News

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

Chi-Fang Wu, PhD ’04, a professor and PhD program director at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was presented with an award at the GADE (Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social…

When Anne Medeiros took her first trip to Uganda in 2007, her experience of the country and its culture was profound. The wildlife and beauty coupled with the warmth and friendliness of…

Congratulations to Yolanda Shelton-Morris, MSW ‘16 and Daniel Kigeya, MSW ‘07 who were named to the Madison365 list of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Black Leaders.  Yolanda is a Long-Term Lecturer for the school,…

Congratulations to Alexandra “Alex” Garcia, MSW ’10, recipient of the 2025 School Social Worker of the Year Award from the Wisconsin School Social Workers Association (WSSWA). Alex, who works at DeForest Area…

Today, we are profiling one of our alumni, Caroline Gómez-Tom, BSW ‘10, MSW ‘11. Caroline Gómez-Tom (she/her) graduated with a MSW with an emphasis in social policy, and now is the Enrollment…

The Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work Board of Visitors selected Tanya Atkinson, MSW ‘97 as the 2025 recipient of our Distinguished Alumni Award at their meeting in October. Tanya Atkinson is…

Today we are profiling one of our alumni, Luke Muetner, MSW ‘20, PhD ‘21. Luke Muetner is a Justice Researcher in RTI’s Corrections and Reentry Research Program. His research focuses on correctional…

Today we are profiling one of our alumni, Marissa Abbott, PhD ‘21. Marissa Abbott is a Social Science Analyst at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) for…

Today we are profiling one of our alumni, Elizabeth Wahl, MSW ‘05.   Elizabeth Wahl, MSSW LSW IMH-E® is the Pregnancy Promise Program Manager at Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. Since…

Today we are profiling one of our distinguished alumni award recipients, Ben Schumaker, MSW ‘06. Ben received the distinguished alumni award in 2018 after he founded The Memory Project, an incredibly successful…

Kristi Wood’s journey working with adolescent boys evolved over her 30 years of experience in human services. After working at Tellurian’s adolescent emergency respite center in Madison, she and her partner Shannon…

For Stefanie Primm, MSW ’08, a commitment to the field of developmental disabilities began early in life. Her brother’s autism required special attention in her early years, and she remains a central…

Alumni who were at the School of Social Work in the mid 1970s to the late 1980s may remember Toby Cohen. Toby was the advisor to most MSW and undergraduate students. In…

A Journey from Hmong Refugee to Behavioral Health Clinic Founder  Sheng Lee Yang’s journey is impressive. A first-generation Hmong refugee who was resettled in Wisconsin as a young person, she became a…

Charity Douglas, MSW ’98, once a social welfare recipient, now leads a department of social services with 4,700 employees that serves one million community members As a young mother with a special…

The Chair of our Board of Visitors and alumna, Stephanie Lozano, MSW ’14 was selected as one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Native American Leaders of 2024 by “Madison365.” Stephanie is the Tribal…

Each year the Tucson, AZ Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association holds an alumni event honoring the university’s “Founders Day.”  This year, more than 100 people attended the event at which Sandra…

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Can a small piece of ethically sourced, small batch dark chocolate motivate people to engage in self-care and stress reduction? Alum and entrepreneur, Melissa Mueller-Douglas, MSW ’11 finds it does. After graduating…

We are pleased to announce that the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work’s Board of Visitors has named Leslie Ann Howard as our 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Leslie was President and…

After working in the restaurant industry for more than 20 years, Michael Moody returned to UW-Madison to complete his undergraduate degree. By chance, he took Social Work Professor Marah Curtis’s class on…

For most of her career, Sandra McCormick developed programs to improve the health, human services, and quality of life for many citizens of Russia, the Ukraine, and numerous other countries.  While serving…

The Forward Award acknowledges rising stars in various fields who exemplify the Wisconsin Idea through an emphasis on service, discovery, and progress. Lanikque Howard wanted to help families like hers, so she became the…

After almost 30 years working in the Employee Assistance Field (the last 18 with the City of Madison), Tresa Martinez recently retired. Acknowledging Tresa’s Contributions, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway writes in a…

I have warm feelings for my six years at the university. At 96, Professor Alan Wade remembers taking classes with Helen I. Clarke, the first faculty member hired to teach social work…

Madison 365, a non-profit organization that “fosters dialog between diverse communities,” recognized Naomi Takahashi, MSW ’12, for her contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Naomi is the director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion…

Upon her retirement in August, Margie Zutter, currently the Executive Director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Dane County, WI will end the career she began as a UW-Madison…

In her recent book, Downstairs Church: Finding Hope in the Grit of Addiction and Trauma Recovery, Caroline (Miller) Beidler, MSW ’16, shares her road to recovery from substance abuse and explores the…

Since 1974 the YWCA of Madison, WI has celebrated the achievements of outstanding women whose community service, professional achievement, integrity, and leadership have made significant contributions to their community. School alum Nancy…

Lecture honored the 50th anniversary of Roberta Gassman Earning her MSSW at UW-Madison New policies established during the pandemic to aid low wage workers and families helped reduce material hardship and mental…

While most of the school’s alums move into traditional social work careers following graduation, Haley Ingersoll found that her education and experience is useful in different venues. Haley valued her education at…

“Frances, your efforts and involvement over the years have been instrumental in making our state a more just, inclusive, and equitable place for all of us to call home,” — Governor Tony…

Don Anderson passed away March 3, 2023. Don taught for the school of social work for many years, teaching and mentoring students in the intellectual and developmental disabilities area. Among his many…

Dr. Silvia Jackson retired in December 2022 after an impressive professional career in Wisconsin state government that spanned 45 years. During her career Dr. Jackson held numerous leadership positions across several state…

Jessica (Thompson) Smith is a co-founder and Director of the Center for Inclusive Transition, Education, & Employment (CITEE) at UW-Whitewater. A major CITEE initiative is the Qualified Treatment Trainee (QTT) Grants Program,…

Michael Daley, Regents Professor and Chair in the Department of Social Work at Texas A&M University, Central Texas, was recognized by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for his many contributions…

An accomplished social worker for many years, alumna Janie Ocejo’s, BA ’97 depression and loss of her father led to a downward spiral which resulted in a felony conviction in 2007. Following…

The Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work Board of Visitors unanimously selected Ada Deer, BSW ’57, as this year’s recipient of the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award at their meeting over homecoming last…

Edith Lewis, PhD ’85, received the 2022 Alexis J. Walker Lifetime Achievement Award from the Feminism and Family Science Section of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Dr. Lewis is a Professor…

Stanley Witkin, MSW ’74, PhD 76, is a retired professor emeritus of social work at the University of Vermont. After a career of academic publishing, his first novel, Finding Lenny, (Barrington Pub.)…

In her 17th year as the owner/artisan of Earth Art Studio, a craft boutique in Door County, Wisconsin, Pam Banker reflected on how her journey evolved following her social work education and…

Alan Goldberg, MSSW ’77 and Kay Udey, BSW 77, MSSW ‘82 Alan and Kay were in the same field unit in the mid 1970’s. They were focusing on aging and have found…

Growing up with a brother with autism, Zach Lillo explains, “it has been a passion of mine to work in disability services for as along as I can remember.” During his BSW…

Lisa Imhoff, MSW ’05, was named one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Asian American Leaders by Madison 365. Lisa is the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School…

“Since I was young, I can remember always loving horses,” explains Laura Mengars, MSW ’13. A psychotherapist, this year Laura has taken that passion to found “Healing in Rhythm,” an equine-assisted therapy…

Aubrey D. Johnson, MSW ’15, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 7, 2022. According to her obituary, “Memorials, including in lieu of flowers may be made to’Madison Journey Mental Health,’ ‘The Madison…

Bob Barry, a long-time supporter of the School passed away on March 10, 2022 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Bob served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in the South Pacific during World War…

School alumna Dr. Beth Angell, currently the Dean of the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University, will assume the Deanship at the University of Michigan on July 1, 2022. She…

Clinical Faculty Professor of Social Work Norma Berkowitz passed away on January 14, 2022, at the age of 92. She joined the faculty in 1968, retiring in 1993. Norma taught in the…

The National Association of Social Workers has named Professor Jean Quam a Social Work Pioneer. The honor is awarded “to social workers who have contributed to the evolution and enrichment of the…

The Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work Board of Visitors recently selected Dr. Jeffrey Edleson, MSSW ’75, PhD ’79 as the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award. Professor Edleson recently retired…