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 […]
Federal Policy Fellows meet at intersection of social work, politics
Basil Gooden knows all about sausage-making and pork barrels. If any of the 10 social work students selected for the 2020 Federal Policy Fellows Program are unfamiliar with those political metaphors, they won’t be after participating in five seminars and a two-day visit to Washington, D.C., during the spring semester. Gooden is the perfect teacher, […]
M.S.W. students take a flyer, find reward in human-animal interaction class
It started with a flyer social work students Taylor Wilkerson and Elena Papathanassiou saw for a class they thought would be interesting. It ended with a short feature story about the classmates’ work published in a statewide newsletter on aging. The course was Human-Animal Interaction Across the Lifespan, a master’s level elective developed and taught […]
Mastering research: These VCU conference presenters are grad students, but not Ph.D.s
For John Gyourko, it was an opportunity to realize an envisioned project and help at-risk children in foster care. For Nicole George, it was a chance to change perceptions and make a difference in the learning environment of Spanish-speaking elementary school children. In both cases, their experiences outside a VCU classroom led the two social […]
Alumni honoree working hard to make a difference in her research, personal life
You can forgive Trenette Clark Goings if the last five years have been a blur. Life has been so hectic the past couple, in fact, that it’s been impossible even to pin her down to receive an honor. But that’s all about to change. On Jan. 17, 2020, she will receive VCU School of Social […]
Jeanine Harper Maruca shines brightly as 2019 alumni star
When it comes to advocating for children in the Richmond community, VCU School of Social Work alumna Jeanine Harper Maruca‘s commitment and accomplishments are out of this world. And now, fittingly – and officially – she’s a star. A VCU 2019 Alumni Star, that is. Maruca was one of 17 alumni to be honored Nov. […]