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Alumni briefs: Stefureac, MSW ’13; Smith, MSW ’13; Kranbuehl, MSW ’17; Lewis, MSW ’97; Sullivan, ’97; Styron, MSW ’17; Martin, MSW ’17; Schad, MSW ’17; Hilibinger, MSW ’18; and Kulp, MSW ’19;

Kristen Stefureac and Randy Smith, both MSW ‘13 alumni, welcomed their first child, Blake, on June 27. Kristen and Randy met during the School’s JumpStart Orientation and married in 2016.

Karen Kranbuehl, MSW ’17, recently spoke about self-advocacy and self-determination to an audience of 500 women at the Oxford House World Conference in Washington, D.C. Kranbuehl is the founder of Say It Solutions.

Yvonne Rena Lewis, MSW ‘97, completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work degree from Norfolk State University in May. She continues to work in the education field as a licensed school social worker and adjunct professor.

Matt Sullivan, MSW ’97, was interviewed for the University’s Well Said podcast. Sullivan, the current fire chief for the Town of Chapel Hill, reflected on his service in New York City following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Liz Styron, MSW ’17, and Kaleia Martin, MSW ’17, were keynote speakers for the International Association for Public Participation conference in Charlotte. The alums talked about why youth empowerment does not work without a racial equity framework.

Allison Schad, MSW ’17; Katie Bess Hilbinger, MSW ’18; and Lauren Kulp, MSW ’19, have a lot in common – they are graduates of the UNC-PrimeCare program; they completed their final year field placements with Campus Health, and they were all hired to work at UNC following their respective graduations. Schad works as a student wellness coach with the School of Medicine; Hilbinger is an assistant case manager in the Office of the Dean of Students, and Kulp was recently hired as a social work practitioner in Counseling and Psychological Services. The students, who stopped by the School recently to meet with Meryl Kanfer, UNC-PrimeCare program coordinator, praised their field training for preparing them for their current roles.