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4/23/19 News and Events
6/2/23 Our Magazine: Mosaics
5/30/23 Our Podcast: inSocialWork

Our Alumni and Students

Our alumni share their stories of how they came to study social work and how their current roles are making a difference in the field.

All Profiles

“There are so many opportunities here at UB. Take advantage of them, and commit yourself to lifelong learning.”
2/23/23
Rita Andolina, MSW ’88
“Denise Krause, Hilary Weaver, Charles Syms, Diane Elze, Peter Sobota and Glenn Frost... They were amazing professors, and I can't thank them enough for pouring into me.”
2/23/23
Esther Annan, MSW ’06
“I discovered the great diversity and opportunities available when attending and graduating from the UBSSW.”
2/23/23
Terence Askew, MSW ’12
“Field put real meat on the bones of things I had been learning in my classes.”
2/24/23
Caitlin Beck, JD/MSW ’20
“I have to work full time, so the part-time MSW option really offered me the chance to gain new skills.”
2/23/23
Samantha Bowes, MSW Student
“People are more resilient than they think.”
2/23/23
Brianna Bozeman, MSW ’18
“I was looking for interprofessional collaboration; Social Impact Fellows offered the perfect opportunity.”
2/23/23
Cheney Brockington, MSW ’19
“I knew that social work would align with my strengths.”
2/23/23
Dan Calabrese, MSW ’18
“In my opinion, social workers are uniquely suited to helping medicine transform itself.”
2/24/23
Jennifer Carlson, MSW ’94
“Through my fieldwork at Lake Shore Behavioral Health, I was able to learn and observe evidence-based practices like motivational interviewing.”
2/24/23
Kali Carpenter, MSW ’13
“I continue to be pleasantly surprised at how dialed in I am to being prepared for both social work and my specific niche.”
2/24/23
Erin Casciano, MSW Student
“I wanted to use my voice to address how immigrants were being portrayed.”
2/24/23
Hector Chaidez Ruacho, MSW ’20
“It was an important realization that you can get close to people despite a huge difference between you.”
2/24/23
Marie Clarcq, MSW ’11
“With a professional mentor, students can gain a realistic view of the profession; they don’t have to reinvent the wheel—kind of like built-in career counseling.”
2/24/23
Bonnie Collins, MSW ’80
Adjunct Instructor Emeritus
“The UBSSW really takes pride in adequately preparing students for a career in social work.”
2/24/23
Jose Correa, MSW ’03
“Shortly after transitioning to the School of Social Work, I realized it was exactly what I wanted to do.”
2/24/23
Pabitra Dahal, BA/MSW ’22
“Be open to the idea that you might be wrong—remember that your experience with the world is different than other people’s.“
2/24/23
Victor Diaz, MSW ’17
"I felt like most of my hands-on learning came from my SSW field placements."
12/8/20
Jennifer Ditta, MSW '00
“Dignity is a huge part of my motivation."
10/8/21
Shatorah Donovan, JD ’12, MSW ’11
"One benefit of my UB program is my ability to allow work and school to complement each other."
1/19/23
Jennifer Elliott, MSW/PhD student
"It was very seamless for me to transition after graduating from UB to finding employment in Canada."
3/17/22
Olivia Fabiani, MSW '14
"The trauma-informed aspect of the program is what drew me here in the first place."
9/7/18
Siobhan Fitzgerald-Matson, MSW '18
“The DSW is practice-focused.”
2/20/23
Michelle Fortunado-Kewin, DSW ’22
“The knowledge I’ve gained and the experiences I’ve had in the MSW program have changed me completely.”
4/12/23
Adam Fryer, MSW ’23
"The UBSSW has an awesome research program—the orientation of the research, the coursework and the professors are incredible resources for graduate students."
2/20/23
Dieuveut Gaity, PhD ’18
"Interning at the Mobile Safety-Net Team, gave me a valuable viewpoint of what poverty looks like at the community level."
9/7/18
Rachel Gaydosh, MSW '15
"I wanted to continue to grow and participate in as many ‘in the field’ applied research and practice activities as possible. UBSSW offers a variety of opportunities to do that.”
9/7/18
Laura Greyber, PhD '14, MSW '07
"Figure out who you want to serve most in this life and do everything you can to make yourself as equipped to serve them as possible."
9/10/21
Gavin Griffin, MSW '21
"I had a good support system at UB that helped me a lot."
6/17/22
Alphonsina Habiyambere, MSW ’22
"The program has really helped prepare me to adapt, be effective and be happy in the wide range of possibilities that may present themselves."
1/5/23
Steven Halady, MSW ’15
“I would not be where I am if it were not for the continued encouragement and support of UBSSW faculty and staff.”
12/21/22
Travis Hales, PhD ’18, MSW ’14
"I have become so interested in solution-focused practice..."
9/7/18
Emily Hammer, MSW '18
"The best part of my experience at UB has been the learning opportunities, fieldwork, and being challenged academically."
10/8/21
Sheila Harewood, MSW Online Student
“I ended up loving the tech changes in education, and I learned so many new ways to offer specialized treatment options.”
5/8/23
Catherine Heimback-Murdie, DSW ’22, MSW ’03
"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I would be doing therapy via telephone, Zoom or other virtual platforms. It is not easy but it is doable and it feels successful."
12/8/21
Dawn C. Hill, BA/MSW '03
"I’m especially interested in how people recover from trauma."
7/20/20
Paige Iovine-Wong, MPH/MSW '20
“I am passionate about financial literacy; my internship, at the Coalition for Economic Justice, is more macro. That helps work towards my goal of doing bigger-picture advocacy.”
6/2/22
Gloria James, MSW '22
"I knew earning an education in social work would provide me with a perspective that goes beyond examining demographic factors..."
2/3/20
Eric Johnson, MSW '14
"Opportunity here is good."
2/21/23
Ali Kadhum, MSW '14
"Even on the worst days of work I still feel like it’s a perfect fit."
8/20/21
Alicia Kaufman, MSW '17
Online cohort
“I am passionate about creating a future for LGBTQ+ youth where they can feel safe and affirmed.”
5/8/23
Jack Kavanaugh, MSW ’15
"It's our responsibility to make sure that individuals aren't falling through the cracks..."
9/7/18
Laura Kelemen, MSW '97
"My experiences as a student were life-changing. There are so many entrepreneurial, intelligent and environmentally conscious students who strive to serve others."
12/13/22
Danial Khan, MBA/MSW ’21, CFSW
“We talk about trauma a lot and that’s important, but the other side of trauma is resilience…"
8/10/21
Colleen Kristich, MSW '18
“I think trauma is the link between the majority of the work that social workers and public health practitioners do.”
9/7/18
Lauren Kroening, MPH/MSW '16
“After completing my MSW and realizing I wanted to better understand addiction and develop interventions, attending UB was a perfect fit for my doctorate.”
6/2/23
Charles LaBarre, PhD ’25
"Canopy of Neighbors is a work in progress. It's part of an expanding, national 'village-to-village network'."
9/7/18
Toby Laping, MSW '63
“I’ve loved being a part of this community since I moved here. Buffalo feels like home.”
5/8/23
Mel LeMay, MSW ’20
"If you’re worried about not having that networking opportunity —it still exists, especially the way UB has set up the online program."
9/7/18
Alexandra Liloia-Bishop, MSW '17
Online cohort
"Whether it’s shaping policy, interventions or service delivery systems, I hope to be able to draw a line from my work to improving the lives of others."
9/8/21
Brad Linn, PhD '18, MSW '12
"A big part of the SSW is being challenged and doing some hard thinking about helping others and what it means to be a social worker."
9/7/18
Brad Loliger, JD/MSW '13
"I had to set boundaries, I learned that as a social worker."
12/8/20
Tabatha Lumley, MSW '14
“My social work education made me keen to focus on those most at risk and in need.”
12/13/22
Nelson Mar, JD/MSW ’98
"At UB, there are so many ways to learn and such a diverse faculty, so take advantage of all those opportunities."
9/7/18
Aaron Maracle, MSW '10
"The status quo has to be disrupted."
3/30/21
Whitney Marris, MSW '20
Online cohort
“I met people who broadened my mind and helped me grow as a person and as a professional.”
9/7/18
McKenzie Mattison, MSW '12
"The professors are phenomenal."
9/7/18
Danielle Maurice, MSW '13
“Social work would give me the broadest degree that would prepare me either way...”
9/7/18
Chanell McCain, MSW '15
“I want to make change and make a difference.”
5/8/23
Jessica Mencia, MSW ’21, PhD Student
"The school exceeded my expectations—I’m proud to identify as a social worker."
12/20/22
Alexandria Meranto, MSW ’19
“With war come so many social problems that need to be addressed.”
12/8/20
Felecia Badio Merriam, MSW '16
"[The DREAM program is] a great place to make connections with other students and the Buffalo community."
9/7/18
Marna Metcalf, MBA/MSW '16
“UB offered me all that I wanted but so much more.”
5/8/23
Haneul Park, MSW ’20
"Buffalo, for being a big city, there is such a homey feel to it."
9/7/18
Melissa Pietrkiewicz, MSW '12
"I can’t say enough good things about my experience with the School of Social Work."
9/7/18
Thomas Power, MSW '17
Online cohort
"I feel so lucky that I get to make a career out of helping people."
9/7/18
Victoria Rader, MSW '17
"UB actively supports independence and engagement, really following a networked approach to building relationships within and outside of the school. "
6/11/21
Sarah Richards-Desai, MSW '16, PhD Candidate
"Coming to terms with your own humanity, with both its positive and negative aspects, will help you to grow personally and be a more effective social worker professionally."
9/27/18
Barbara Robertson, MSW '13
"I’m working in a goal-driven way to empower clients."
1/4/23
Julie Rockmaker, MSW ’07
"I think UB has a lot to offer the community."
1/12/21
Matthew Schwartz, MSW '18
DSW Student
"I’m developing a program to provide support for international students."
9/10/21
Nurit Fischer Shemer, PhD '19, MSW '13
"Every place I'd worked, patient care was number one."
9/7/18
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.”
9/7/18
Julia Szprygada, MSW '13
[Regarding COVID-19] "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."
9/7/18
Joyelle Tedeschi, MSW '08
“I knew early on in this process that I was on the right path. ”
2/20/23
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."
9/7/18
Shawnte Wilson, MSW '12
"No matter your area of interest or professional goals, you will have valuable experiences and opportunities for learning at UBSSW."
9/7/18
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."
5/11/22
Kelly Zaky, MBA/MSW '22

SSW at a Glance

Founded: 1934

Dean: Keith A. Alford

Student Body: 700

Degrees and Programs:

PhD in social welfare
DSW online
MSW
MSW/PhD
MSW online
JD/MSW
MBA/MSW
MPH/MSW
BA/MSW
Micro-credentials
Undergraduate Minor in
Community Organizing & Development

4/17/23 Our Rankings and Accolades

Our podcast engages practitioners and researchers in lifelong learning and promotes research to practice and practice to research.
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Engaging practitioners and researchers in lifelong learning and promoting research to practice and practice to research.
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Education and Admissions

1/26/23 Apply to Graduate Programs
2/17/23 Degree Programs
1/12/23 Continuing Education
6/2/23 Field Education
12/21/22 Take Non-Degree Courses
5/30/23 Undergraduate Education

Find People

4/7/23 Faculty Directory
5/7/20 Staff Directory
University Directory

Community Resources

5/30/23 inSocialWork Podcast
1/10/23 Self-Care Starter Kit

Research Center and Institutes

2/13/23 Buffalo Center for Social Research
9/30/19 Institutes & Centers
4/5/23 Behavioral Health Clinic

News & Events

2/2/23 Latest News
2/20/23 Upcoming Events

For Current Students

10/8/18 MSW Student Resources
5/5/23 Doctoral Student Resources

For Faculty and Staff

Internal Website
2/24/23 Communications Toolbox

For Field Educators and Liaisons

5/18/23 Forms and Resources

Get Involved

2/8/22 Alumni Mentor Program
10/30/14 Become a Field Educator
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Land Acknowledgment Statement

We would like to acknowledge the land on which the University at Buffalo operates, which is the territory of the Seneca Nation, a member of the Haudenosaunee/
Six Nations Confederacy.

School of Social Work
Address 685 Baldy Hall, Buffalo, New York 14260
Phone 716-645-3381 | Email Us
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