‘Essential for the future’: Biggerstaff’s gifts support doctoral research
As a graduate student in social work in the 1960s, Marilyn A. Biggerstaff was the beneficiary of the era’s ample federal grants, bolstered by the Higher Education Act of 1965. Times have changed. Forbes reported in early 2020 that student debt is a record $1.56 trillion – the second-highest consumer debt category in the country. […]
Gilbreath’s giving helps students who want to follow in her macro footsteps
With a laugh, Allison Gilbreath (B.S.’11/GPA; M.S.W.’16/SW) explains that she’s a law school dropout. It turns out that macro social work was really the career she was looking for. “Law school was the only pathway I knew to do what I know now as macro social work,” says Gilbreath, who was accepted to – but […]
‘True pioneer’: Schneider’s influence lives on in macro, gerontology
Robert “Bob” Schneider, Ph.D., was a big-picture guy, but one who never overlooked the details. Schneider, a former professor and assistant dean at the VCU School of Social Work for 34 years, passed away Sept. 4, 2020, at age 78. For much of his professional life, the big picture was macro social work. Colleagues remember […]
Incoming ABSW president: ‘Change is NOW’
Felicia A. Smith earned her B.S.W. degree in May 2020 from the VCU School of Social Work and served as the B.S.W. graduation speaker during the virtual Commencement ceremony. She starts the master’s program in August 2020 and will serve as president of the Association of Black Social Workers, a student organization. In the last […]
Cage, Petrasek are school’s top award-winners
Jamie Cage, Ph.D., an assistant professor, has won the VCU School of Social Work’s annual Social Justice Award for the second consecutive year. Jaime Petrasek, director of research administration, has been named winner of the Outstanding Staff Award. She has been at VCU for 15 years, the past seven in social work. Cage, who has […]
New associate dean Gomez brings focus on students, community
Rebecca Gomez, Ph.D., LCSW, has a CV chock-full of awards, many of them related to technology, innovation and online learning. But VCU School of Social Work’s incoming associate dean for academic and students affairs says her focus and philosophy can be much more simply stated: students and community. “As an institution, everything we do is […]
‘Be adaptable’: How social work interns and their supervisors adjusted during a pandemic
As they adjusted to the evolving state of their field placements this semester, VCU School of Social Work students Cassidy Jones and Harley Jones realized they – and their profession – were built for such unstable times. Even a pandemic. The two, who graduated May 8 with their Master of Social Work degrees, both had field […]
Stevara Clark wins VCU Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment
Stevara Clark has a go-to coffee mug with a message that can be as much of a pick-me-up for her as the caffeine-fueled drink inside. It’s easy to understand the need for both when you consider all Clark has on her plate. Officially, she’s the VCU School of Social Work’s online M.S.W. coordinator and assistant […]
‘Where’s Bob?’ Peay was a social work fixture for nearly 50 years
Robert “Bob” Peay was known as a fixture – the team’s North Star – on trips abroad with the VCU School of Social Work. Which made his penchant for periodically dropping off the radar even funnier to his fellow travelers. Peay, who retired as emeritus faculty after serving from 1978 to 2005, died March 23 […]
Opioid grant funds expanded curriculum and field agencies, adds M.S.W. stipends
With an infrastructure of field placements and existing coursework focused on substance use, the VCU School of Social Work was well positioned to receive one of 10 opioid-focused grants from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “I think maybe those are some of the strengths that they saw in selecting us,” Karen Chartier, Ph.D., an […]