Queer and Trans Social Workers’ statement on trans students in Virginia public schools
Dear SSW Community, It has been an exciting fall semester. Watching the transformative power of social work education in the lives of students always fills me with an immense sense of hope. Part of that educational experience is about learning how to elevate and highlight voice. Empowering our communities to use their voice is a […]
Celebrating 105 years by serving our communities, starting Oct. 27
As the VCU School of Social Work recognizes our 105th anniversary this October, we are celebrating through 105 Moments of Service to the local communities we hold dear. Throughout the 2022-23 academic year, we’ll be providing opportunities for community service, and encouraging all members of our school family to join with us, or to engage […]
Interim Dean Gomez: What to know for the Fall 2022 semester
As interim dean of the VCU School of Social Work, I am excited to usher in a new academic year starting Aug. 23! We are welcoming several hundred new students as well as new faculty and staff or those transitioning to different roles. We are pleased to be offering amazing opportunities for engagement and connectivity. […]
Fall 2022 Convocation with keynote Paul Harris, Ph.D.: ‘Promoting equity on purpose’
The VCU School of Social Work kicked off the 2022-2023 academic year with our Fall 2022 Convocation on Aug. 19, featuring remarks by keynote Paul Harris, Ph.D.; Interim Dean and Associate Professor Rebecca Gomez, Ph.D., LCSW; and VCU Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Fotis Sotiropoulos, Ph.D. Dr. Harris is currently a fellow […]
M.S.W. student Kwasi Deitutu helps soldiers and families – and keeps the peace on the soccer pitch
VCU master of social work student Kwasi Deitutu is a former sergeant first class who traveled the world for the U.S. Army, meeting President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. But it’s fellow soldiers and their families, and their needs, that drew him to social work after retiring from the military. “The […]
Ph.D. student Matt Morgan earns national fellowship that provides dissertation support
Matt Morgan has laid the foundations of what likely will become his Ph.D. dissertation at the VCU School of Social Work. He now has a leg up on that process, having been named to a nationwide cohort of 10 pre-dissertation fellows by the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGE-SW). “I am incredibly honored,” […]
Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson
I am writing following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, which removed access to reproductive and medical care by overturning the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision. I have taken the last week to process information and emotions before reaching out to you. I’d like to share items that were helpful to me in […]
School honors excellence for 2021-22 school year
The VCU School of Social Work is pleased to recognize the academic and service excellence of nearly 100 students (plus faculty and staff) as we close the 2021-2022 academic year. Honors include our annual student awards, scholarship recognition and/or induction into our Phi Alpha Honor Society; 12 students received multiple honors. In addition, Hollee McGinnis, […]
Honoring George Floyd: There’s still work to be done
As we mark the two-year anniversary this week of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, social workers everywhere are continuing to fight systemic racism. The VCU School of Social work and professional organizations like NASW and NASW-Virginia support greater racial equity and multicultural competence among social work students, practicing social workers and their clients. […]
Message from the interim dean regarding Uvalde, Texas, shooting
Dear School of Social Work community, My heart is heavy today as I try to process the lives lost in Uvalde, Texas, as well as those forever changed. Many of you know that the place I consider home is an hour and a half from Uvalde, and I love and am deeply connected to this […]