The Dane County Department of Human Services in Madison oversees a wide range of services aimed at enhancing the well-being of county residents, including child welfare, mental health services, support for individuals with disabilities, and …
Alumni and Friends
The Social Work Entrepreneur: A Series Highlighting Alums Who Have Created Their Own Businesses and Organizations
Mel Morgenbesser Kristin Scheeler’s, MSW ’05 Patient Advocacy and Case Management Practice After more than 20 years working in the field of gerontology working in hospice, nursing homes, and hospitals, Kristin Scheeler craved independence and …
Q&A with Dr. Michael Hoffmeister: Three-Time Alum, Researcher, and Field Instructor
When Michael Hoffmeister arrived on campus as an undergraduate, he anticipated pursuing a degree in psychology. Instead, a social work class focusing on the formation of social welfare policies and the role of the social …
Joan Levy Zlotnik, MSSW’ 74, Receives Prestigious National Social Work Award
Joan Levy Zlotnik, MSSW ’74, received the 2025 NASW Foundation’s Knee-Wittman Lifetime Achievement Award, “for her efforts in improving child welfare services and bringing awareness to the health and mental health needs of children and society’s …
“Social Workers Deserve To Live a Life Where They Are Financially And Professionally Fulfilled,” Taylor (Gilbert) Wilson, MSW ‘18
Financing their education, social work alum Taylor Wilson and her husband, a medical student, had incurred substantial student loan debt. A novice to the financial management and planning world, Taylor’s initial goal was to begin …
In the News: Black Oxygen: Trust Black Women with Yolanda Shelton-Morris
Yolanda is an alum (MSW ’16) and wonderful lecturer for the school. Check out this podcast where she “discusses the challenges of being a Black woman in predominantly white spaces, the importance of legacy and …
Alum Kelly Aschbrenner, PhD ’07, Receives Major Mental Health Grant
Adults with serious mental illness (SMI) including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder experience a 15-30 year reduced life expectancy primarily due to modifiable cardiovascular risk factors that can be effectively addressed with behavioral …
Robert (Bob) Mohelnitzky, MSSW ’70 Receives Wisconsin Alumni Association’a Tucson, AZ Alumni of the Year Award
Tucson, AZ has a robust UW-Madison Alumni Chapter. Many area alums attended this year’s Founder’s Day Event at which Bob Mohelnitzky was honored for his contributions in Madison, WI and Tucson, AZ. Bob was the …
New Course for Current Students and Practicing Clinical Social Workers: Principles of Psychedelic Healing
The promise of psychedelic medicines to improve treatment options for people suffering from various mental health-related issues has flourished in recent years. A surge of research trials, clinical testing, and publications indicate that there is …
Over 40 Years Later, Jeff Hamm, MSW ’20 Completed His Degree
Although Jeff Hamm was admitted to the School of Social Work’s MSW program in the early1980’s, “life had other plans.” He never started the program and eventually had a distinguished career as Assistant and then …