Alum Returns to Campus to Staff New Survivor Services Advocacy Position

Anna Gorman, BSW ’18 (also MSW from Washington University in St. Louis), was recently hired as the first full-time Survivor Advocate for Survivor Services at the UW–Madison’s University Health Services. The Survivor Services Advocacy Program was recently developed to expand services for students who experienced sexual or relationship violence. As Anna explains: There are many …

Undergraduate Student Combines Environmental Studies with Social Work

Having grown up in southern California, undergraduate student Cleo Le said she was in for a shock when she moved to Wisconsin during her freshman year of high school. “I moved to Wisconsin in February having never seen snow before. It was so cold, and I was not prepared at all,” Le said. After getting …

Post-MSW Option Fills Need for School Social Workers

Schools in Wisconsin work hard to make sure students have emotional, behavioral, health, safety, and community support so they can learn, but those districts often struggle to find school social workers who are trained to do that very work. A relatively new and flexible opportunity helps social workers meet licensure requirements – and helps school …

Amy Donna Shapiro, BS ’75, Successfully Petitions to Change Oregon’s State Song Over Racist Lyrics

School alum Amy Shapiro BS ’75, has lived in Beaverton, Oregon, since 1982. In 1990, as a Jewish music teacher, Amy was asked to teach Oregon’s state song “Oregon, My Oregon” to her children’s choir. She was troubled by the racist lyrics of the 100+-year-old song. In 2016, Amy was asked to sing the song …

Part-Time Program Student Spotlight: Luccas Contreras

The Part-Time MSW Program allows students who are not able to pursue full-time study to work towards a master’s degree on a structured, time-extended basis with classes delivered in a hybrid manner. Some courses are designed as blended courses with a mix of online learning and in-person sessions, while others are taught as online courses. …

Part-Time Program Student Spotlight: Jackie Kaminski

The Part-Time MSW Program allows students who are not able to pursue full-time study to work towards a master’s degree on a structured, time-extended basis with classes delivered in a hybrid manner. Some courses are designed as blended courses with a mix of online learning and in-person sessions, while others are taught as online courses. …

Field Education Office Hosts Anti-Racist Workshops

The Field Education Office hosted two interactive workshops to deepen analysis and learn tools for anti-racist practice on September 17 and October 2. Becoming an Anti-Racist Social Worker presented by Marion Malcome, PhD, MSW, LCSW and Brit Holmberg, MSW, LCSW, MDiv explored with our community partners  institutional racism in the 21st century and provided strategies for …

Alumna and Emeritus Board Member Roberta Gassman Honored by The Hmong Institute

On Saturday in Madison, Roberta Gassman, MSSW ’72 was honored by The Hmong Institute at their “Celebrating the 45th Year of the Hmong Diaspora to Wisconsin Banquet” with their Leadership Impact Award. The award recognizes Roberta’s efforts during her service as Wisconsin’s Secretary of Workforce Development to help the many Hmong who fled Laos as …

New Student JEDI Training a Success

This fall, the school hosted our first Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) training for all in-coming students as part of a two-day new student orientation. It featured numerous alumni (9 panelists of practicing social workers), over 15 faculty and staff who helped facilitate the student mingle, and a former field faculty.  We also hosted …

Poverty Institute Receives $10.6 Million Dollar Grant

Will support and diversity the corps of poverty researchers working on questions related to equity, inclusion, diversity, and access in economic mobility and human services policy Vilas Distinguished Professor of Social Work and UW–Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) Director Katherine Magnuson announced that IRP, the nation’s longest-standing center for poverty research, has been …