M.S.W. student, Emily Kuezek, is the recipient of the Emmett W. Cocke, Jr. Scholarship
Congratulations to Emmett W. Cocke, Jr. Scholarship recipient M.S.W. student Emily Kuezek. This fund was established through gifts from Pace Memorial United Methodist Church in memory of Rev. Emmett W. Cocke Jr. Rev. Cocke was deeply devoted to serving the poor and marginalized in society, and this scholarship provides aid to full-time M.S.W. foundation or […]
B.S.W. junior, Jacqueline Washington, is awarded the Rita Schleuter Memorial Scholarship
Congratulations to B.S.W. junior, Jacqueline Washington, on being this year’s recipient of the Rita Schleuter Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship was established by Joyce O. Beckett, Ph.D., associate professor emerita in the School of Social Work, to support students with demonstrated understanding of African-American culture and commitment to social work practice with African-Americans. Jacqueline has volunteered for […]
B.S.W. senior, Carli M. Bostic, is awarded the Frank and Pat Baskind Gift Giving Fund
Congratulations to B.S.W. senior Carli M. Bostic on being awarded the 2014-2015 Frank and Pat Baskind Gift Giving Fund. This fund was created in honor of Dean Emeritus Frank Baskind and his wife, Pat, to provide financial assistance to students who have a special need or are experiencing a challenging situation concurrent with the pursuit of […]
Our stories
Life experiences lead to social work pledges Peel back the layers of a social worker’s life and more often than not you will discover a purpose that’s fueled by life experiences. Moments span from the classroom to the field and include everything from personal tribulations to witnessing social injustice.
Meet Caren L. Putzu, Ph.D. candidate
Putzu, a Ph.D. candidate in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, holds an M.S.W. from the University of South Carolina and an M.P.A. from the College of Charleston. Her interests lie in contributing to a deeper understanding of effective prevention and intervention approaches to school dropout. Her dissertation, “Helping Students Graduate: An Examination of the Services Provided […]
Meet Lisa A. Gray, Ph.D. candidate
Gray is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University whose interests lie in advancing mental health among military service members, veterans and their families. She holds an M.S.S.W. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S.W. from Texas State University. Her mixed methods dissertation, “Exploring the Dimensions of Well-Being among Military […]
Meet Megan E. Gandy, Ph.D. candidate
Gandy’s work addresses the quality of mental health services for children and adolescents, specifically focusing on the unique needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning young persons in treatment. Her dissertation research, “Assessing LGBTQ Cultural Competency in Direct Care Youth Workers,” is a measurement design study which creates and tests a tool to assess LGBTQ-related cultural competency […]
Meet D. Crystal Coles, Ph.D. candidate
Coles is a Ph.D. candidate and adjunct instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University, as well a third-year fellow in the CSWE Minority Fellowship Program. Her scholarship interest practice experiences lie in the public child welfare arena, with an emphasis on trauma-informed social work practice, overall systemic functioning and systemic contribution to childhood trauma. She is committed to addressing the needs […]
Meet Jennifer L.K. Charles, Ph.D. candidate
Charles is a doctoral candidate in the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University. She earned her M.S.W. from Barry University after earning a B.A. from Virginia Tech. Her pre- and post-M.S.W. practice experience was in community mental health, substance abuse services and psychiatric social work. Specifically, Charles worked in a crisis stabilization unit and as an outpatient […]
Meet Andrew C. Schoeneman, Ph.D. candidate
Schoeneman’s interests lie in contributing to a deeper understanding of collaboration, mobilization and organizing within and among communities. His dissertation, “Collaboration Between Communities and Legal Aid Organizations: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study,” funded in part by the Legal Services Corporation of Virginia, explores attorneys’ and client community members’ perceptions and experiences related to collaboration.