Articles

Johara Suleiman — PhD advisee of School of Social Work faculty member, Dr. Jessica Toft — recently participated in a unique workshop at the Minnesota Capitol. The workshop was organized by Dr. Toft, who served as a Legislative Policy Advocate for Family & Children’s Service (now known as Family Partnership) from 1994 to 1996. “I […]

Joan Blakey, associate professor and director of the School of Social Work, is a recipient of the prestigious 2023 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Established Faculty Service and Leadership in Social Work Education Award. The award recognizes a social work educator with 10 years or longer of service and leadership excellence and pays tribute […]

The School of Social Work has welcomed Crystal Heimer as its new Director of Operations. Prior to joining the University, Crystal worked at the Mayo Clinic for twenty years— most recently in the role of Administrative Office Manager in Psychiatry.  She completed her bachelor’s degree, and MBA, from Western Governors University during the pandemic.  Says […]

School of Social Work Professor Lynette M. Renner has been named the incoming editor-in-chief of the Journal of Family Violence (JOFV). JOFV is committed to the dissemination of rigorous research on preventing, ending, and ameliorating all forms of family violence. Renner has served on the editorial board of the journal for the past four years. […]

Larissa Lavrov (she/they) has joined the School of Social Work as the new Director of Admissions. Prior to joining, Larissa worked as a campus recruiter for JPMorgan. She has a, nearly, twenty year-career in admissions and higher education. Larissa is committed to providing a safe space for academic goal exploration through people-centered outreach. Larissa is […]

The School of Social Work’s Center for the Advanced Study of Child Welfare (CASCW) has welcomed Kaia Forde to its outreach team. A graphic designer, Kaia will be responsible for creating compelling messaging, marketing, and communication materials, to be used within and outside of the CASCW. Kaia grew up in the Brainerd Lakes Area but […]

Professor Lynette M. Renner, the PhD program and graduate studies director of the School of Social Work, was named a 2023 recipient of the Vickie R. Courtney Award for Outstanding Service to University Senate Governance. The award recognizes those…

Ms. Betsy Snyder has been welcomed to the College, as a new grant coordinator. She will be working with the School of Social Work, and the Department of Family Social Science. Betsy has a wealth of experience in human services work and grant funding.  Most recently, she served as an executive director of Southeast Seniors, […]

School of Social Work Assistant Professor, Dr. Mimi Choy-Brown, has been selected for the CEHD New Career Excellence Award. All awardees are to be recognized at the Spring Assembly on April 27. Dr. Choy-Brown received her Ph.D. from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. Her research interests are in the arenas of community […]

Emily Gus (she/her) has joined the School of Social Work’s Center for Practice Transformation (CPT) as a research coordinator. Emily earned her MPH (in community health promotion) from the University of Minnesota. Before joining the CPT team, Emily partnered with communities — to address health disparities around sexual and reproductive health issues through education and […]