Lifesavers: Naloxone training for opioid overdoses continues social work focus on addiction and substance use
Building on previous learning and training opportunities around addiction and substance use, the VCU School of Social Work, the Institute for Research on Behavioral and Emotional Health (IRBEH) and Rams in Recovery recently provided a targeted session on how to use a lifesaving medical treatment for opioid overdoses. Nearly 20 social work students and staff […]
From understanding policy process to building community-organizing skills, social work students take the macro plunge
VCU students interested in learning about macro social work practice are getting deep-dive opportunities throughout the 2026-27 academic year. Kimberly Compton, Ph.D., associate professor and director of Macro Initiatives at the VCU School of Social Work, is leading programming, along with M. Alex Wagaman, Ph.D., professor. One series, The Policy Experience: An Immersive Journey from […]
‘Overwhelming gratitude’: VCU honors Marc Cheatham as one of 15 Alumni Stars
Marc Cheatham (B.S.W.’05) puts his social work background to use every day as director of constituent services and casework for Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine. It’s service in the background, working with “people facing the most critical and challenging problems. Their level of frustration has long surpassed normal capacity,” he says. So it is no wonder […]
#Fulbright: Ph.D. student Aya Caballero’s research journey mixes Jamaican roots, Instagram influence
Aya Caballero’s path to a Fulbright award looked more like an intersection – of her Jamaican roots, her researcher’s eye for recognizing gaps in data and the most 21st century of interactions: an Instagram-driven connection. Caballero, a third-year Ph.D. student at the VCU School of Social Work, will collaborate with researchers at the University of […]
Social work faculty lead interdisciplinary research advancing inclusive health science
At Virginia Commonwealth University, two interdisciplinary research grants co-led by School of Social Work faculty members are addressing complex health challenges while underscoring a commitment to inclusivity. Karen Chartier, Ph.D., professor, and Jacob Goffnett, Ph.D., assistant professor, are each leading projects that bridge social work with fields ranging from medicine to the arts. Their work […]
A ‘Shakespearean sprite’ and a ‘giant’: Remembering the lives of Jane Reeves, Marilyn Biggerstaff
They both came east, to Richmond and VCU, in the 1970s. They overlapped at the School of Social Work for approximately 23 years. In their final years, they both resided at the Cedarfield Retirement Community in Richmond. And when they passed away earlier this year, only 29 days separated the deaths of Jane Reeves and […]
Alum’s book spotlights workplace attunement; new textbooks focus on anti-racist research, school social work practice
VCU School of Social Work alum Nidhi Tewari learned a deeply personal – and disappointing – lesson about workplace culture, used it to develop a philosophy of care and fine-tuned her message speaking in front of Fortune 500 companies. This month, the culmination of her knowledge is being published in the book “Working Well: How […]
From service to research: Student-led volunteerism turns into presentation at national social work conference
VCU’s Bachelor of Social Work Student Association led a yearlong community service initiative that earned three of its student officers a trip to Las Vegas for a national conference in the spring semester. Seniors Joey Kniceley and Julia Stodard, who graduated with their B.S.W. degrees in May, and junior Autumn Matusiak participated in the Association […]
Undergraduates get national exposure as research presenters
Focused on alcohol and addiction, VCU’s Institute for Research on Behavioral and Emotional Health prepares students for graduate school with opportunities such as conferences and networking. Developing graduate school-ready future researchers is just one of the VCU Institute for Research on Behavioral and Emotional Health’s goals, and there’s no better practice than presenting at a […]
Focusing on public mental health, Rosemary and David Farmer fund a new M.S.W. scholarship
With a career devoted to clinical social work and social work education, it’s no surprise Rosemary Farmer’s philanthropy would focus on helping students follow in her footsteps and pursue internships and employment in the public sector. Along with her husband, they have established the Drs. Rosemary L. and David J. Farmer Public Mental Health Scholarship […]