Class Notes

Joseph Spring, BSW ’70, is enjoying retirement after 40 years in the field. He retired as director of social work and service coordination at the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

David Morris, MSW ’72, is retired but remains active, working part time and using his skills in serving two congregations of the Church of the Brethren in Franklin, W.Va.

Joseph John Monaco, MSW ’73, is a licensed clinical social worker with Western New York Psychotherapy Services.

James Sampson, BSW ’73, retired from his role as director of Gateway-Longview in Buffalo.

Ellen E. Grant, MSW ’74, executive director of corporate social responsibility/CARES at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Award from Utopian Euphoria.

Gwenn Herman, BSW ’75, is self-employed at Painted Desert Psychotherapy in Arizona and started an eight-week structured chronic pain group called “Take Control of Your Pain.”

Rob Schwartz, MSW ’77, is retired but remains active in the Buffalo social work community. He is a field education liaison, offers seminars for Child & Family Services, volunteers with the Red Cross, Hearts & Hands and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, and more.

Lori Wiener, BS ’77, PhD, DCSW, received the 2024 Jimmie Holland Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. Wiener is an associate scientist in pediatric oncology and co-director of the Behavioral Health Core at the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research in Maryland. 

Sylvia Gold, MSW ’81, received the 2024 National Association of Social Workers New York State Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mary-Jean Gianquinto, MSW ’86, is a licensed real estate broker in New York City specializing in helping individuals and families downsize, upgrade their living spaces and relocate. 

Jennifer Carlson, MSW ’94, director of clinical development at Sheridan Medical Group, was named associate clinical professor in the UB Department of Family Medicine. In addition, she is the associate director for an OASAS-funded grant to teach interdisciplinary collaboration to MSW and medical students at UB.

Heidi Redlich Epstein, JD/MSW ’94, is an associate director at the American Bar Association on Children and Law, working in policy and technical assistance for children in foster care and kinship givers.

Kathryn Kendall, MSW ’95, joined SUNY Fredonia as the inaugural vice president for enrollment management and services.

Rosemary Glover, MSW ’98, retired from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and enjoys volunteering for various organizations in her community, traveling, exercising and spending time with her family.

Lynda Battaglia, MSW ’01, is the director of mental health and community services for Genesee County in New York. Additionally, she is an adjunct instructor for the UB School of Social Work; provides training through UB, and has a small private practice with Tranquil Waters of Western New York.

Nancy Deborah Chu-Flowers, MSW ’04, works as a probation officer in Erie County, N.Y.

Kristen Luppino-Gholston, MSW ’05, is a program officer at the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York.

Ruth Jean Wilkins, MSW ’05, is the executive director of THRIVE Educational Services Inc. in Fayetteville, Ga. Additionally, she received her doctoral degree in 2022 from Valdosta State University.

Carol Mae Whitlow, MSW ’06, has been working with the Red Cross disaster mental health team to help transition 7,000 wildfire survivors in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Morgan Daugherty, MSW ’07, earned a DSW from Kutztown University in 2023. She is a clinical assistant professor in the Social Work Department at Saint Francis University.

Penny Lynn Drag, MSW ’07, is a proud and busy colleague at Tranquil Waters Counseling PLLC, serving as a mental health therapist.

Karen Andolina Scott, JD ’09, MSW ’08, has pivoted into a new role as the director of the Center for Resolution and Justice at Child & Family Services in Buffalo.

Cindy A. German, MSW ’08, is self-employed as a home organizer and is a per diem hospice social worker with Rochester Regional Health.

Anne Marie Pegg, MSW ’09, owns Nickel City Counseling and works with the Buffalo Public Schools.  

Elaine S. Rinfrette, PhD ’10, is the new volunteer western division director for the National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter (NASW-NYS).

Caryn Domzalski, MSW ’10, is the director of clinical services for Berkshire Farm Center & Services for Youth, overseeing clinical services in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Middletown and Long Island.

Kaitlyn J. Chmielowiec, MSW ’12, is the staff support team coordinator for Central New York Psychiatric Center, a role dedicated to staff wellness. 

Nancy Kusmaul, PhD ’13, received the 2024 Outstanding Individual in Academia award from the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP).

Karen Williams, MSW ’13, owns a private practice, which specializes in trauma and works with individuals in the health care setting. Additionally, she works at Daemen University as a therapist.

Bradley Hamm, MSW ’14, celebrated the one-year anniversary of his private practice, A Peace of My Mind Licensed Clinical Social Work PLLC, in February. He also recently presented on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills to the Buffalo Niagara chapter of the New York State Mental Health Counselors Association.

Christopher Hope, MSW ’14, is employed at the Erie County Medical Center in the trauma and burn units.

Ali Kadhum, MSW ’14, functions in various roles at BestSelf Behavioral Health, including assistant program director of behavioral health, health home and targeted case management.

Kelly Ghweinem, MSW ’15, a certified sex therapist, is the co-founder of an online sex education platform, Erotic Intimacy Academy, and the owner of Psychotherapy Collaborative in Florida. 

Rachel Remmes, MSW ’15, opened a private practice in December 2023.

Timothy Shaughnessy, MSW ’15, is a licensed social worker 2 at the Office of Mental Health’s Buffalo Psychiatric Center.

Sara Andrew, MSW ’17, began a new role as community engagement and partnership coordinator for suicide prevention at the VA Western New York Health Care System in Batavia, N.Y.

Ryan Savino, MBA/MSW ’17, is a PhD candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center and recently published two articles on homelessness in the Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness and Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance.

Heidi Billittier, MSW ’18 and DSW student, is the chief operating officer for Envision Wellness WNY.

Kathryn Franco, MPS/MSW '18, is the director of alumni engagement and community relations at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.

Aurora Couch, MSW ’19, is a medical social worker at Optum.

Katie Merritt, MSW ’20, is assistant deputy secretary of policy and planning with the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office.

Miranda Bosse, MPH/MSW ’21, started a new position as senior manager of educational initiatives at the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.

Rebecca Cobin, MSW ’21, has transitioned into a position at Genesee County Mental Health as a mental health social worker and is working towards licensure.

Nadine Cohen, MSW ’21, joined the Neighborhood Health Center on the behavioral health team in Buffalo.

Ashley Dugan, MSW ’21, works in the eligibility department of the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

Cameron McLeod, MSW ’21, is a social worker at the Pines Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center-Machias in Lime Lake, N.Y.

Julianne Reese, MSW ’21, is a hospice and home health social worker in Akron, Ohio.

Rebecca Bass, MSW ’22, is the director of strategic programs and development and grants at Say Yes Buffalo.

Denise Braun, MSW ’22, LMSW, is a suicide prevention case manager at the Syracuse VA Medical Center Behavioral Health Clinic.

Matthew Cosmai, MSW ’23, is an assisted outpatient treatment clinician for the Niagara County Department of Mental Health.

Shana Guiffrida, MSW ’23, is a staff social worker at Cayuga County Community Mental Health Center. Guiffrida also works part time for the University at Albany’s Center for Human Services Research, where she was recently promoted to senior research support specialist. “The UB School of Social Work’s emphasis on trauma-informed practice helps me respond to the wide range of clinical conditions presented by my clients and research respondents,” she says.

Larry D. Hales, MSW ’23, is a forensic social worker with The Legal Aid Society, working on housing justice and tenant defense in New York. 

Emily McFadden, MSW ’23, currently serves as the director of BestSelf’s Assertive Community Treatment program.

Shantel Shannon, MSW ’23, is a domestic violence counselor at YWCA and a treatment assistant at Horizon Village.

Christopher P. Walsh, MSW ’23, is a health and substance use counselor at Evergreen Health in Buffalo.

Andy Whitehead, MSW ’23, is a program assistant for the UB Food Recovery Network.