Dieuveut Gaity, PhD ’18

In the UB School of Social Work, Dieuveut Gaity’s doctoral studies parallel interests and issues he’s both faced and studied his entire life. As a native of Haiti, he has developed an affinity for community social work and intervention, particularly when it comes to Haitian street children.

“I’m planning to return to my country post-graduation to help with social problems, chiefly among that population,” Gaity said. “I'm interested in researching and evaluating their quality of life, lifestyle, and social and cultural practices in order to provide and inform government and international organizations with evidence-based information so that population is better served and understood.”

Gaity’s goals extend beyond providing information for other organizations to better serve these youth. He is currently working with colleagues in Haiti toward developing and strengthening an organization aimed at engaging them in the community and education, citing his increasing knowledge of research and research implementation as a source for bolstering the efficacy of the group. “The UBSSW has an awesome research program—the orientation of the research, the research coursework and the professors are incredible resources for graduate students to take advantage of,” he said.

An outspoken advocate of evidence-based social policy, Gaity aspires to eventually teach a research methods course in Haiti. Additionally, he aims to resume work as a consultant for an international agency—he’s done it before, as a psychosocial project coordinator serving children and families following the devastation of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti.

Dieuveut Gaity is a recipient of the Serge Valme Fellowship, a donor-supported fund.