UB MSW/PhD student receives CSWE Minority Fellowship

By Catherine Donnelly

Tiffany J. Nhan, a student in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work’s dual degree Master of Social Work and PhD in Social Welfare program, has been selected for the Minority Fellowship from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

CSWE is the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States. Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the fellowship aims to increase the number of individuals trained to work with people from underrepresented and underserved minority populations who have or are at risk for mental health or substance abuse disorders. 

Nhan describes her work as intentionally understanding the intersection between historical and societal systems of oppression, personal identity and traumatic experiences, mental well-being, and the resilience of marginalized groups. Exploring these topics is personal for her because her family resettled to the United States from Vietnam as refugees before she was born.

“Growing up in a refugee family in a wonderfully diverse community has really informed my research interests and desire to implement pathways for civic engagement in marginalized populations,” says Nhan. “I am honored to receive this award from CSWE because it helps me continue my education and focus on ways to improve the well-being of underserved populations. I am grateful for all of the individuals who empower me in my professional and personal development, and I want to do the same for others.”

One of Nhan’s career goals is to create interventions focused on youth development because of how much she benefitted from those kinds of initiatives in her hometown.

“Having access to programs in my city really impacted my own growth,” she says. “Youth need to be engaged and offered opportunities. You can only build a dream on a strong foundation. I hope one day to empower communities to transform social systems that perpetuate harm.”

The master’s Minority Fellowship, which supports students focused on reducing health disparities and improving mental health outcomes for underserved populations, will help Nhan complete the MSW portion of her dual degree, including a summer practicum experience in Vietnam next year.

When she returns to UB next fall, she will focus on her last year of PhD coursework. In her research, she plans to explore historical trauma, empowerment and healing in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and migrant communities and develop interventions that promote pathways to identity development and sociopolitical engagement in youth of color and migrant youth.

“When I was considering graduate school, I realized my academic interests were largely focused on communities and healing,” Nhan says. “UB offered me the chance to dive deeper into my interests. I will be examining collective liberation, cross-cultural solidarity and social action under the guidance of Drs. Isok Kim and Wooksoo Kim.”

Nhan is very involved at UB, working both as a graduate assistant and research assistant while co-chairing the PhD Navigation student group.

She is equally committed to service in the city of Buffalo. During her first practicum experience, Nhan provided trauma systems therapy for refugee youth through the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Healing at Jewish Family Services of WNY. She now volunteers with their Bridging Refugee and Youth Children’s Services, providing workshops to promote parent-child relationships in a new country.

Nhan also spends her time on creative pursuits, most recently with Locust Street Art as one of the artists involved in the 2025 Hertel Alley Mural Fest. She is part of the nonprofit’s team creating murals and other public art initiatives in the community. 

“Social work feels like a calling to me. It is not just a job,” Nhan says. “My research, my clinical work and my engagement with the community is an act of resistance and a way to honor my ancestors who paved the way to give me this life.”