2020 News Archive

  • Associate Professors Isok Kim and Wooksoo Kim, PhD Student Krisztina Baltimore, and colleagues publish article, "Simple contents and good readability: Improving health literacy for LEP populations"
    10/8/20
    Congratulations to Associate Professors Isok Kim and Wooksoo Kim, PhD student Krisztina Baltimore, and colleagues on the publication of their article, "Simple contents and good readability: Improving health literacy for LEP populations," in International Journal of Medical Informatics.
  • Professor Hilary Weaver named a NASW Social Work Pioneer
    10/1/20
    Congratulations to Professor Hilary Weaver on being named a National Association for Social Workers (NASW) Social Work Pioneer®. The program honors members of the social work profession who have contributed to the evolution and enrichment of the profession. The Pioneer Program identifies and recognizes individuals whose unique dedication, commitment, and determination have improved social and human conditions. Weaver is only the fourth Native American to be inducted into the NASW Pioneers Program. This honor will be celebrated virtually in October 2020. 
  • Dean Nancy J. Smyth speaks out on the role of social works and police working together
    9/22/20

    Smyth expressed her views at a recent rally on social workers accompanying police to mental health calls, as Buffalo Police Department recently formed a Behavioral Health Team. 

  • Dean Nancy Smyth's Fall Video Welcome
    9/2/20
    With the start of the new academic year, Dean Nancy J. Smyth took to video to convey a message of welcome and reassurance to all students in the UB School of Social Work. 
  • Welcome Assistant Professor Maria Y. Rodriguez
    8/31/20
    The UB School of Social Work is bringing big data to the study of social work with the addition of Maria Y. Rodriguez, PhD, as our new assistant professor. 
     
    Dr. Rodriguez joins UB from Hunter College/CUNY, where she founded the caretLAB, the first lab dedicated to computational research methods in the public interest housed in a school of social work. Her caretLAB work will continue under the auspices of the UB School of Social Work. 

    With the addition of Dr. Rodriguez and her caretLAB, UB School of Social Work adds important expertise to the school’s research enterprise, the Buffalo Center for Social Research. Dr. Rodriguez will continue her research into extracting insights from big data about how humans live their lives and find ways to turn those insights into interventions to support marginalized communities, as well as addressing other issues social workers are poised to tackle.
     
    “The intersection between big data and social policy is the next great frontier for social workers,” said Nancy Smyth, Dean of UB’s School of Social Work. “We are excited to welcome such an accomplished professional to our community of scholars." 

    In her role at UB, Dr. Rodriguez will be teaching MSW students (policy and macro practice), continuing the lab’s current portfolio of research projects on algorithmic decision-making in human services and social media, as well as working to support the broadening of social work research to include computational research methods.
  • Three social work faculty promoted to associate professors
    8/24/20

    Congratulations to Annahita Ball, Elizabeth Bowen and Nadine Shaanta Murshid, who have all been promoted to associate professors this fall.

  • PhD Alum Braden Linn and Professors Paul Stasiewicz and Clara Bradizza and colleague publish article, "The Great Disrupter: Relationship of Alexithymia to Emotion Regulation Processes and Smoking among Pregnant Women"
    8/7/20
    Congratulations to PhD Alum Braden Linn and Professors Paul Stasiewicz and Clara Bradizza and colleague on the publication of their article, "The Great Disrupter: Relationship of Alexithymia to Emotion Regulation Processes and Smoking among Pregnant Women," in Substance Use & Misuse.
  • Racial Justice Focused Courses Offered in Fall 2020
    7/23/20
    The UB School of Social Work's curriculum offers a wide variety of courses with different themes. In light of the current social climate in support of Black Lives Matter and other social justice movements, we wish to highlight courses that have a significant racial equity/justice focus in the course description. These courses help students improve understanding of structural racism, anti-racist practice strategies and diversity. 
  • Assistant Professor Mickey Sperlich publishes article, "Social Determinants of Maternal Mental Health and the Need for Integrated Models of Care"
    7/20/20

    Congratulations to Assistant Professor Mickey Sperlich on the publication of her article in the Journal of Women's Health. 

  • Free Resource for Field Education: Peer Led Mutual Aid Groups
    7/13/20
    The University at Buffalo School of Social Work (UBSSW) presents a new training resource for social work educators and practitioners, Peer Led Mutual Aid Groups.
  • PhD Alum Braden Linn and Professors Paul Stasiewicz and Clara Bradizza and colleague publish article, "The Great Disrupter: Relationship of Alexithymia to Emotion Regulation Processes and Smoking among Pregnant Women"
    7/6/20
    Congratulations to PhD alum Braden Linn and Professors Paul Stasiewicz and Clara Bradizza and colleague on the publication of their article, "The Great Disrupter: Relationship of Alexithymia to Emotion Regulation Processes and Smoking among Pregnant Women," in Substance Use and Misuse. 
  • Assistant Professor Elizabeth Bowen and PhD Student Andrew Irish publish article, " Trauma and principles of trauma-informed care in the U.S. federal legislative response to the opioid epidemic: A policy mapping analysis"
    6/30/20
    Congratulations to Assistant Professor Elizabeth Bowen and PhD Student Andrew Irish on the publication of their article, "Trauma and principles of trauma-informed care in the U.S. federal legislative response to the opioid epidemic: A policy mapping analysis," in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. 
  • Dean Nancy J. Smyth elected as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice
    6/29/20
    Congratulations to Dean Nancy J. Smyth on being elected a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (NAP). NAP is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to advise governmental bodies on our healthcare system. Distinguished practitioners and scholars are elected by their peers from fourteen different health professions to join the only interprofessional group of healthcare practitioners and scholars dedicated to supporting affordable, accessible, coordinated quality healthcare for all. NAP firmly believes that close collaboration and coordination of different healthcare professions, aligned through a common vision, can advocate for patients and model excellence in interprofessional and preventive care. NAP is dedicated to lifelong learning from, with, and among different healthcare professions to promote and preserve health and well-being for society.
  • Professor Gretchen Ely and colleagues publish article, "Family planning trends among community‐dwelling African refugee women"
    6/22/20
    Congratulations to Professor Gretchen Ely and her colleagues on the publication of their article, "Family planning trends among community‐dwelling African refugee women," in Public Health Nursing. 
  • Clinical Assistant Professor Michael Lynch writes blog post, "Virtual Field Education: Harnessing Technology and Campus Partnerships to Provide Learning Opportunities"
    6/9/20
    Congratulations to Clinical Assistant Professor Michael Lynch on his article, "Virtual Field Education: Harnessing Technology and Campus Partnerships to Provide Learning Opportunities," on Teaching & Learning in Social Work.