Yifan Lou incorporates virtual reality into research on death and dying
Yifan Lou, Ph.D., assistant professor in the VCU School of Social Work, is exploring virtual reality tools to support end-of-life care in a collaborative project with a VCUarts colleague. Lou and Semi Ryu, Ph.D., professor in the School of the Arts, were awarded one of 19 VCU Quest Fund grants to support “My Voice, My […]
Ananda Newmark helping turn faculty feedback into action that informs students’ foundational learning
Ananda Newmark, Ph.D., VCU School of Social Work professor, and a university colleague recently presented at a national conference on a methodology for quickly turning faculty feedback into university-level action that supports faculty who are teaching general education courses. Newmark and Virginia Wray Totaro, M.S., director of general education in VCU’s Academic Affairs, presented “From […]
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 […]
News roundup: A faculty perspective on refugee healthcare, a national scholarship, an entrepreneurial social work focus, faculty awards – and more
The latest news roundup from the VCU School of Social Work highlights: Im’s work highlights impact of discrimination on healthcare access Refugees resettling in the United States continue to face significant challenges accessing healthcare even after receiving initial medical screenings and temporary health coverage upon arrival, Dr. Hyojin Im reports in an article in The […]
Globetrotting with the School of Social Work: South Africa to Spain, Ghana to South Korea
More than 50 VCU students participated in four School of Social Work-led spring break and summer study abroad trips in 2026. The study abroad programs are: The experience is transformational for students, including one who participated in the spring break program in Spain: “Overall, the study abroad experience totally reshaped my perspective on aging. I […]
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 […]
Social work faculty and students presenting at SSWR 2026
Seventeen faculty and 11 doctoral students or candidates from the VCU School of Social Work are presenting or having their work presented at the annual Society for Social Work and Research conference in Washington, D.C., Jan. 14-18, 2026. Jamie Cage, Ph.D., associate professor, is the organizer for a symposium on child welfare Friday, Jan. 16, […]
Quarterly faculty research and service news: November 2025
The VCU School of Social Work is proud to recognize the following accomplishments from our faculty and staff through November 2025. Honors Kyeongmo Kim, Ph.D., associate professor, has been named a 2025 fellow by the Gerontological Society of America, in the Social Research, Policy and Practice Section. Research awards Yifan Lou, Ph.D., assistant professor, has […]