Faculty News

Kathryn Libal, director of the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute, has been promoted to full professor

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Professor Kathyrn Libal

On April 17, the University of Connecticut (UConn) Office of the Provost announced awards of promotion and/or tenure to faculty, including the School of Social Work’s Kathryn Libal, Ph.D.

Since 2007, Libal has taught at both the School of Social Work (SSW) and the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute (HRI), specializing in human rights, refugee resettlement, social welfare and qualitative research methods. She has directed the HRI since 2015, where she has worked to deepen interdisciplinary and cross-professional educational programs, research, and outreach inside and outside the university. She teaches courses on human rights and social work, qualitative research methods, social policy analysis, and approaches to human rights advocacy, some of which also contribute to the university’s Graduate Certificate in Human Rights.

Libal’s scholarship has focused on the Middle East and United States. She has published on women’s and children’s rights movements in Turkey and on the advocacy of international non-governmental organizations on behalf of Iraqi refugees. Currently she is researching the politics and practices of voluntarism and refugee resettlement in the United States in collaboration with SSW faculty S. Megan Berthold, Scott Harding and several doctoral students in social work. The team is examining how voluntarism in an era of xenophobia and backlash creates new forms of civic connection and political participation among volunteers, social service providers, and refugees and asylum seekers.

In addition to publishing several co-edited volumes, a co-authored text, and numerous articles on refugees, migration, and human rights and social work, Libal has helped to shape the field of human rights and social work through serving for many years on the Committee on Human Rights, which was the precursor of the Council on Social Work Education’s Council on Environmental Justice and Human Rights. She is the UConn’s liaison with the Scholars at Risk Program and a founding member of the executive committee of Scholars at Risk USA chapter. Her role as director of the HRI also has afforded her the opportunity to serve on the executive committee of the Consortium of Higher Education Centers for Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Studies.

Professor Cristina Wilson Elected to GADE Board of Directors

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The UConn School of Social Work (SSW) is proud to announce that Professor Cristina Mogro-Wilson was elected to the board of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE). Wilson, an at-large board member, will join the current board in supporting GADE’s mission to promote excellence and equity in social work doctoral education.

As the administrative body of GADE, the board of directors provides strategic leadership to its members and its constituencies. It comprises 10 doctoral program directors, who serve three-year rotating terms and are elected by GADE membership.

New and re-elected board members, who begin their terms June 1, 2024, also include: Krystal Hays, associate professor and DSW program director, California Baptist University; Poco Kernsmith, professor and Ph.D. program director, University of Texas at Arlington; and Anne Williford, associate professor and Ph.D. program director, Colorado State University.

“These scholars bring a wealth of experience and expertise to our work as an organization,” said GADE President Denise Burnette in an announcement. "Each has held key leadership roles in their respective universities and professional communities, and they bring years of deep knowledge about social work doctoral education.”

Wilson, a professor and co-director of the SSW’s P.D. Program, was recently appointed to the Zachs Chair in Social Work, an endowed chair that provides leadership of the SSW’s doctoral program. In 2022, Wilson was named editor-in-chief of Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, a core journal in social work research for over 100 years.

Read more about her work.

CT DMHAS Grant Supports Research on College Students and Gambling

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Eleni Rodis, managing director of research for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (CT DMHAS) Research Division at the UConn School of Social Work (SSW), and Wendy Ulaszek, associate research professor at the SSW, recently conducted a study of Connecticut college students and gambling. The research is supported by a grant from the Problem Gambling Services (PGS) of CT DMHAS.

The researchers used a mixed methods approach, including surveys of college students and focus groups with students and staff to investigate the prevalence of gambling behaviors among students, as well as awareness of resources to address problem gambling behavior. More than 1,300 college students from 30 colleges and universities across the state – public, community, and private schools – participated in the online survey. The survey posed questions about:

• Types of gambling
• The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), a screening tool used to measure the severity of gambling problems in general population research
• Motivations and reasons why students gamble
• Facilitators to help students stop gambling
• Co-occurring issues such as mental health diagnoses

After a year of collecting survey and focus-group data, Rodis and Ulaszek and the research team, including Project Manager Amanda Mihaly (also with the DMHAS Research Division at the UConn SSW), completed a preliminary analysis of their study. They found a high prevalence of gambling among college students in the state: 74% of all students had engaged in some type of gambling in the past year. The two most popular forms of gambling students reported were bingo and the lotto/lottery. Among those who scored higher on the PGSI, internet-based and sports betting were most common.

In addition to these findings, Rodis, Ulaszek, Mihaly and the team observed that the study itself served as an intervention, allowing students to reflect on their beliefs about gambling. It also led college staff to consider changing their practices so they ask students about gambling and provide information about gambling to students and families.

In collaboration with the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, the researchers plan to continue to disseminate the survey and raise awareness about this emerging issue.

Associate Dean for Research Jennifer Manuel Named SSWR Fellow

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At the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Annual Conference, the UConn SSW’s Associate Dean for Research Jennifer Manuel was welcomed to the 2024 class of Fellows. SSWR Fellows are members who have served with distinction to advance the mission of the Society -- to advance, disseminate, and translate research that addresses issues of social work practice and policy and promotes a diverse, equitable and just society.

The SSWR Fellowship has been established by the Society to honor and to recognize current SSWR members for their individual accomplishments, leadership and contribution to SSWR as a scientific society. It is anticipated that SSWR Fellows will serve as role models and mentors for individuals pursuing careers in social work research and will continue to actively advance the mission of the Society.

Eligibility for the SSWR Fellow designation is determined by a point system established by the SSWR Board of Directors. Designation as a SSWR Fellow is limited. The number of inductees this year was approximately one percent of the SSWR membership. SSWR Fellows maintain their status as long as they are current members of the Society.

In addition to being an associate dean, Manuel is also an associate professor at the UConn SSW. She earned her MSW and Ph.D. from Columbia University School of Social Work. Her research broadly addresses health disparities and transitions in care among youth, young adults and adults with substance use, mental health and other critical needs (housing, employment, health, trauma).

Read more about her work.

Ph.D. Leadership Transition – Thank You Scott Harding

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Dear Colleagues,

As you may be aware, Scott Harding, Ph.D., is stepping down as co-director of our Ph.D. program in summer 2024. Harding assumed this role in 2016. During his tenure, he led multiple initiatives that strengthened our doctoral program. These include the expansion of guaranteed student funding to four years of Graduate Assistantship (GA), including two years as a research GA and one year of teaching independently. During his tenure, the doctoral committee implemented curriculum reform, including a revised Comprehensive Examination process, expansion of dissertation options, and creation of a new course on pedagogy. The program also transformed its model of student advising and increased professional development opportunities for doctoral students. These changes resulted in increased publication opportunities for our students. Harding also mentored doctoral students and has served as a major and associate dissertation advisor for 12 Ph.D. candidates. He also taught four courses in the doctoral program.

In addition to his leadership in the doctoral program. Harding is an accomplished scholar in the areas of Forced Migration and Refugee Resettlement and War, Militarism, and Peace Activism. Along with multiple peer-reviewed articles, Harding is the co-author of Breaking the War Habit: The Debate over Militarism in American Education (University of Georgia Press, 2022), Counter-Recruitment and the Campaign to Demilitarize Public Schools (Palgrave McMillan, 2017), and Human-Rights Based Approaches to Community Practice in the United States (Springer, 2015).

Harding is a highly experienced academic administrator and leader, having served the School of Social Work not only as Ph.D. Co-Director but also as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Harding will continue his role as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the 2024-25 AY.

Please join me in thanking Harding for his outstanding leadership.

Laura Curran, MSW, Ph.D. (she/her)
Dean and Professor

Faculty Presented at First-Ever Reimagining Refugee Resettlement Research Conference

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SSW Associate Professor and Director of the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute Kathryn Libal and Professor Megan Berthold presented research at the first-of-its-kind conference on refugee resettlement that brought together practitioners, researchers and public officials to explore “Reimaging Refugee Services in the United States.” The conference was cohosted by Arizona State University and Switchboard and funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an office of the Administration for Children and Families.

Libal and Berthold were among a small number of academics engaged in refugee resettlement research, presenting their work before officials from the ORR and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the U.S. Department of State. Their plenary panel presentation, “Assessing the Promise and Challenges of Community-Based Approaches to U.S. Refugee Resettlement through a Qualitative Study” explored the opportunities and challenges of different models of refugee resettlement, including community and private sponsorship. These models gained support during the Biden Administration’s rapid resettlement of more than 70,000 Afghan evacuees and have been further enhanced by the recent launch of the Administration’s Welcome Corps program.

Their research is part of a broader team effort that has included Associate Professor Scott Harding and a number of doctoral students from the School of Social Work. The presentation, based on interviews with community and private sponsorship volunteers, service providers, and advocates, found that “greater resources must be devoted to local volunteers to help ensure sustainable outcomes for refugees, particularly in the arenas of accessing health care; social benefits; affordable, stable housing; and work paying an adequate wage.” The researchers also emphasized the need for training and support for community and private sponsorship group volunteers.

“Given how new the federal government’s support of private and community sponsorship of refugees is, this research provides critical insights for practitioners and those supporting Biden’s initiative,” said Libal. She added, “We expect that this research will help community and private sponsor groups to better understand the needs and interests of newcomers as well as the challenges of establishing stable lives in a context where the social safety net is relatively limited.”

Berthold added that it will support the “better preparation of social work students and social work and allied practitioners to understand the greatest challenges reported by refugees and asylum seekers in transitioning to the United States and how to meet their health, mental health, and social service needs.”

Researchers who attended the conference continue to meet and have formed an interdisciplinary working group. They plan to organize a workshop next year at UConn.

Libal, Berthold, Harding, and several Ph.D. students involved in the research are preparing to launch the next phase of the project, which will include interviews with refugees and asylum seekers to learn more about their experiences while being supported by community sponsorship groups.

Associate Professor Kathryn Libal

Associate Professor Kathryn Libal

Megan Berthold

Professor Megan Berthold

SSW Faculty and Students Present at 2024 SSWR Annual Conference

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Twenty-five School of Social Work faculty, Ph.D. students, and MSW students will share their collective research through 27 oral and ePoster presentations and two symposia at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 28th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. from January 10 to 14. The theme of the Conference is “Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science.” The research presented by the SSW community comprises a variety of topics, including foster care, LGBTQIA+ youth, substance abuse treatment, mindfulness-based intervention, and gender-affirming care, among many others.
 

Thursday, January 11

Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
Symposium: Integrating Participatory Methods with Intervention Science: Unlocking Community Power to Co-Create Health Solutions
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 14, ML 2
Organizer and Author(s): Caitlin Elsaesser, PhD

  • Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Co-Designing a Mindfulness Based Intervention with Street Outreach Workers and Youth: The Power of Participatory Action Research to Drive Solutions
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 14, ML 2
    Author(s): Caitlin Elsaesser, PhD; Jolaade Kalinowski, Ed.D; Jeffrey Proulx, PhD; Kim Gans, PhD, MPH; Jacquelyn Santiago Nazario.
  • Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Building Political Power with "Third Citizens:" A Participatory Pilot Project to Co-Transform and Implement the Voter Engagement Model with Formerly Incarcerated Peoples
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 14, ML 2
    Author(s): Sukhmani Singh, PhD; Joshua Adler; Tanya Rhodes Smith, MSW; James Jeter; Urania Petit*; Fernando Valenzuela*.
  • Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Community-Based Participatory Action Research with LGBTQIA+ Youth in the Time of COVID-19: Findings from a Collaborative Autoethnography
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 14, ML 2
    Author(s): Gio Iacono, PhD; Leah Holle, MAR, LCSW, CEDS; Emily Loveland, MSW; Breana Bietsch, MSW; Jamie Smith, MSW, LCSW-C; Shelley Craig, PhD; Evan Horton*.

Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
Symposium: From Calyouth to Tay-Hub: Advancing Research and Support for Transition-Age Youth in Foster Care
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
Organizer and Author(s): Andrea Eastman, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD.

  • Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Does Transition Planning Increase Service Use Among Older Adolescents in Foster Care?
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
    Author(s): Nathanael Okpych, PhD; Justin Harty, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD.
  • Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Distinct Subgroups of Care-Experienced Youth and Their Outcomes in Early Adulthood: Results from a Latent Class Analysis
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
    Author(s): Nathanael Okpych, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD; Justin Harty, PhD; Keunhye Park, PhD.
  • Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Risks of Incarceration: Impact of Social Support Networks in the Transition to Adulthood
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
    Author(s): Keunhye Park, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD; Andrea Eastman, PhD; Nathanael Okpych, PhD.
  • Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Examining Parenting Foster Youth Status and Outcomes at Different Ages: Implications for Tailored Interventions and Support for Parents in State Care
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
    Author(s): Justin Harty, PhD; Nathanael Okpych, PhD; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD.

 

Friday, January 12

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
ePoster Presentation: Collective Trauma, Resilience, and Healing: Violence Street Outreach Workers and Black and Brown Youth Moving through a Healing Justice Framework
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Maritza Vasquez Reyes, MA, LCSW, CCM; Caitlin Elsaesser, PhD; Emory Fairchild, MSW*.

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: Creating Institutional Infrastructure to Advance Health Equity through Community Engagement
Location: Independence Ballroom RM: H, ML 4
Author(s): Linda Sprague Martinez, PhD; Rebecca Lobb, ScD, MPH; Jennifer Pamphile, MPH; Deborah Chassler, MSW; Melanie Rocco, MSW, MPH.

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: Assessing the Impact of a Blended Payment Model on Client Termination from Substance Use Treatment
Location: Liberty Ballroom RM: I, ML 4
Author(s): Daniel Baslock, MSW, PhD; Yuanyuan Hu, MSW; Patrick del Giudice-Walsh; Jennifer Manuel, PhD.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: Relationships between Disordered Eating and Family, School, and Community Contexts Among LGBTQ+ Youth in Kansas
Location: Liberty Ballroom RM: O, ML 4
Author(s): Meg Paceley, PhD; Briana McGeough, PhD, MSW; Jennifer Ananda, JD, MSW; Michael Riquino, PhD, MSW; Jennifer Pearson, PhD; Liz Hamor.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
ePoster Presentation: The Negotiation and Resistance of Stigma Among Online Male Sex Workers
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Alberto Cifuentes, Jr., MSW

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
ePoster Presentation: Using Mobile Phone Technology to Assess Substance Use Outcomes and Promote Recovery
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Jennifer Manuel, PhD

Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Presentation: Writing and Reviewing for Refereed Journals: Discussion with Editorial Advisory Board Members
Location: Independence BR RM: H, ML 4
Author(s): Cristina Mogro-Wilson, PhD; Kristina Lovato, PhD; Kess Ballentine, PhD; Jeremiah Jaggers, PhD.

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Presentation: Promoting Mental Health and Coping Among LGBTQIA+ Youth during COVID-19: A Pilot Study of an Affirmative Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: Monument, ML 4
Author(s): Gio Iacono, PhD

Time: 3:45 – 5:15 PM
Presentation: Invited Journal Editors Workshop II: Forum on Publishing Qualitative Research
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 12, ML 2
Author(s): Cristina Mogro-Wilson, PhD; Robert Hawkins, PhD; Lissette Piedra, PhD; Susan Robbins, PhD; Jennifer Zelnick, ScD; Sara Goodkind, PhD; Mimi Kim, PhD.

Time: 3:45 – 5:15 PM
Presentation: Critical Analyzing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): An Analysis of State Policy Options and State Participation Rates
Location: Liberty Ballroom RM: N, ML 4
Author(s): Emily Loveland, MSW

Time: 3:45 – 5:15 PM
ePoster Presentation: Psychosocial Interventions for Individuals Living with the Psychosocial Effects of Long-COVID: A Qualitative Interpretative Meta-Synthesis
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Laura Moynihan, LICSW, OSW-C, APHSW-C; Doreek Charles, MSW; Kelsi Carolan, PhD, LICSW.

Time: 3:45 – 5:15 PM
ePoster Presentation: Gender Transportation-Related Differences Among Older Vietnamese Immigrants
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Rebecca Mauldin, PhD; Jill Theresa Messing, PhD; Rupal Parekh, PhD; Priyanjali Chakraborty, MA.
 

Saturday, January 13

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
ePoster Presentation: Unpacking Neutrality Discourse in Social Work: Exploring Twitter Responses to Anti-Trans Legislation
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Gio Iacono, PhD; Jemel Aguilar, PhD, LCSW, MPH; Leah Holle, MAR, LCSW, CEDS.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: Community-Driven Research and Action
Location: Independence BR RM: A, ML 4
Author(s): Linda Sprague Martinez, PhD

Time: 12:30 – 1:30 PM
Presentation: Creating Safe Spaces in Academic Environments
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: A, ML 4
Author(s): Flor Avellaneda, MSW; Gabriela Mohr-Avita, MSW; Danielle Parrish, PhD; Leila Wood, PhD; Cristina Mogro-Wilson, PhD.
 

Sunday, January 14

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: The Personal Is Professional Is Political: A Roundtable of Transgender and Gender Expansive Scholars on Integrating Research, Organizing, and Advocacy to Promote Trans Justice
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 8, ML 2
Author(s): Meg Paceley, PhD; Trey Jenkins, MSW; Leo Kattari, PhD, MSW; LB Klein, PhD, MSW; Shanna Kattari, PhD; Candace Christensen, PhD, MSW.

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
ePoster Presentation: Understanding Overeating Patterns Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Gio Iacono, PhD; Ryan Watson, PhD; Hsiu-Ju Lin, PhD; Breana Bietsch, MSW; Jamie Smith, MSW, LCSW-C; Leah Holle, MAR, LCSW, CEDS.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: “I Had to Fight for This!” Implications for Youth, Caregivers, and Providers amidst Attacks on Gender-Affirming Care
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 9, ML 2
Author(s): Sarah Gzesh, MSW; Meg Paceley, PhD; Jama Shelton, PhD; Dana Prince, PhD; Shanna Kattari, PhD; Amy Hillier, PhD.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Substance Use Treatment
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 7, ML 2
Author(s): Jennifer Manuel, PhD

*Current SSW student or alum

U.S. Administration for Children and Families Grant Funds Research Project

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With a cooperative agreement sub-award of $300,000, co-Principal Investigators Jon Phillips and Cristina Mogro-Wilson will study “PRESERVE & CONNECT: Partnerships in Rigorous Evaluation of Services that Enhance family wellbeing in Rural VErmont, and urban Latine and Black communities in CONNECTicut.”

The primary goal of the project is to determine whether the “Breakthrough Parenting Curriculum: Navigating Trauma Across Generations (BPC)”— a trauma-informed parenting intervention — is effective at promoting child, parent, and family wellbeing among underserved families at-risk for involvement with the child welfare system. The researchers have partnered with colleagues at the University of Vermont and local community agencies, including the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and Wheeler Clinic, to conduct a three-year, multi-site randomized control trial of the intervention.

“This project allows us to focus on supporting families and preventing child maltreatment in our home state rather than waiting until things get to the point where the child welfare system opens a case,” says Phillips. “Another exciting aspect of this study is that we will be providing financial compensation to parents who have lived experiences with the child welfare system to become trained in the intervention and co-facilitate the parenting group alongside a mental health professional.”

This project is supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award (Award#:90FA3008-01-00) totaling $1.5 million with 100 percent funded by ASCF/HHS. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACF/HHS or the U.S. Government.

Learn more about Phillips and Mogro-Wilson's research.

Marlene Matarese Received Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award in Social Work

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Associate Research Professor Marlene Matarese has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Social Work to Galway, Ireland, for the 2023 – 2024 academic year, from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Matarese is the deputy director of Innovations Institute at UConn School of Social Work and specializes in evidence-based and evidence-informed intervention design; and best practices in implementation science within the context of the public child-, youth-, and family-serving systems as well as LGBTQ+/sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, workforce development; and systems of care.

The focus of her work has been improving access to and the quality of systems and services for children and youth with public system involvement. Matarese is the Principal Investigator (PI) for the National Quality Improvement Center on Tailored Services, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ+ Children and Youth in Foster Care, and the National Quality Improvement Center on Family-Centered Reunification funded by the Children’s Bureau. She is also PI for the National Center of Excellence for LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity, funded by SAMHSA and the National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression. Marlene serves as PI on other national, large-scale initiatives including the design, implementation, and evaluation of numerous best practices.

Since September 2023, Matarese has been hosted in Ireland by the University of Galway, School of Political Science and Sociology, Social Work Programme. She is leading a research project on foster care experiences of LGBTQ+ youth who have transitioned out of care from September 2023 through April 2024 entitled Exploration of LGBTQ+ Young Adults' Experiences in Ireland's Child Welfare System: Building a Foundation of LGBTQ+ Culturally Responsive Care. Additionally, as visiting faculty, she is reviewing social work practice curricula to embed LGBTQ+ content throughout, mentor students, and lecture across the region.

Matarese is among over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus, and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.

Learn more about Matarese’s work.

Professor Bob Fisher Receives Career Achievement Award

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Bob Fisher has been chosen as the recipient of the Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA) 2023 Career Achievement Award. This award honors the contributions of a person in macro social work who has made a significant impact on the conceptual definition and framing of community practice, the empirical knowledge base of the discipline, the promotion of community practice pedagogy and curricula, and the development of practice methods, especially in partnership with marginalized or under-represented populations.

Fisher is a professor and chair of the Community Organizing concentration in the Master of Social Work program. He teaches courses in community organizing, critical macro theory, and social welfare history at both the Ph.D. and MSW levels. Prior to that, he was director of Urban and Community Studies at UConn. He is the author, co-author, and editor/co-editor of seven books in these fields as well as the recipient of three Fulbright-Hays Scholar awards. Read more about his work and research interests.

Fisher will be celebrated along with all of the ACOSA Awardees at the upcoming CSWE-APM, at our Membership Meeting & Award Reception, to be held on Saturday, Oct. 28, in Atlanta, Ga.