October 17, 2012
Phi Alpha Lunch-and-learn Event
On October 17th, Phi Alpha sponsored a lunch-and-learn event with guest speaker Sandra Einhorn. Sandra talked about her organization "Rebuilding Together – Broward County" and how students can volunteer with them to assist low income homeowners with home improvement. For more information on this organization, please visit their website at http://rebuildingtogetherbroward.org/
June 28, 2012
Military Scholarship for MSW Student Lisa Johnson
Congratulations to Ms. Lisa Johnson, Master of Social Work (MSW) student in the College for Design and Social Inquiry for receiving a Scholarship from the Florida Advisory Council Military Education from Ms. Jan Del Signore (USAF, Retired) on June 28, 2012. This Scholarship award recognizes the special sacrifices that family members of active of active duty military personnel make every day. Lisa, wife of an active duty Coast Guardsman, has moved frequently in support of her husband’s active duty career, attending six colleges and Universities pursuing her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She was introduced to the profession of Social Work in the state of Washington while serving veterans in a VA hospital as a Social Work Associate in a volunteer capacity. The School of Social Work faculty is proud of Lisa’s academic accomplishments, dedication and service.
March 23, 2012
Heart of Social Work Event
On March 23, the School of Social Work hosted its inaugural Heart of Social Work event at the Harold and Marleen Forkas Alumni Center. More than 100 community members, faculty, and alumni were in attendance. President Saunders welcomed the guests, and Barbara Schmidt, founder of Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life, provided an inspiring keynote address followed by an awards ceremony. Harvey and Phyllis Sandler were recognized as Outstanding Community Members. The Sandlers have generously donated to hundreds of organizations including the FAU School of Social Work. Their generosity has made a huge difference in the lives of so many. Elizabeth Lugo, a BSW alumna, was recognized for her accomplishments following receipt of her BSW in 1994 and her subsequent position as CEO of The Volen Center. Paola Wierzbicki, a field internship supervisor, was recognized for her guidance and support of more than 29 student interns. The event, generously sponsored by the GreenbergTraurig law firm, was truly a "feel good" event and a wonderful time was had by all who attended.
November 9, 2011
Homelessness Presentation
November is Homeless Awareness Month. On November 9th, the Phi Alpha Honors Society and the School of Social Work Student Association (SOWSA) sponsored an event on the Boca campus featuring author Steven Sundberg. Professor J.J. Choi invited Steven to the campus and he spoke about his book "Street Logic", a novel about homeless people who live on the streets of Boston and the response of a community to help. There was a good turnout of students and faculty and a lunch was provided. Click here for pictures.
October 15, 2011
FAU Inaugural Football Stadium Tailgating Event
Our SOWSA student organization sponsored a tailgating event to celebrate the opening of our new stadium. Click here for pictures.
Dr. JuYoung Park Awarded Prestigious Hartford Scholars Grant
The prestigious Hartford Faculty Scholars Program has granted 11 geriatric social work researchers a two-year award that will provide career development, mentorship, and support for projects that will improve healthy outcomes for the country's aging population. The program is funded by the John A.
Hartford Foundation and administered by The Gerontological Society of America as a component of the nationwide Geriatric Social Work Initiative, which seeks to expand the training of social workers in order to improve the health and well being of older people and their families. A total of 117 scholars to date have received awards.
"After participating in this program, our hope for our Hartford scholars is that they become exemplars of successful leadership in gerontological social work and applied research, and that they serve as inspirations, guides, and mentors for other social workers interested in similar career trajectories," said National Program Director Barbara Berkman, DSW, PhD.
The 2011 scholars are examining such topics as therapies for post traumatic stress disorder in aging Vietnam War veterans, resident-to-resident aggression in nursing homes, patterns of service use for older adults with mental health disorders, care transition experiences of veterans, and non-drug based approaches for pain management.
The Hartford Faculty Scholars Program provides individualized mentorship from top-tier national researchers who offer comprehensive feedback and guidance, and covers travel expenses and registration fees for several gerontology and social work conferences and professional development institutes. Listed below are the new scholars and their primary research topics. This year, Dr. Juyoung Park, Assistant Professor, FAU School of Social Work, was one of the 11 researchers granted the award. Her research topic is: Utilization of Nonpharmacological Pain Management in Ethnically Diverse Older Adults in South Florida
September 15, 2011
Welcome New School of Social Work Advisory Committee!
Click here for more information.
September, 2011
17th Circuit GAL Community Advocate Award – 2011
The School of Social Work was awarded the 17th Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Community Advocate of the Year Award. The partnership between the School of Social Work and the GAL program began in 2008. Since the initial meetings the partnership has blossomed into the GAL program providing multiple presentations every semester in social work classes and participation in volunteer and career fairs annually. The Field Faculty from the School of Social Work has worked exceptionally hard to partner with the GAL program in order to provide a rich learning environment for undergraduate and graduate social work students completing their field placements. The Guardian ad Litem Program is an approved field placement for BSW and first year MSW interns and serves as a volunteer site for students. In recognizing the value of this partnership, the 17th Circuit GAL Program nominated the FAU School of Social Work as the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program, Community Advocate of the Year! The Director of the School of Social Work and the Field Faculty attended an awards ceremony in September 2011 in Orlando where they were presented with their award.
June 21, 2011
MSW New Student Networking Event
On June 21st, we had the opportunity to meet with a number of our new MSW students who are entering the program in the fall. It was a great opportunity for them to talk with faculty and staff as well as meet fellow students in the program.
The event was catered by Chartwells and door prizes were awarded to 6 lucky students. View photos of the event here.
April 19, 2011
Donation Announcement
We are happy to announce that the Harvey and Phyllis Sandler Foundation, Inc. has made a generous donation of $5,000 to the FAU School of Social Work therefore, becoming a valued member of our Founders Council. We would like to thank the Harvey and Phyllis Sandler Foundation.
April 5, 2011
Lobby Day 2011
Sponsored by our student organization SWEAT, Social Work Empowerment and Advocacy Team, 110 FAU students made a trip to Tallahassee on April 4-5 to participate in the National Association of Social Workers Student Lobby Day. Dr. Lea Anne DeRigne, Assistant Professor and Linda Laviano, Adjunct Instructor, traveled with the students. The group left at 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning and arrived in Tallahassee Monday afternoon just in time to attend an exciting Senate Judiciary committee meeting where many activist groups were testifying in opposition to an immigration bill that is modeled after Arizona's controversial policy. Students were also able to take tours of both the new and old state Capitol buildings that afternoon. The group then participated in a lobbying training put on by NASW-FL. On Tuesday students met with legislators and advocated for a variety of social justice oriented issues. They also sat in on House and Senate committee meetings getting the chance to hear testimony on a range or issues from immigration policy to healthcare and economic development projects. Many students designed advocacy plans focused on specific bills. For example one group was working on a bill that would have prohibited pharmacies from being located within pain clinics. They filled empty prescription bottles with personal letters about the friends and family members that they have lost to prescription drug overdoses. They delivered the pill bottles to many legislators as well as the Governor. It was an exciting trip and one that many students are excited about repeating next year.
Click here for more information on the SWEAT organization.
View photos of the event here
March 31, 2011
Social Work Career Fair
On March 31, our student organization SOWSA sponsored our annual Career Fair in the Social Science building rotunda. We had a good turnout of agencies this year. Many interested students stopped by to learn more about career opportunities and services in the area.
View photos of the event here
March 22, 2011
FAU Launches Aging Academy to Address Geriatric Training
BOCA RATON, FL (March 22, 2011) - Florida Atlantic University’s School of Social Work in the College for Design and Social Inquiry hosted an Inception Ceremony for its new Aging Academy on Tuesday, March 22, at 4 p.m. in the Live Oak Pavilion on the Boca Raton campus. This free event, which was open to the public and attracted over 200 attendees, introduced the Aging Academy, celebrating the expansion of the school’s current curriculum and internships in the geriatric social work field.
As South Florida’s population of senior citizens continues to rise, the Aging Academy will provide specialized instruction and training for individuals interested in becoming leaders in eldercare service provision. The first cohort of geriatric scholars in the Master of Social Work program is scheduled to begin with the Fall 2011 semester. FAU will be offering scholarship stipend opportunities up to help build interest in and commitment to the specialization.
FAU’s School of Social Work currently offers an elders certificate program that requires students to complete aging-specific classes alongside their standard coursework. With the Academy launching, geriatric issues will be incorporated into the entire social work curriculum in the form of lectures, class projects, service learning and research.
The initiative will be directed by Stephen Ferrante, MSW, who will be responsible for recruiting, coaching and coordinating funding opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate social work students who specialize in aging. “For years, South Florida has and continues to maintain a large senior population,” said Ferrante. “Coupling this with the increasing number of local, retiring professionals creates a significant demand for a skilled geriatric workforce."
According to the Social Work Leadership Institute, less than 10 percent of the nation’s MSW graduates are presently educated and trained to work with seniors, which happens to be the fastest-growing demographic in the country. The National Institute of Health estimates that the United States currently needs 60,000 more social workers who specialize in geriatrics. Instead of growing, the overall social work labor force is shrinking, with 30% of current practitioners nearing retirement.
The March 22 kickoff event offered faculty, students and community stakeholders the chance to learn about the Aging Academy’s goals, activities and giving opportunities. Ms. Corrine H. Rieder, executive director of the John F. Hartford Foundation, provide a keynote address regarding the emerging need for geriatric competence in the social work field.
FAU Officials deserve credit for recognizing and addressing this need.
For more information, contact Stephen Ferrante at ferrante@fau.edu.
View photos of the event here
March 20, 2011
Florida AIDS Walk
On March 20th, The School of Social Work participated in the Florida AIDS Walk, a 10K walk in Fort Lauderdale. This year we had a good turnout of students and faculty to support this meaningful fundraiser.
View photos of the event here
March 20, 2011
Florida AIDS Walk – Team members needed
Dear Colleagues, Friends and Family,
While the past decade has brought lifesaving medical advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, HIV infections continue to skyrocket in number, and South Florida leads the nation in new AIDS cases. Because we knew we needed to take part in fighting this disease, we’ve signed up for Florida AIDS Walk, a 10K walk in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, March 20, 2011 (starting around 8 a.m. from the Huizinga Plaza on Las Olas). Would you please support our team’s effort to stop the spread of HIV by becoming one of team members? Whatever you can give will make a profound difference. To join us, click here and find “ Team FAU School of Social Work”
The donations that we raise will be used to provide needed care and services for the men, women and children in our community who are living with HIV/AIDS, regardless of their ability to pay. It will also fund the expansion of free HIV testing, prevention education and treatment referral right here in Fort Lauderdale, and throughout the state of Florida. Click here if you’d like to learn more about who will benefit from the funds we raise. Your gift to this worthy cause is fully tax-deductible.
Please invite your friends, family, and colleagues to join us in this fun and meaningful event.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Allan Barsky
Dr. J.J. Choi
2010
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2009
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2008
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2007
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2006
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2005
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2004
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2003
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2002
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
2001
December | November | October | September | August | July
June | May | April | March | February | January
All Pages maintained by College Webmaster
