Meet Our Alumni

“I want our society and world to be better, and I will keep fighting for that — with love, humility and compassion.”
11/3/23
Jessica Al Kadi, MSW ’23
“There are so many opportunities here at UB. Take advantage of them, and commit yourself to lifelong learning.”
11/26/24
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.”
11/26/24
Esther Annan, MSW ’06
“I discovered the great diversity and opportunities available when attending and graduating from the UBSSW.”
11/26/24
Terence Askew, MSW ’12
“Field put real meat on the bones of things I had been learning in my classes.”
11/26/24
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.”
11/26/24
Samantha Bowes, MSW ’23
“People are more resilient than they think.”
11/26/24
Brianna Bozeman, MSW ’18
“I was looking for interprofessional collaboration; Social Impact Fellows offered the perfect opportunity.”
11/26/24
Cheney Brockington, MSW ’19
“I knew that social work would align with my strengths.”
11/26/24
Dan Calabrese, MSW ’18
“In my opinion, social workers are uniquely suited to helping medicine transform itself.”
11/26/24
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.”
1/22/25
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.”
4/13/22
Erin Casciano, MSW '23
“I wanted to use my voice to address how immigrants were being portrayed.”
5/27/25
Hector Chaidez Ruacho, MSW ’20
“It was an important realization that you can get close to people despite a huge difference between you.”
11/26/24
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.”
11/26/24
Bonnie Collins, MSW ’80
Adjunct Instructor Emeritus
“The UBSSW really takes pride in adequately preparing students for a career in social work.”
11/26/24
Jose Correa, MSW ’03
“Shortly after transitioning to the School of Social Work, I realized it was exactly what I wanted to do.”
8/9/22
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.”
11/26/24
Victor Diaz, MSW ’17
“Most of my hands-on learning came from my SSW field placements.”
1/23/25
Jennifer Ditta, MSW ’00
“Social work, for me, is about loving people so deeply and fiercely that their success is our collective success.”
1/19/24
Yvonne DuBois, MSW ’09
“One benefit of my UB program is my ability to allow work and school to complement each other.”
8/9/22
Jennifer Elliott, MSW/PhD student
“It was very seamless for me to transition after graduating from UB to finding employment in Canada.”
11/26/24
Olivia Fabiani, MSW ’14
“The trauma-informed aspect of the program is what drew me here in the first place.”
1/23/25
Siobhan Fitzgerald-Matson, MSW ’18
“The DSW is practice-focused.”
9/10/20
Michelle Fortunado-Kewin, DSW ’22
“The knowledge I’ve gained and the experiences I’ve had in the MSW program have changed me completely.”
1/30/23
Adam Fryer, MSW ’23 (Online cohort)
"The UBSSW has an awesome research program—the orientation of the research, the coursework and the professors are incredible resources for graduate students."
11/26/24
Dieuveut Gaity, PhD ’18
“My degree will give me the ability to make an actual difference.”
5/5/25
Elisabeth Garofalo, MSW ’26
"Interning at the Mobile Safety-Net Team, gave me a valuable viewpoint of what poverty looks like at the community level."
1/23/25
Rachel Gaydosh, MSW '15
“UB continues to enrich my life, and I am a proud alum!”
3/7/25
Ellen Grant, MSW ’74
"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.”
1/23/25
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."
1/23/25
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.”
1/23/25
Travis Hales, PhD ’18, MSW ’14
"I have become so interested in solution-focused practice..."
1/23/25
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 ’23 (Online cohort)
“I ended up loving the tech changes in education, and I learned so many new ways to offer specialized treatment options.”
8/9/22
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."
12/7/21
Dawn C. Hill, BA/MSW '03
"I’m especially interested in how people recover from trauma."
1/23/25
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.”
11/2/21
Gloria James, MSW '22
"I knew earning an education in social work would provide me with a perspective that goes beyond examining demographic factors..."
1/23/25
Eric Johnson, MSW '14
“Opportunity here is good.”
4/16/15
Ali Kadhum, MSW ’14
“Even on the worst days of work I still feel like it’s a perfect fit.”
2/3/25
Alicia Kaufman, MSW ’17 (Online cohort)
“I am passionate about creating a future for LGBTQ+ youth where they can feel safe and affirmed.”
12/14/22
Jack Kavanaugh, MSW ’15
“It's our responsibility to make sure that individuals aren't falling through the cracks.”
4/16/15
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.”
5/11/22
Danial Khan, MBA/MSW ’21, CFSW
“We talk about trauma a lot and that’s important, but the other side of trauma is resilience.”
2/3/25
Colleen Kristich, MSW ’18
“I think trauma is the link between the majority of the work that social workers and public health practitioners do.”
2/3/25
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.”
4/13/23
Charles LaBarre, PhD ’25
“Canopy of Neighbors is a work in progress. It's part of an expanding, national 'village-to-village network.'”
5/1/14
Toby Laping, MSW ’63
“I’ve loved being a part of this community since I moved here. Buffalo feels like home.”
2/17/23
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.”
2/3/25
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.”
11/26/24
Brad Linn, PhD ’18, MSW ’12
“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.”
1/7/25
Kathy Lisborg, DSW ’22, MSW ’14
“I am focused daily on the people who have fallen through the cracks, who have no other place to turn.”
6/26/23
Brad Loliger, JD/MSW '13
“I had to set boundaries, I learned that as a social worker.”
12/4/14
Tabatha Lumley, MSW ’14
“My social work education made me keen to focus on those most at risk and in need.”
12/4/14
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.”
1/29/25
Aaron Maracle, MSW ’10
“The status quo has to be disrupted.”
11/26/24
Whitney Marris, MSW ’20 (Online cohort)
“I met people who broadened my mind and helped me grow as a person and as a professional.”
1/29/25
McKenzie Mattison, MSW ’12
“UB has one of the top social work schools and is the best educational experience I’ve had from every angle.”
1/29/25
Danielle Maurice, MSW ’13
“The ability to give someone space and attention to express themselves is a true honor.”
8/17/23
Halimah McBryde, MSW ’23
“Social work would give me the broadest degree that would prepare me either way.”
1/29/25
Chanell McCain, MSW ’15
“I want to make change and make a difference.”
10/7/22
Jessica Mencia, MSW ’21, PhD Student
“The school exceeded my expectations—I’m proud to identify as a social worker.”
1/29/25
Alexandria Meranto, MSW ’19
“With war come so many social problems that need to be addressed.”
12/4/14
Felecia Badio Merriam, MSW ’16
“[The DREAM program is] a great place to make connections with other students and the Buffalo community.”
1/29/25
Marna Metcalf, MBA/MSW ’16
“My UB professors still mentor me. If I seek advice, they always connect me to resources.”
10/25/24
Faustina Palmatier, MSW ’19
“UB offered me all that I wanted but so much more.”
2/22/21
Haneul Park, MSW ’20
"Buffalo, for being a big city, there is such a homey feel to it."
1/29/25
Melissa Pietrkiewicz, MSW ’12
“I can’t say enough good things about my experience with the School of Social Work.”
1/29/25
Thomas Power, MSW ’17 (Online cohort)
“I feel so lucky that I get to make a career out of helping people.”
1/29/25
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, PhD ’24, MSW ’16
“Dignity is a huge part of my motivation.”
3/30/21
Shatorah Roberson, JD ’12, MSW ’11
“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.”
1/29/25
Barbara Robertson, MSW ’13
“I’m working in a goal-driven way to empower clients.”
1/29/25
Julie Rockmaker, MSW ’07
“Witnessing the importance of social workers advocating and providing care to patients was transformative to preconceptions I had about who a social worker was and what they do.”
3/4/24
Destiny Rust, MSW ’24
“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.”
1/22/25
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