Faculty Spotlight
After undergraduate studies at SUNY Geneseo in sociology, Michael Lynch was drawn to social work—in his definition, “fighting against oppression and injustices.”
The Rochester native applied to UB’s MSW program; even though he wasn’t even sure what social work was, he figured that it could help him put some of the sociology theory he’d learned into practice.
Multiple motivations included personal—“seeing friends and family experiencing structural poverty and racism”—and experiential: “As I became more informed and aware [about oppression and how many people need help], I felt more motivated to effect change,” said Lynch.
Drawn to UBSSW—both the professors’ passion, and its overall vision—as a faculty member himself now, Lynch is committed to helping students gain the enlightening experience he did through his own fieldwork.
“Fieldwork is the link between the university and what’s happening on the ground, in the community. It has a strong impact on your education as you are preparing for your career,” he said.
Lynch’s goals here include deeper integration of data and technology, as well as creating more meaningful collaborations between faculty and students participating in fieldwork.
“Why can’t we match those our faculty’s areas of specialized practice or research to help the students at a higher level?” he said. “There’s a lot of energy at the school.”
