USC Hamovitch P.I. Volume 2, Issue 2. Summer 2012 by University of Southern California

[ awards ]

BREKKE | from page 11 lots of our staff trained and clients served.” Marilyn Flynn, dean of the USC School of Social Work, has She noted that people with serious and persistent mental illness received the International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award for her efforts die an average of 20 years earlier than the general population, often to advance the public image of professional social work. The Sarnat because they face barriers to receiving physical health care that Award is given annually by the National Association of Social most patients don’t experience. Workers Foundation and includes a $3,000 cash award. For example, those suffering from a mental illness struggle to sit in a waiting room for 30 minutes, she said, a common occurrence Assistant professor Eric Rice has received in the health care system. The peer navigator has helped reduce the Early Career Award for 2012 from the those barriers, and Mandel credited its success to Brekke’s ability Society for Prevention Research’s Early to understand and accommodate the needs of her organization. Career Preventionist Network. This award “This kind of stuff helps save people’s lives,” she said. “It’s very, honors someone who has shown a commit- very pragmatic and useful, and I think that’s what makes it so ment to prevention science through out- unique. He doesn’t try to change who we are and what we do. He standing contributions to research, policy, tries to make us better.” t or practice.

Erick Guerrero, an assistant professor [ grants ] with the USC School of Social Work, has received the Mark Moses Distinguished Fellowship Award, given each year by the National Professor Suzanne Wenzel received a $487,752 grant from the Network for Social Work Managers to recognize outstanding prac- National Institute on Drug Abuse to develop an evidence-based titioners and academics in the field of social work management. intervention for HIV risk prevention among homeless women. The two-year project will involve focus groups with homeless Maria Aranda, an associate professor at women, service providers, and experts to help formulate an interthe USC School of Social Work and the vention that is highly accessible, effective, and can be translated USC Roybal Institute, was inducted as a into routine practice. fellow with the Gerontological Society of America as part of its Social Research, The National Institute of Child & Human Development Policy and Practice Section. Fellowship is awarded a $667,852 career development grant to Sonya Negriff, the highest level of membership within a research assistant professor, to explore the association between the GSA, the oldest and largest interdisonline social networks and risky behavior in maltreated adolesciplinary organization devoted to research, cents. The study will examine how social interaction on sites like education, and practice in the field of aging. Facebook can influence substance use and sexual behavior, with the ultimate goal of informing the development of intervention The International Monetary Fund selected professor Michálle and prevention practices. Mor Barak to deliver the keynote address at its recent conference on diversity, marking the first time a social work scholar has been A $25,000 grant from USC’s James H. selected for the honor. Zumberge Research and Innovation Fund will enable Kelly Turner, a research assisMichael Hurlburt, an assistant professor with the USC School tant professor, to test a new way of preof Social Work, has been named Public Citizen of the Year by paring students to work with veterans and the San Diego and Imperial County Chapter of the National other military clients. Turner’s proposal will Association of Social Workers. compare the effectiveness of role-playing versus the use of standardized patients in Clinical professor Ralph Fertig has been appointed to the City the development of key clinical skills. of Los Angeles’ Ethics Commission by City Controller Wendy Greuel. In his role as one of five commissioners, Fertig will help administer and enforce city ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying laws to ensure elections and government actions are fair, transparent, and accountable.

Hamovitch P.I. is a publication of the USC School of Social Work. Send suggestions and comments to eric.lindberg@usc.edu