University of Michigan School of Social Work

Our Commencement ceremony this weekend was a day of celebration! It was wonderful to share such hard-earned accomplishments with family, friends, faculty, and others. We are still reflecting on the powerful thoughts in student speakers Amal Issa and Chelsea Mudalagi’s speeches. Ashley Cureton’s keynote address and Dean Angell’s remarks also were inspiring. Congratulations to all of our graduates – thank you for reaching out, raising hope and changing society. Welcome to our family of 18,000+ alumni!

The U-M School of Social Work is seeking candidates for a President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship which includes the possibility of transition to a tenure-track position. We are especially interested in candidates holding an MSW degree in addition to a PhD, and whose research interests fall into one or more of the following areas: Interpersonal and/or interprofessional practice; School social work; Substance abuse treatment and/or prevention/Health practice and/or policy; and Aging practice and/or policy.

View the full job description and apply: https://myumi.ch/pggZr

The U-M School of Social Work seeks to recruit an outstanding faculty member to serve as the inaugural holder of the Lico Family Professorship. We invite interested candidates whose work advances knowledge and innovative solutions to housing insecurity and homelessness to apply.

View the full job description and apply: https://myumi.ch/X88VQ

Congratulations, U-M School of Social Work MSW graduates!! You did it. Today’s Commencement ceremony was filled with joy and purpose. We are thrilled that there are 197 new social workers ready to take on today’s challenges. We cannot wait to see how you will change our world and the lives of those around you. Congratulations, again – we are so proud of you.

Until midnight on August 31, the School of Social Work is raising funds to directly support MSW students during their field placements. Your gift helps ease the financial burden students face, allowing them to focus more fully on their education and the communities they serve.

Consider supporting the SSW Field Fund today:
https://myumi.ch/Pb3zD

Go Blue!

August Field Fund Join me and make a gift to the August Field Fund!

Brittany Ribeiro Brown, Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Psychology, has successfully defended her dissertation “It’s Nothing to Lose but My Chains: Intersectional Stigma, Mental Health, and Mental Healthcare Among Black Sexual Minority Emerging Adults.” Her committee consisted of Daphne Watkins, Lucretia Ward (co-chairs), Ashley Lacombe-Duncan and Elizabeth Cole. She has accepted a postdoctoral position in the Medical Social Science Department at Northwestern University.

Edited to correct the degree program.

Jay Kayser, Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Psychology, defended his dissertation entitled “Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Cognitive Function: Correlates, Consequences, and Causes in Older Adults.” Kayser has accepted an Assistant Professor of Social Work position at the University of Iowa.

E.B. Gross, Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Psychology, defended their dissertation entitled “‘I Have Worked Hard to Be Someone My Child Can Trust’: Perceptions of Parental Support Among Trans and Gender-Expansive Young Adults and their Parents.” Gross has accepted a social work faculty position at Eastern Michigan University.

The University of Michigan Board of Regents announced Dr. C. Cybele Raver as its choice to become the university’s 17th president. The Board will hold a special meeting on Sept. 1 to take a formal vote. Pending approval, Dr. Raver’s appointment will take effect Dec. 1. Dr. Raver, currently the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Vanderbilt University, is a nationally recognized leader in higher education. myumi.ch/xjwJm

We're excited to kick off our two-week fundraising effort for the SSW Field Fund! From now through August 31, we hope to raise $20,000 to support MSW students with financial need during their field placements.

We're starting strong with a $5,000 matching gift from Bill Cabin (MSW '04) and a $1,000 matching gift from Charles Tommasulo (MSW '79) and Eileen Whiteside-Tommasulo. To make a gift to the SSW Field Fund, visit:

https://maizeraise.umich.edu/august-field-fund

Go Blue, and Go Social Work! 💛 💙