Alumni spotlight: Marcia Harrigan, Ph.D.
Marcia Harrigan, Emerita Faculty and proud alumna of the VCU School of Social Work , where she earned her M.S.W., and the School of Education, where she earned her Ph.D., has continued to stay connected with the school for many years. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Psychology in math at Muskingum University in southern […]
M.S.W. alumni make the largest financial commitment in school history
Planned gift celebrates School of Social Work If it weren’t for Ira Colby’s (M.S.W. ’75) love of history, his internationally known career as a social work educator might have taken a different path. When his supervisor at the Worcester, Mass., YMCA suggested he pursue an advanced degree, Colby and his wife, Deborah (M.S.W. ’80), made […]
Supporting a long-term connection
Bev Koerin, Ph.D., (B.S. ’69; M.S.W. ’74) attended Westhampton College, now part of the University of Richmond, for two years but, because she was drawn to social work, she transferred to Richmond Professional Institute. “I knew I wanted to go into this field that I wasn’t even really clear on,” she says. Once established at […]
Wilder: Alumna receives Trailblazer Award
Grace E. Harris, Ph.D. (M.S.W.’60/SW), distinguished professor of public policy, is the recipient of the John Jasper Trailblazer Award. The award honors African-Americans who have led outstanding lives highlighted by sacrifice and selfless service to their community. Harris, who was once rejected from Richmond Professional Institute due to the state’s segregationist policies, would rise to become […]
Alumna receives recognition from the American Board of Family Medicine
Congratulations to Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work alumna Nancy A. Powell, M.D. Powell received a certificate of recognition by the American Board of Family Medicine for Setting the Standard in Family Medicine. Powell, owner of River’s Way Healthcare of Virginia, is a board-certified Primary Care physician who obtained her Master of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth […]
New scholarship established: Fostering Success Scholarship Fund
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work alumnae Marcia P. Harrigan, Ph.D. and Anne Kisor, Ph.D., have recently established a new scholarship to support social work students. The Fostering Success Scholarship Fund is being developed to financially assist students who have demonstrated an understanding of the foster care system and shown a commitment to pursuing a […]
School alumna tapped to help Child Protective Services unit
The executive director of a Richmond-area nonprofit has agreed to help try to right the city’s troubled Child Protective Services unit in the Department of Social Services, city officials announced today. Jeanine Harper, executive director of Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now), will work for the agency as an “executive-on-loan,” according to officials. Read […]
School of Social Work students bring students and alumni together for a day of service
Students Today Alumni Tomorrow Constituency Representatives for the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, Melissa Mason and Omequa Eaddie, are working to bring together current social work students and alumni for a day of service on April 23, 2014, at the Mary and Frances Young Aces Open. This event will serve over 150 4th-5th graders from […]
School of Social Work alumna finds that housing the homeless saves lives and is cheaper than doing nothing
It’s cheaper to give homeless men and women a permanent place to live than to leave them on the streets. That’s according to a study of an apartment complex for formerly homeless people in Charlotte, N.C., that found drastic savings on health care costs and incarceration.
Alumnus James Forte, Ph.D. publishes third book
Congratulations to alumnus James Forte, Ph.D. for the recent publication of his third book, An introduction to using Theory in Social Work Practice. Forte is a graduate of both the Virginia Commonwealth University M.S.W., 1978, and Ph.D., 1990, programs. While in the doctoral program, he studied men in the Virginia National Guard, and their perceptions of […]