UW-Madison Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work

It is with great sadness that we recently learned of the untimely passing of our alumna and friend, Olivia “Liv” Maria Orencia.

Olivia graduated with a BSW in 2019 and an MSW in 2020 and served as a Field Supervisor and guest speaker for classes in the school while working as a social worker at UW Health and Agrace Hospice Care.

Clinical Assistant Professor Jaime Goldberg shared this remembrance:
"I had the privilege of working with Olivia at UW Health and later invited her to guest lecture in several of my classes, where she shared her extensive knowledge and experience as a healthcare social worker. Olivia was exceptionally sharp, deeply compassionate, and uniquely talented—a fierce advocate for the patients and families in her care. In the classroom, she had a rare gift for instantly connecting with students and inspiring them to be their best. I am going to miss working with her tremendously."

Senior Field Instructor/Lecturer Tim Latimer, shared:
"Olivia was a strong advocate and a compassionate supporter for patients and families. Olivia provided valuable guidance and mentorship to many students completing field work."

We extend our deepest sympathy to her fiancé John, her family, friends, and to all who knew and loved Olivia. She will be greatly missed.
https://defiorefuneral.com/obituaries/3094/olivia-orencia-

Faculty from the school help facilitate a new UW-Madison program called, "Fostering Success for Independent Badger Scholars."

“Anything that we can do to wrap support around them can be helpful in better outcomes,” says Clinical Associate Professor, Alice Egan.

“Fostering Success” for Students Who Come to UW-Madison from Foster Care Educational outcomes for students who have experienced foster care are problematic. For the small percentage of foster kids who go to college, making it to graduation is difficult given the constellation of factors often present in the lives of young people who experienced foster care, including and...

Associate Professor Jooyoung Kong’s work on the complex dynamics of intergenerational caregiving was recently featured in The New York Times, "The Pain of Caring for a Parent Who Abused You."

Dr. Kong "found that, sometimes, culture explained the existence of these caregivers. There were people in certain communities and certain families who never questioned their obligations. They understood that they were meant to be caregivers, whatever happened before.

"But there were structural causes too."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/magazine/elder-care-parent-abuse.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Congratulations to MSW alum Haley Ingersoll for being recognized as a Top 20 connector! Click here to see the Top 20 list https://www.chamberofconnection.org/pittsburgh!

In the news: Anne Wackman Oros Associate Professor Tova Walsh quoted in New York Magazine article about Postpartum Depression among fathers.

"Tova Walsh, associate professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin Madison, says fathers in her research often agree that 'the focus should be on supporting Mom' and downplay their own experiences. Meanwhile, those same mothers tell Walsh that one of their biggest stressors is the father’s mental health. 'No one’s checking in on him,' they tell Walsh, so the burden falls on them."

Postpartum Depression Is Coming for Fathers Men are more involved parents than ever, and it’s leading to a crisis no one warned them about.

In the news: Anne Wackman Oros Associate Professor Tova Walsh co-authors co-ed for The Hill: Weaponizing passports won’t help American kids

Weaponizing passports won’t help American kids The State Department has announced plans to revoke passports from Americans with child support debt, which will disproportionately affect fathers, and is being met with criticism that it is a count…

View the whole story here https://socwork.wisc.edu/2026/05/26/dr-celina-doria-hosts-reproductive-justice-event/

From organizing graduation to advising students, staff make the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work run. On Tuesday, they held a retreat at Fired Up Pottery. Thank you for everything you do!

Congratulations to SRSSW alum Julie Ahnen for winning the Wisconsin Women in Government Legacy Award!

Congratulations to our PhD students graduating in Spring of 2026!