UAlbany's School of Social Welfare

School of Social Welfare MSW Students Travel to New Orleans

During the January 2012 Winter Break, eight School of Social Welfare (SSW) MSW students and SSW faculty advisor Dr. Loretta Pyles traveled to New Orleans on a service learning trip, the sixth student trip since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. The students assisted with ongoing recovery efforts, volunteering for the St. Bernard Project, New Orleans City Mission, and Green Light New Orleans. The students also focused their efforts on critically analyzing post-disaster social policies related to housing, education and health/human services.. According to the students, the trip "was a wonderful way to have a firsthand view of how policies can affect a community … even though the storm hit almost seven years ago, the devastation felt by so many is still evident. Not only did we get to witness the current aftermath and learn about the tragedy that took place, we were also able to volunteer and make a difference in people's lives." The students who went on the trip were Tiffany Britt, Catherine Carroll, Kyle Kilts, Maria Mursch, Ciany Nunez, Steve Oby, Sarah Philyaw, and Dan Robins.

We warmly welcome to our school Dr. Wansoon Chae.

She is a visiting professor from Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, South Korea. Dr. Chae is here with funding from the National Research Foundation in Korea to study the coping of immigrant women and mental health issues. She will be working with several faculty in the School of Social Welfare.

UAlbany's EOP Students, Led by Senior Molly Silvanic, Warmed Hearts at the Holidays

Led by UAlbany senior Molly Silvanic, president of the EOP Student Administrative Council and senior, School of Social Welfare, the students sought to make the holidays a little brighter for those in need. Delivering gifts to young patients at Albany Medical Center Hospital, and collecting donations for a local food pantry and Equinox Center were just a few of the ways University at Albany's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students touched the community this holiday season. (For full story, see press release: www.albany.edu/news/20065.php

HEARTS Initiative Partners Receive $75,000 Grant

The HEARTS Initiative partners have received a $75,000 grant from the Charles R. Wood Foundation. HEARTS are Healthy Environments and Relationships That Support youth to reduce costly, later life consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Partners include St. Anne Institute, LaSalle School, Troy Housing Authority, The WAIT House, Community Hospice, Homeless and Traveler’s Aid Society, Prevent Child Abuse New York, and the UAlbany School of Social Welfare. The partners will work together to improve program and community responses to prevent and address ACEs and their costly health and social consequences. Details.

SEED Program Provides Business Training and $385K in Microloans to Local Entrepreneurs, Generating 52 New Capital Region Jobs

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 25, 2012) – In just six months, the University at Albany's Small Enterprise Economic Development (SEED) program has invested $385,000 in the Capital District and created 52 new jobs. This unique job-creation partnership between UAlbany, SEFCU and Empire State Development (ESD) is the Capital Region's first character-based microloan program.

The SEED program links faculty, staff and graduate students from the UAlbany School of Social Welfare, the UAlbany School of Business and its Small Business Development Center (SBDC) with $2.5 million in financial support from SEFCU and $96,700 from ESD. It is designed to stimulate the creation and growth of small businesses in the Capital Region. Read more...

SSW PhD Cohort Forms Long-Lasting Friendships

A chance meeting has led to annual reunions for a group of School of Social Welfare PhDs who reflect on their well-kept promise to complete their degree. Click here for their story and their advice.

UAlbany Receives National Honor for Community Service: SSW’s Community & Public Service Program cited as exemplar

UAlbany has been recognized as a leader among the nation's institutions of higher education for its support of volunteerism, service-learning, and civic engagement. For over 40 years the Community & Public Service Program has offered the opportunity for students to help deepen the capacities of communities to address their needs. Community engagement is one of the central mechanisms for fulfilling the promises of a democratic society.

To view the Program’s website, go to http://www.albany.edu/cpsp

5th Annual Luncheon Honors Scholarship Donors and Recipients

Photos from the October 13, 2011 event can be viewed with this link. Speakers included Dean Katharine Briar-Lawson, the Rev. Sam Trumbore, UAlbany President George Philip, John Egan of Renaissance Corporation, scholarship donor Florence Frazier in whose honor a new scholarship was introduced, and scholarship recipients Jamie Dughi, Wilma Alvarado-Little, Jeffrey Buttler and Carmen Duncan. This event had 125 in attendance.

Click Here to see photos...

MSW Student Honored

Second-year MSW student Carmen Duncan has received Alumni Achievement recognition from the Albany School District as she pursues her degree. Her internship will be helping Home-School Coordinator John Harris expand Albany High’s Black Child Development Institute mentoring program. Click here for more information.

Zox Launches The Social Workers Radio Talk Show on UAlbany's WCDB

Berkshire Bank and UAlbany Team to Create Financial Literacy Toolkit

Berkshire Bank, in partnership with the University at Albany’s School of Social Welfare, unveiled a comprehensive Web-based Financial Literacy Toolkit designed to increase financial literacy and resource-development for consumers, providers and professionals. This resource will help users better manage their assets and avoid fraud and abuse.

BSSW Students Support Haiti’s Rebuilding Efforts

BSSW students Molly Silvanic and Nicole Jean traveled to Haiti in May with a group of 14 other UAlbany students and their chaperones. The students helped out by teaching in schools and planting hundreds of trees. Now they are seeking donations, clothing and toys for some of the 680,000 displaced people still living in tent cities 18 months after the Jan. 2011 earthquake. It costs only $300 to send a child in Haiti to school for a whole year. Read more …
To view more pictures click here