Order of exercise Acknowledgements
Marshals and banner bearers
• LaKesha Bennett, B.S.W. marshal
• Deborah Darlington, banner bearer
• Zay Diamond-Tapper, banner bearer
• Julie Harrison, banner bearer
• Kyleigh Hynes, M.S.W. marshal
• Kimberly King, Ph.D. marshal
• Kristal Parada, banner bearer
Processional
• Faculty and guests
• M.S.W. graduates
Welcome
• Gary S. Cuddeback, Ph.D., dean and professor
Commencement speaker
• Fatima M. Smith, M.S.W.
Recognition of M.S.W. graduates
• Qasarah Bey Spencer, Ed.D., director, M.S.W. Program
M.S.W. student speaker
• Isis Miller-Boyd
Hooding of M.S.W. graduates
• Kimberly Compton, Ph.D.
• Yifan Lou, Ph.D., M.S.W.
• Nicole L. Lee, Ph.D.
• Lashawnda Singleton, M.P.A.
Awarding of M.S.W. diplomas
• Gary S. Cuddeback, Ph.D.
• Qasarah Bey Spencer, Ed.D.
Reading of M.S.W. graduate names
• Sarah Burton-Everette, M.Ed.
• Humberto E. Fabelo, Ph.D., LCSW
Closing remarks
• Gary S. Cuddeback, Ph.D.
Recessional
Thank you to all the administrative staff members in the School of Social Work for their contributions to the school, its students and faculty. Special thanks to all the student volunteers assisting with the ceremony.
Photography: Photo Specialties and Bridget Hazel; American Sign Language interpreters: Mosaic Interpreting Services; live streaming operations: Advanced Visual Productions
Alumni Happy Hour
Twin Hickory Tavern
1420 N. Parham Road, Henrico
5-7 p.m.
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Conversation & complimentary refreshments
Scan here for more information
See back cover for floor plan/seating details.
Commencement speaker
Fatima M. Smith (M.S.W.12), is an unapologetic Black woman, survivor, social worker and “social momtrepreneur” who has spent over 15 years advocating for communities free from violence and oppression. She is the founder of FMS Speaks, LLC, a platform designed to ignite brave conversations around racial justice, interpersonal violence and systemic inequities. Her guiding belief is simple yet profound: “A person who can describe a problem can also describe a solution – they just need time, space and resources.”
Fatima’s work spans state and local government, higher education and nonprofit sectors, where she’s known for her collaborative approach to professional development and her ability to engage professionals in honest dialogue about power, privilege and oppression. As a social worker, she’s built interagency partnerships that have transformed service delivery models to better meet the needs of survivors and communities of the global majority. Her advocacy is rooted in trauma-informed, solution-focused practices with a racial justice lens.
Her lived experience as a survivor of sexual assault and intimate partner violence informs how she sees the world, but is not the only way she wants the world to see her. Fatima has championed legislative efforts in Virginia alongside Sen. McClellan, Sen. Boysko, and Delegate Tran to make youth sports safer, improve medical screening for abuse and eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual assault.
Fatima is a proud graduate of George Mason University, where she earned a B.S. in administration of justice and founded the Mr. & Miss Black GMU Scholarship Pageant. She holds a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University and has served as adjunct faculty at VCU and assistant professor at Virginia Union University. She currently serves as chief deputy clerk of Chesterfield Circuit Court.
Her accolades include Richmond Times-Dispatch Person of the Year, VCU’s 10 Under 10, GMU’s Top 50 Exemplar Alumni, and Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40. She is the co-founder of Collective 365, a philanthropic network that has invested over $90,000 of unrestricted grant funds over five years to support Black and Brown communities across the DMV. Fatima is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and a proud mother who credits her success to the unwavering support of her own.
School Honors and Awards
Phi Alpha National Honor Society for Social Work Students
M.S.W.
Bree Ellis
Cody Rae Kedy
Sri Ranga Aruna Kodakalla
Tiffany Lea Sersen
B.S.W.
Kiera Bargamin
Megan Cook
Micah Washington
Student Field Impact Award
M.S.W.
Michael Verner
Undergraduate, Graduate and Doctoral Support Scholars
Bill and Sherry Peterson Scholarship
M.S.W.
Sara Cochran
Drs. Rosemary & David
Farmer Public Mental Health
Scholarship
M.S.W.
Michael Verner
Joanne Kerbs Caramanica Scholarship
M.S.W.
Laura A. Longhine
Isobel O’Hare
Judy M. Thomas “Dr. T.”
B.S.W. Scholarship
M.S.W.
Faith Arata
Mary Dotson and Charles Lane Cartledge IV Endowed Scholarship
M.S.W.
Rocio Escobedo
Pamela B. Nystrom Memorial Scholarship Fund
M.S.W.
Michael Verner
Rick and Brenda Faulkner
Scholarship
M.S.W.
Kimberley Carter
Swank-Divine Scholarship
M.S.W.
Tara Campanella
Thomas Carlton Memorial Scholarship
M.S.W.
Isobel O’Hare
William Randolph Hearst
Endowed Scholarship for Social Workers in Aging
M.S.W.
Michael Verner
Child Welfare Stipend Program
M.S.W.
August 2025
Faith Arata
Aleta Carter
Alexandra Cornwell
Brittney Tipton
Michael Verner
December 2025
Victoria Kayode
Bret Vollmer
Dual Degree, Certificate, Cooperative and Certification Program Recipients
Certification in School Social Work
M.S.W.
August 2025
Alisha Lewis
Catalina Marquez
Ashley Tyner
December 2025
Amna Babar
Tammi Coleman
Rocio Escobedo
B.S.W.
August 2025
Olivia Kerns
M.S.W. Graduates
August 2025 graduates
Adams, Lacey T.
Alston, Tiara
Arata, Faith
Ascencio-Gomez, Imelda
Ba, Ramata
Banks, Kayla
Blackstone, Shelly
Brown, Chrys
Bumbrey, Trenity
Cantatore, Elisabetta
Carter, Aleta
Carter, Kimberley
Charity, Kiara
Cochran, Sara
Coleman, Lisa S.
Collins, Michael
Cornwell, Alex
Daniels, NaRayel Korrine
Davila, Scarleth
Eatmon, Alexandria
Edwards, Shawnta
Elliott, Taylor
Everett, Katherine
Fanous Kamel, Irene
Gee, Chevelle
Gilmer, Amelia
Glowacki, Michaela
Hart, Wesley
Hawkins, Jahnese
Hildebrand-Travis, Q Hill, Alyshia
Houser, Courtney
Hurd, Charlie
Izadkhast, Fardad
Joyce, Julianne
Jungers, Caroline
Khan, Sally
Kirnon, Chervern
Kranz, Lauren
Kronmeister, Kelsey
Larney, Zoya
Laverty, Alyce
Lawson, Sarah
Lewis, Alisha
Lichtenstein, Samantha
Longhine, Laura A.
Lutz, Grace
Marquez, Catalina
Miller, Ashton
Mitchell, Stephenie
Monroe, Nicole
Pena, Marina
Perez Pardo, Nicole
Perez, Elena
Postupack, Mariah
Ramirez, Wendy
Riggi, Catarina
Rivera, Kaylyn
Russell, Giulia
Shank, Sarah
Shenk, Lynne
Shoolroy, Libby
Silva, Alba R.
Smith, Kailie
Thomas, Jameicia
Tipton, Brittney
Trujillo Abundez, Yatzari
Tyner, Ashley
Venter, Taylor
Verner, Michael
Walker, Kayla
Walser, Erika
Walters, Jordynn
Weaver, Teonna
White, Chartres
Williams, Keri
Wills, Justine
Wilson, Thone
Wright, Kirsten
December 2025 graduates
Albert, Isabella
Ayers-Underhill, Amelia
Babar, Amna
Barksdale, Whitney
Beatty, Destiny
Benitez Funes, Jenn
Bolanos, Ginette
Boyd, Cassiopeia
Brown, Brianna
Campanella, Tara
Cole, Shamera
Coleman, Tammi
Conry, Alys
Cornejo, Angie
Croasdale, Kelsey
Crowder, Diana
Dufrane, Madeline
Ellis, Bree
Escobedo, Rocio
Fagan, Madison
Franco, Carolyn
Goodwin, Jasmine
Gresham, Lauren
Guerra, Alina
Hall, Jessica
Hand, Sophia
Holland, Hannah
Hunter, Samantha
Imobisa, Janet
Jones, Avery
Jones, Jennifer
Kayode, Victoria
Kedy, Cody Rae
Keller, Rachel
King, Michele
Kodakalla, Sri
Lee, Ko Eun
Leigh, Cheyenne
Majors, Nancy
McLaughlin, Carly
Mellington, Elizabeth
Miller-Boyd, Isis
Napoleoni, Nyele
O’’Hare, Isobel
Oliver, Veronica
Olli, Linnea
Parker, Maseo
Pavela, Jessica
Peltzer, Emily
Penny, Emma
Phipps, Autumn
Poole, Lameisha
Powell, Mesha
Rafael, Valeria
Ramsay-McCord, Tamara
Richardson, Jamara
Ross, Lindsay
Sersen, Tiffany Smith, Amber
Stabryla, Alicia Stone, Sarah
Tessier, Rachel Thomas, Tywana
Trotter, Benita
Tucker, Iyanna
Van Der Loo, Elise
Vincent, Shelley
Vollmer, Bret
Walton, Kiah
White-Gaynor, Brianna
Wiley, Meghan
Wojcik, Sarah
B.S.W. Graduates
August 2025 graduates
Bargamin, Kiera
Beckman, Emily Boutros, Madona
Brooke-Eccles, Jo Cook, Megan
Greene, Adrian Jennings, Kayla
Kerns, Olivia
Tamayo, Sharon++ Washington, Micah Young, Gabriella
December 2025 graduates
Berger, Sebastian + Nelson, Drew Oulai, Nitany
++ Magna cum laude (3.6-3.89 GPA) + Cum laude (3.3-3.59 GPA)
Only undergraduate students are eligible for honors designations. Due to rigid time constraints, this program must be printed before the final list of degree candidates can be determined. The exclusion of the name of a student is not to be taken as an indication of official status as a non-graduate, nor is the inclusion of the name of a student to be taken as a certification of official status as a graduate.
Faculty
• Amy Adkins, Ph.D., scientific writer
• Adrienne Baldwin-White, Ph.D., assistant professor
• Daniel Baslock, Ph.D., assistant professor
• Qasarah Bey Spencer, Ed.D., assistant professor in teaching
• Matthew Bogenschutz, Ph.D., associate professor
• Denise Burnette, Ph.D., Samuel S. Wurtzel Endowed Faculty Chair in Social Work and professor
• Jamie L. Cage, Ph.D., associate professor
• Karen G. Chartier, Ph.D, professor
• Kimberly S. Compton, Ph.D., assistant professor in teaching
• Nicole A. Corley, Ph.D., associate professor
• Gary S. Cuddeback, Ph.D., professor
• Cassie Desena-Jacobs, D.S.W., LCSW, assistant professor in teaching
• Humberto E. Fabelo, Ph.D., LCSW, associate professor
• Mer Francis, Ph.D., assistant professor
• Maurice N. Gattis, Ph.D., associate professor
• Jacob Goffnett, Ph.D., assistant professor
• McKenzie N. Green, Ph.D., assistant professor
• Christina Huerta, Ph.D., assistant professor
• Hyojin Im, Ph.D., associate professor
• Muthoni Imungi, Ph.D., associate professor in teaching
• Erica Jackson, M.S.W., LCSW, assistant professor in teaching
• Kyeongmo Kim, Ph.D., associate professor
• Youngmi Kim, Ph.D., professor
• Miriam Kuttikat, Ph.D., associate professor
• Nicole L. Lee, Ph.D., associate professor in teaching
• Yifan Lou, Ph.D., assistant professor
• Ananda Newmark, Ph.D., associate professor in teaching
• Stephanie G. Odera, Ed.D., associate professor in teaching
• Nicole L. O-Pries, M.S.W., LCSW, associate professor in teaching
• Jazmyn Porter, M.P.H., M.S.W., assistant professor in teaching
• Klara Prachar, M.S.W., LCSW, assistant professor in teaching
• Naomi Reddish, M.S.W., assistant professor
• Allison K. Ryals, M.S.W., LCSW, associate professor in teaching
• Rebecca Smith, Ph.D., instructor & program manager, undergraduate research
• Ashley Staton, M.S.W., faculty field liaison
• Alex Wagaman, Ph.D., associate professor
• Traci L. Wike, Ph.D., associate professor
Administration and staff
• Yakaira Alexander-Ramos, M.A., senior program field coordinator
• Allison Bell, M.A., senior financial specialist
• LaKesha Bennett, B.A., senior recruitment specialist
• Qasarah Bey Spencer, Ed.D., director, M.S.W. Program
• Camryn-Rachele Bosko, M.S.W., student success advisor
• Sarah Burton-Everette, M.Ed., director, dual degrees, certificates, and credentialing; assistant director-administration, M.S.W. Program
• Lakeita Clarkson, M.S., student success advisor
• Gary S. Cuddeback, Ph.D., dean; associate dean, research; interim associate dean, faculty affairs
• Deborah Darlington, M.S.W., student success advisor
• Omobolaji David-Ojumu, Ed.D., student success advisor
• Zay Diamond-Tapper, B.A., academic coordinator, B.S.W. Program
• Kiara Faulks, M.A., academic coordinator, Ph.D. Program
• Liana Fino, B.S., senior research administrator
• Stephanie Hart, Ed.D., interim director, finance shared service
• Janina Holly, B.S., communications specialist
• Kristin A. Hopkins, M.A., assistant, M.S.W. admissions
• Kyleigh Hynes, M.S.W., program field coordinator
• Kimberly King, administrative coordinator, field education
• Geoff LoCicero, M.L.I.S., director, communications
• Amanda Long, M.S.W., coordinator, community engaged child and family well-being initiatives
• Jackie Maroney, fiscal services specialist
• Katy Martin-Poindexter, A.A.S., HR generalist
• Talaya Matthews, M.S.W., student success advisor
• Vanessa McCauley, B.S.W., HR generalist
• Dabney McDonald, M.S.W., student success advisor
• Mieko Michelle, MA.Ed., coordinator, M.S.W. Program
• Sterling Murray, B.S., senior administrative coordinator
• Bahiya Nasuuna, M.P.H., student success advisor
• Kellee Negussie, M.S.W., program field coordinator
• Bennett Newman, M.B.A., senior financial administrator
• Stephanie G. Odera, Ed.D., director, B.S.W. Program
• Kristal Parada, M.S., assistant director, undergraduate advising
• Robann Parsons, M.B.A., executive assistant to the dean
• Jazmyn Porter, M.P.H., M.S.W., director, field education
• Naomi Reddish, M.S.W., administrator, community engaged child and family well-being initiatives
• Allison K. Ryals, M.S.W., LCSW, assistant director, B.S.W. Program
• Daniela Sanzetenea, M.S.W., coordinator, Child Welfare Stipend Program
• Mary Simpson, M.S.W., recruitment specialist, M.S.W. Program
• Leetah Stanley, M.Th., senior development coordinator
• Dannita Trice, M.Ed., alumni engagement officer
• Abby Van Esselstyn, M.S.W., program field coordinator
• Annie Wade, M.B.A., HR business partner
• Stephanie Walker, M.A., Interim director of innovative pedagogy and learning design
• Micah Weedman, Ph.D., term prep designer
• Henrietta White, B.S., HR generalist
• Traci L. Wike, Ph.D., director, Ph.D. Program
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work
Academic Learning Commons
1000 Floyd Avenue, Third Floor Box 842027
Richmond, Virginia 23284-2027
Phone: (804) 828-1030
Email: sswinfo@vcu.edu
Website: socialwork.vcu.edu
