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Faculty and staff briefs

At the UNC School of Social Work graduation on May 19, the MSW Class of 2014 recognized Marilyn Ghezzi as Most Outstanding Faculty Member; Mat Despard, Most Innovative Faculty Member; Lisa Zerden, Most Supportive Faculty Member; and Beth Sauer, Most Supportive Staff Member.

Assistant Professor Paul Lanier will be honored with the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). The award will be presented during the APSAC Colloquium, June 11-14, in New Orleans.

Lanier will be presenting on May 28 at the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) 22nd Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The presentation is entitled, “Prevention of Child Maltreatment in Early Childhood: The Role of Poverty in Racial and Ethnic Disproportionality.”

Darin Nalls, business services coordinator with the N.C. Child Welfare Education Collaborative, received his Ph.D. degree from Walden University on May 25.

Dean Jack Richman, Clinical Instructor Josh Hinson, MSW students Allie Hill and Erin Magee, and Albert Thrower (MSW ’14) presented to the UNC Board of Trustees on May 21. They spoke on the School of Social Work’s “Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Initiative,” a collaborative project launched last year with the nonprofit Church World Service in Durham and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

Associate Professor Amelia Roberts Lewis will be retiring from the School of Social Work on June 30. Roberts Lewis has taught in the MSW program, worked closely with Ph.D. students, served as PI on several federal and state funded research projects as well as provided consultation and technical assistance on funded grants. Also, she developed and implemented the dual degree program with Duke University where students earn both the MSW and M.Div. degrees. “Clearly, we will miss Amelia’s positive energy, leadership and colleagueship,” said Dean Jack Richman. “Please join me in wishing Amelia all the best as she makes this transition.”

Professor Sheryl Zimmerman was elected to a national leadership post in the Gerontological Society of America, the premier interdisciplinary organization of researchers in aging. The new officers will assume their roles during GSA’s 67th Annual Scientific Meeting, November 5-9 in Washington, D.C. Zimmerman is the Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section Chair-Elect.

New publications

Assistant Professors Paul Lanier and Susan Snyder have articles that were accepted for publication:

  • Lanier, P. & Jonson-Reid, M. (in press). Comparing primiparous and multiparous mothers in a nurse home visiting prevention program. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care.
  • Snyder, S. M. & Smith, R.E. (in press). Typologies of violence among youth who encounter child welfare systems. Journal of Family Social Work.

Upcoming AHEC presentations by faculty

Southern Regional AHEC
May 30 – Suicide in Adults and Children – Jodi Flick

Eastern AHEC
June 4 – Depression and Suicide in Children and Adolescents – Jodi Flick

Mountain AHEC
June 12 – Advanced Ethical Issues – Kim Strom-Gottfried
June 13 – Ethical Practice in Supervision – Kim Strom-Gottfried

For information on AHEC programs.