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College of Social Work

2018 News Archive

Korea-Based MSW Program Students Earn Prestigious Award

The College of Social Work's Part-time Korea-based MSW program has been well-represented as two students have earned the prestigious Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare Award in 2018 and 2017.

Cruising for CEUs: Melody Nadeau, MSW '15

Some may associate self-care with a vacation to reduce stress and maintain a healthy well-being. But one Master of Social Work alumna will help social work professionals combine a relaxing vacation, the benefits of self-care and Continuing Education Units in a unique setting.

Recognizing Excellence in Research

Assistant Professor Jaeseung Kim was second author on a research article that was selected as the SSWR 2019 Excellence in Research Award.

Alumni Spotlight: Tish Guerin, MSW '10

When Tish Guerin, MSW, LCSW, LISW-CP, graduated from the College of Social Work in 2010, she probably never expected to have an office at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium and work with Carolina Panthers football players.

Student Spotlight: Amanda Mickey

Amanda Mickey did not travel far for her undergraduate and graduate education. A native of nearby Irmo, S.C., she earned her Bachelor of Social Work earlier this year and will graduate in May 2019 with her Master of Social Work, thanks to the college's Advanced Standing program.

SmartHOME Center Helps Open Renovated House

Six months ago, the house at 3613 Judy St. in the Trenholm Acres neighborhood of Northeast Columbia was boarded up and in dilapidated condition. But instead of demolition, the house received a complete renovation thanks to a collaboration involving the University of South Carolina's SmartHOME Center.

Iachini's New Book Released by CSWE Press

Associate Professor Aidyn Iachini has authored or co-authored numerous journal articles, book chapters, and commissioned policy briefs and reports. But two years of work was recently completed with the release of her new book.

Gehlert Named APHA Social Worker of the Year

Dean Sarah Gehlert was in San Diego on Tuesday, Nov. 13 to receive a prestigious award from the American Public Health Association.

Student Spotlight - Anaida Malkhasian

Anaida Malkhasian's hometown of Ulan-Ude, Russia is 6,480 miles from the University of South Carolina campus. Interestingly, after earning her undergraduate degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Russia, it was not Malkhasian who chose UofSC but another organization that brought her to the Palmetto State.

College of Social Work at CSWE Annual Program Meeting

The College of Social Work will be represented at the Council on Social Work Education's 64th Annual Program Meeting from Nov. 8-11, 2018 with several presentations by our faculty, staff and Ph.D. students.

Alumni Spotlight: Elizabeth Polinsky, MSW '15

After earning her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, Elizabeth Polinsky, LISW-CP, moved east to attend the University of South Carolina College of Social Work. She not only earned her Master of Social Work degree but also a graduate certificate in Social Work with Military Members, Veterans and Military Families.

Sue Levkoff Selected as AASWSW Fellow

Professor Sue Levkoff has taught at five universities for 40 years. During that time, she has served as director of university institutes and centers and presented nationally and internationally on gerontology and aging. Her publications have also been cited more than 8,000 times.

Immigration Issues

Immigration policy is rapidly changing and affecting immigrants, refugees and communities. On Nov. 1 at the Russell House, the College of Social Work hosted an Immigration Panel to discuss this important issue.

Supporting Domestic Violence Victims

October is Relationship Violence Awareness Month, and one Bachelor of Social Work student helped lead a drive to support a local women's shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Guest, MSW, MPH '15

Aaron Guest earned a bachelor's degree and a dual degree Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina. He also received certificates of graduate studies in gerontology and health communications. His academic and field education experience at the College of Social Work helped prepare him for his current doctoral studies.

Student Spotlight: Dominique Fay

New Jersey native Dominique Fay earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. She decided to remain in Columbia to earn her Master of Social Work, thanks to the college's Advanced Standing program.

From Research to Shaping Medicaid Policy

Assistant Professor Christina Andrews, a leading researcher on opioid use disorder treatment, has helped shape Medicaid policy by sharing her research with the U.S. House of Representatives and publishing in such-nationally recognized journals as Health Affairs and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Advocating for Immigrants Rights

Assistant Professors Breanne Grace and Benjamin Roth investigated how personal, social and institutional uncertainty and instability causes fear for basic daily interactions of immigrants and refugees in their article, The Violence of Uncertainty - Undermining Immigrant and Refugee Health, which was published in the Sept. 6, 2018 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Help Support Hurricane Florence Victims in South Carolina

Led by MSW students and Rural Interprofessional Behavioral Health Scholars Madeline Cook, Samantha McKenzie and Tierney Rhone, the College of Social Work is organizing a drive to collect and provide essential supplies to hurricane victims in the Pee Dee region of northeastern South Carolina.

Student Spotlight - Brianna Jenkins

MSW Advanced Year student Brianna Jenkins came to Columbia to study at Allen University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in social science, with a concentration in human services. But she decided to stay in South Carolina's capital city to attend the College of Social Work.

Alumni Spotlight: Terri Hallman, MSW '15

Terri Hallman, LISW-CP, attended the College of Social Work while balancing life as a wife and mother. She received her Master of Social Work degree in 2015 and currently works for the South Carolina Department of Mental Health as a Child, Adolescent and Family Therapist - Clinic-Based.

Presenting Refugee Rights

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is an organization with a mandate to protect refugees and other stateless people. Assistant Professor Breanne Grace, who studies solutions to statelessness in East Africa, was invited in January to present her work at the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and use their official archive for her research.

A Scholarly Summer

Higher education often opens doors and provides opportunities for students who thought were unattainable. One Bachelor of Social Work student recently completed a summer research project as part of a program to help prepare undergraduates for graduate school and beyond.

Standing Up for Human Rights

College of Social Work alumna Karen Rotabi has advocated and testified in court to prevent Guatemalan immigrant women from returning to the violent conditions of their home country.

Innovative Solutions

The College of Social Work's i3 will host a Learning Exchange on Aug. 10 to review and recognize participating organizations as part of a human-centered design pilot program.

Alumni Spotlight: Jessica Hare, MSW '10

Alumna Jessica Hare shares her memories of the College of Social Work and why she chose the social work profession.

A Smart Way to Home Rebuild

A run-down house in a Northeast Columbia neighborhood will receive a complete, modern renovation thanks to a collaboration between the University of South Carolina's SmartHOME Center for Economic Excellence and several community organizations.

Finding a Home

After living in a homeless shelter in Tennessee, Samantha Favor's family relocated to Columbia during her senior year of high school, circumstances led her to Palmetto Place, a shelter directed by a Carolina MSW graduate. Now, Samantha is earning her own MSW at the College of Social Work.

Sharing the Gift of Experience

Katrina Spigner earned her MSW as a single mother while working and raising two children. Now, the Dr. Katrina E. Spigner Endowed Fellowship Fund will assist MSW students facing the challenges of pursuing an education while raising a family alone.

Addressing the Opioid Epidemic

According to College of Social Work professor Christina Andrews, Ph.D., the United States is losing more people now to opioid overdose than at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Andrews and other researchers in the College of Social Work are working to stem the tide of opioid abuse by studying the availability and quality of treatment and by improving drug use screenings.

Police and Racial Bias: Lessons From the Lab For the Street

The College of Social Work's I. DeQuincey Newman Institute for Peace and Justice hosted University of Colorado, Department of Psychology Professor Joshua Correll, who discussed how an individual's race can influence a police officer's decision to shoot.

National Professional Social Work Month

The College of Social Work joins the National Association of Social Workers in a campaign to inform the public and legislators about the crucial role social workers play in improving the well-being of people and improving our society for everyone.

Improving Mental Health Services

The inaugural Integrated Behavioral Health Symposium features keynote speaker Joseph Parks, MD, Medical Director for the National Council for Behavioral Health, addressing topics such as changing the way medical professionals work together.

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