Our Students and Alumni

“I want to make change and make a difference.”

Jessica Mencia, MSW ’21, PhD Student

The power of a conversation

Halimah McBryde, MSW ’23

“UB continues to enrich my life, and I am a proud alum!”

Ellen Grant, MSW ’74

Bridging gaps to improve outcomes

Kathy Lisborg, DSW ’22, MSW ’14

Creating order out of chaos

Cindy German, MSW ’08

Making an impact

Mel LeMay, MSW ’20

Merging epidemiology and social work

Eric Johnson, MSW ’14

Our students and alumni find UB to be a rewarding and exciting place to learn, research and collaborate with one another and our world-class faculty.

“I think UB has a lot to offer the community.”
1/29/25
Matthew Schwartz, DSW ’23, MSW ’18
“I’m developing a program to provide support for international students.”
1/29/25
Nurit Fischer Shemer, PhD ’19, MSW ’13
“Every place I'd worked, patient care was number one.”
5/1/13
Marilyn Z. Shine, MSW ’74, BS ’72
Marilyn Z. and Jerome D. Shine Endowment Fund
“Being able to educate people about problems they are unaware of while also being able to support individuals who have experienced those problems firsthand — that’s why I love social work.”
1/29/25
Julia Szprygada, MSW ’13
“With anything, it's really building resilience and ways to adapt and change.”
10/6/20
Tara Taddio, MSW ’08
“We wanted to serve people with dignity and respect, our core values.”
5/1/14
Joyelle Tedeschi, MSW ’08
“I knew early on in this process that I was on the right path. ”
5/11/22
Vernita Thompson, MSW ’21
“My training at UB helped me stay nimble and flexible during the pandemic and to help my team pivot as needed.”
3/25/22
Michael Tsang, MSW ’06
“There are tons of opportunities to develop professionally if you take advantage of what the school has to offer — you definitely will not regret it.”
1/22/25
Shawnte Wilson, MSW ’12
“No matter your area of interest or professional goals, you will have valuable experiences and opportunities for learning at the UB School of Social Work.”
7/6/26
Katie Witmer, MSW ’13
“What I love about this program is that it is equipping me with skills from both disciplines, helping me to be that much more prepared for my future career.”
10/22/21
Kelly Zaky, MBA/MSW ’22