Author: jmlee29

Alumnus Opens School for Creative Music

Wilder Deitz, BA ’17, is a lifelong musician who first learned music on tour with his father, roots musician Ritt Deitz, and later under the mentorship of jazz great and UW–Madison faculty member Richard Davis. This summer, Wilder and musician friend Ruben Arndt opened the Wilder Deitz School for Creative Music, an innovative musicianship community …

Assistant Professor Alejandra Ros Pilarz Receives Large NIH Training and Research Grant

Multi-year funding will aid research on mothers’ work schedules and children’s health and development The number of hours moms work outside the home increased dramatically over the past 50 years and in recent decades, the nature of their work schedules has become progressively geared toward a “24/7” service, or “gig” economy. This means that working …

Kristi Wood, MSW ’13 Named to Board of Directors of the National Association of Social Workers

Congratulations to Kristi Wood, MSW ’13 who was selected to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Social Workers representing Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana for three years. Wood is a lecturer and faculty field liaison in the Department of Social Work at UW-Whitewater, and a foster parent trainer for the Wisconsin Child …

Alumnus Publishes New Book on Self Direction

Dr. Kevin J. Mahoney, PhD ’78 has a new book out covering twenty-five years of work, Self Direction: A Revolution in Human Services with co-author Valerie J. Bradley. In it, the authors discuss the growth of the “self direction” movement in which people with disabilities and older adults gained more autonomy over decisions related to their …

In the news: “Patrice Hutchins joins leadership team at Madison East as new assistant principal”

Patrice Hutchins (BSW ’09, MSW ’10) named as assistant principal at Madison East High School.

Social Welfare Student Megan Mercier Named Finalist for Prestigious Award

Vast Experiences Inform Her Domestic Violence Advocacy Social welfare junior Megan Mercier was recently named as a finalist for one of the most prestigious undergraduates awards in the nation – the Truman Scholarship. The Truman Scholarship recognizes outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence. Mercier …

Senior Long-term Lecturer Alan Irgang to Retire

Congratulations to Alan Irgang, a senior long-term lecturer in the school, who is retiring. Alan has taught several courses for the school over the years, most recently the Substance Use Disorders course in the Part-Time MSW Program. Countless students and colleagues have benefitted from Alan’s expertise in mental health, including substance use disorders and LGBTQ affirming …

Connecting Music and Social Work Principles

What does the bassoon have to do with social work? Recent graduate, Dr. Midori Samson draws the connection through her work to invoke social work principles in and through music. This spring she completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Bassoon Performance with a Doctoral Minor in Social Welfare. Her dissertation: Recentered Music Learning: Operationalizing …

Congratulations to PhD Graduates

Congratulations to three students graduating this spring and summer with a PhD in Social Welfare. Doctoral programs are a unique, often challenging journey that deserve their own celebration. Congratulations to these soon-to-be PhD graduates! Marissa Abbott Dissertation: The Interplay Between Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences: An Exploration of Risk and Resilience The most personally significant …

Advanced Macropractice Students Create “Action for Justice” Websites

  In spring of 2021, and in the online environment required by COVID19, Advanced Macropractice (SW840) students advocated for change in the world by creating advocacy websites. These Action for Justice projects show the vision, connections, commitments of these social workers and represent a great range of interest and information. Each section of students voted …