney Williams
Jewel Woods
Laura Yakas
Lacea Zavala
Candace Ziglor
Alumni Board
President Peggy Bodin, ‘98
Vice President
Sadé Mulkey, ‘18
Secretary
Joanne (Jo) Yaffe, MSW ’76, PhD ’88
School of Social Work Representatives
Beth Angell, Dean, Ex-officio
Halla Jomaa-Jouney, Executive
Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Ex-Officio
Constance (Connie) Ackert, ’83
Aroosa Ahmed, ’18
Sherra Bennett, ’17
Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, ’11
William (Bill) Cabin, ’04
Ann Baker Easley, ’80
Edward (Ed) Egnatios, ’75
Karen Fein, ’85
Janice (Jan) Fisher, ’75
Ashley Hails, ’19
Yuri Hernández Osorio, ’17
Gregory (Greg) Hoffman, ’13
Harry Hunter, ’77
Elizabeth Kinney, ’10
Deborah (Debby) Mitchell
Covington, ’88
Meagan Mitchell, ’12
Kathleen (Kathy) Pottick, MSW ’74, PhD ’82
Milton Rodriguez, ’97
Kelly Taylor, ’95
Kyra Weber, ’16
U-M Board of Regents
Jordan B. Acker
Michael J. Behm
Mark J. Bernstein
Paul W. Brown
Sarah Hubbard
Denise Ilitch
Carl J. Meyers
Katherine E. White
Thank You
Today’s beautiful graduation ceremony looks wonderful and effortless. In truth, the Graduation Committee and many additional people devoted a great deal of talent, time and effort to make it a success. This ceremony would not be possible without the creativity, dedication and hard work of the students, faculty and staff listed below.
Graduation Committee
Debra Mattison
Faculty Chair, Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work
Feyi Adunbi Field Faculty and LEO Lecturer
Amy Burandt Field Faculty and LEO Lecturer
Grant Clement, Recruitment, Admissions, and Student Services Officer (ex officio)
Beth Feldkamp Assistant Director of Student Services (ex officio)
Julie Gilbertsen
MSW Candidate
Michelle Gorton, OSS Office Manager (ex officio)
Falon Harris
MSW Candidate
Patrick Meehan Assistant Research Scientist and LEO Adjunct Lecturer
Holly Nelson
MSW Candidate
Madison Rzeppa
MSW Candidate
Renée Tambeau
Director of Marketing & Communications
Aimée Vantine, Field Faculty and LEO Lecturer
Erin Zimmer, Director for Student Services (ex officio)
Platform Party
Beth Angell
Tim Colenback
William Elliott
Harry Hunter
Erin Khang
Shawna Lee
Debra Mattison
Oluwaferanmi Okanlami
Robert Ortega
Katie Richards-Schuster
Matthew Smith
Readers
Justin Hodge
Zaynab Boussi
Hooders
Lydia Li
Erin Martinez-Gilliard
Marshals
Brooke Buys
Priscilla Cortez
Greer Hamilton
Sue Ann Savas
Sign Language Interpreters
Sabrina Boykin
Rachel Mazeppa
Commencement Reception
