Meet Our Alumni

rita andolina
"There are so many opportunities here at UB. Take advantage of them, and commit yourself to lifelong learning. There’s so much you can derive from interacting with other people."
9/7/18

Rita Andolina, MSW ‘88

Terence Askew
"Upon intensive research I discovered the great diversity and opportunities available when attending and graduating from the UBSSW."
9/7/18

Terence Askew, MSW '12

Caitlin Beck
“...field put real meat on the bones of things I had been learning in my classes.” 
9/7/18

Caitlin Beck
 JD/MSW Student

Brianna Bozeman
"People are more resilient than they think."
9/7/18

Brianna Bozeman, MSW '18

Dan Calabrese
"I knew that social work would align with my strengths..."
9/7/18

Dan Calabrese, MSW '18

Jennifer Carlson
"In my opinion, social workers are uniquely suited to helping medicine transform itself.”
9/7/18

Jennifer Carlson, MSW '94

kali carpenter
"Through my fieldwork at Lake Shore Behavioral Health, I was able to learn and observe evidence-based practices like motivational interviewing."
9/7/18

Kali Carpenter, MSW '13

Marie Clarcq
"It was an important realization that you can get close to people despite a huge difference between you."
9/7/18

Marie Clarcq, MSW '11

Bonnie Collins
"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."
9/7/18

Bonnie Collins, MSW '80
Adjunct Instructor Emeritus

Jose Correa
"The UBSSW really takes pride in adequately preparing students for a career in social work."
9/7/18

Jose Correa, MSW '03

mary frances danner
"I appreciated the [scholarship] opportunity and I want to pass that kind of opportunity to someone else."
9/7/18

Mary Frances Danner, MSW '63
Annual Donor for over 30 Years

Victor Diaz at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park
"Just be open to the idea that you might be wrong—remember that your experience with the world is different than other people’s."
9/7/18

Victor Diaz, MSW '17

Al Dirschberger
"...the only way for the [Erie County social services] department to be effective is to partner with the community.”
9/7/18

Al Dirschberger, PhD '09, MSW ‘99

Jennifer Ditta
"I felt like most of my hands-on learning came from my SSW field placements."
9/7/18

Jennifer Ditta, MSW '00

Siobhan Fitzgerald-Matson
"The trauma-informed aspect of the program is what drew me here in the first place."
9/7/18

Siobhan Fitzgerald-Matson, MSW '18

Dieuveut Gaity
"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."
9/7/18

Dieuveut Gaity, PhD '18

rachel gaydosh
"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

Laura Greyber
"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

steve halady
"The program has really helped prepare me to adapt, be effective, and be happy in the wide range of possibilities that may present themselves."
9/7/18

Steven Halady, MSW '15

Travis Hales
“I would not be where I am if it were not for the continued encouragement and support of UB SSW faculty and staff.”
9/7/18

Travis Hales, PhD '18, MSW '14

Emily Hammer
"I have become so interested in solution-focused practice..."
9/7/18

Emily Hammer, MSW '18

eric johnson
"I knew earning an education in social work would provide me with a perspective that goes beyond examining demographic factors, which is common in public health, to acknowledging the cultural factors that influence public policy."
9/7/18

Eric Johnson, MSW '14

ali kadhum
"Opportunity here is good."
9/7/18

Ali Kadhum, MSW '14

Alicia Kaufman
"Even on the worst days of work I still feel like it’s a perfect fit."
9/7/18

Alicia Kaufman, MSW '17
Online cohort

laura kelemen
"It's our responsibility to make sure that individuals aren't falling through the cracks..."
9/7/18

Laura Kelemen, MSW '97

Mary Keovisai and her dog, Gizmo
"UB’s PhD program is very good; the faculty are special because they care about the students a lot."
9/7/18

Mary Keovisai, MSW '17
 Social Welfare
PhD Student

Colleen Kristich
“We talk about trauma a lot and that’s important, but the other side of trauma is resilience…"
9/7/18

Colleen Kristich, MSW '18

Lauren Kroening
“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

Toby Laping
"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

Alex Liloia-Bishop
"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

Brad Linn
"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."
9/7/18

Brad Linn, PhD '18, MSW '12

Brad Loliger
"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

Tabatha Lumley
"I had to set boundaries, I learned that as a social worker."
9/7/18

Tabatha Lumley, MSW '14

Nelson Mar
“My social work education made me keen to focus on those most at risk and in need...”
9/7/18

Nelson Mar, JD/MSW '98

Aaron Maracle
"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

McKenzie Mattison
“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

danielle maurice
"The professors are phenomenal."
9/7/18

Danielle Maurice, MSW '13

Chanell McCain
“Social work would give me the broadest degree that would prepare me either way...”
9/7/18

Chanell McCain, MSW '15

Felecia Merriam
“With war come so many social problems that need to be addressed.”
9/7/18

Felecia Badio Merriam, MSW '16

marna metcalf
"[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

Melissa Pietrkiewicz
"Buffalo, for being a big city, there is such a homey feel to it."
9/7/18

Melissa Pietrkiewicz, MSW '12

Thomas Power
"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

Victoria Rader
"I feel so lucky that I get to make a career out of helping people."
9/7/18

Victoria Rader, MSW '17

Barbara Robertson
"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

Matthew Schwartz
"I think UB has a lot to offer the community."
9/7/18

Matthew Schwartz, MSW '18

nurit fischer
"I’m developing a program to provide support for international students." 
9/7/18

Nurit Fischer Shemer, MSW '13
 Social Welfare
PhD Candidate

marilyn shine
"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

Julia Szprygada
“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

Joyelle Tedeschi
"We wanted to serve people with dignity and respect, our core values."
9/7/18

Joyelle Tedeschi, MSW '08

Shawnte Wilson
"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

katie witmer
"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