Alex Wagaman, associate professor, working at federal level to end youth homelessness
Alex Wagaman, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Social Work, began a one-year contract in May as a special advisor with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. To complement the council’s federal strategic plan, All In, which launched in December 2022, Wagaman will be leading the creation of a population-specific plan for youth homelessness. A key […]
After 28 years of ‘doing’ at VCU, Liz Cramer plans to stay busy as a human ‘being’
Elizabeth “Liz” Cramer, Ph.D., says her career in social work was always about who she wanted to be and not what she wanted to do. “I was fortunate that I’ve had a career as a social worker and social work educator that fostered who I’ve wanted to be in my life,” she says. “I realize […]
Gary Cuddeback leads interdisciplinary team securing $2 million SAMHSA grant
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded a five-year, $2 million grant to a Virginia Commonwealth University-led project that will provide a range of services, including drug treatment, employment, housing, case management and peer support, for people with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental illnesses who are involved in the criminal justice system. […]
Meet Jae Lange: ‘So proud to be fighting alongside my team and my community, fighting to end homelessness’
Jae Lange says they were a social worker long before a job or degree made it official. “I was born one, and I will die one,” says Jae, a first-generation student in the B.S.W. Program who also is a direct service specialist for a grant-funded project administered by the School of Social Work. Marsha and […]
Frank Baskind leaving strong social work legacy after 32 years at VCU
Frank Baskind, Ph.D., followed two legends as dean of the VCU School of Social Work in 1991. Three decades later, his legacy shows he was every bit the powerhouse that Elaine Z. Rothenberg and Grace E. Harris were. Baskind will retire this summer as professor and dean emeritus in the School of Social Work, a […]
Cultural Achievement Ceremonies are full of social work vibes in 2024
The VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs’ six Cultural Achievement Ceremonies each spring are celebrations of students’ hard work on their journey to graduation and an affirmation of their cultural identities. And this year, there were strong social work vibes with four of the events, as five School of Social Work M.S.W. students and one […]
Naomi Reddish, Amanda Long presenting at national conference on systems transformation
The VCU School of Social Work’s Naomi Reddish, M.S.W. , and Amanda Long, M.S.W., are presenting at the 2024 National Title IV-E Roundtable (conference) in Burlington, Vermont. The National IV-E Roundtable for Child Welfare Training and Education is an annual gathering of representatives from public and tribal child welfare agencies and their university partners. Reddish […]
Recapping Social Work Month 2024: Networking, learning, celebrating
The VCU School of Social Work sponsored three events for Social Work Month 2024, and highlighted a number of our alumni across our social media channels. Check out photos and archived video from our panel presentations below. Coffee & Conversation March 7, 2024 (View the image below larger by opening in a new tab/window.) Beyond […]
Kia J. Bentley burnishes legacy with new textbook edition, FSU alumni award
Even in retirement, Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D., is continuing to build on her 35-year career as a social work educator, one that culminated in her being named the VCU School of Social Work’s first Distinguished Career Professor by VCU’s Provost in 2022. This past fall, the fifth edition of Dr. Bentley’s textbook, The Social Worker […]
Circle of honor: Denise Burnette earns AGESW career achievement award
As a child of Southern Appalachia, Denise Burnette, Ph.D., VCU School of Social Work professor, was attuned to older adults and their life stories. “They were fonts of wisdom and equanimity, bold equanimity,” says Burnette, the school’s Samuel S. Wurtzel Endowed Chair in Social Work. “As an academic, my research and teaching, at home and […]