GSSW in the News
BC Social Work Faculty Collaborate on Social Innovation Study

JUNE 26, 2013

Get and give help. Consider small changes as well as big ideas. Build on strengths but consider moving outside of your comfort zone. Be ready. And be bold.

These suggestions for achieving success in social innovation are among the findings of a recent study co-authored by two Boston College faculty members on Massachusetts’ status as a leader in social innovation, which addresses social needs by blending entrepreneurship and practices from business with social work’s expertise in non-profit management and commitment to social justice.

Graduate School of Social Work Associate Professors Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes and Stephanie Berzin, directors of GSSW’s Center for Social Innovation, and their co-author Luis de Zengotita compiled the study through interviews with 23 leaders of human service agencies who had spearheaded different types of social innovation initiatives.  More about the study of social innovation in Massachusetts »

GSSW in the News
Forum Showcases Model Programs to Aid Vulnerable Young Adults

JUNE 19, 2013

BC Social Work Associate Professor, Stephaine Berzin, co-organized a forum on campus earlier this month to discuss the issue of housing for vulnerable young adults aging out of the foster care system. The forum featured agencies and housing programs from across the state with a record of success in serving this at-risk population.  More about the Forum on Housing for Vulnerable Young Adults »

GSSW in the News
BC Social Work HIV/AIDS Conference Marks Its Silver Anniversary

MAY 29, 2013

The Graduate School of Social Work's groundbreaking National Conference on Social Work and HIV/AIDS marks its silver anniversary this year, its focus having changed in light of medical science's progress against the disease over the past quarter-century. But as conference founder Vincent Lynch adds, the need for the forum — which took place in May 2013 in Chicago — is as great as ever.

"Now, as then, it is social workers who confront the devastating impact AIDS has on individuals and families," said Lynch, who is director of continuing education at GSSW. "The goal of the conference has always been the same: to share experiences, practices, and ideas that will enable social workers to meet the needs of their clients."  More about the HIV/AIDS Conference Silver Anniversary »

Immigrant Integration Lab Co-Hosts Seminar on Supporting Immigrant Students

MAY 17, 2013

The Immigrant Integration Lab in the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and the Center for Optimized Student Support in the Boston College Lynch School of Education co-hosted an event on May 10, 2013, that brought together experts from the fields of education and immigration. Panelists spoke on the obstacles and opportunities facing immigrant children in the world of education.  More about the Seminar on Supporting Immigrant Students »

David Takeuchi to Join Boston College Social Work as Associate Dean for Research

MAY 16, 2013

Dr. David T. Takeuchi will join Boston College Graduate School of Social Work this Fall 2013 as Professor, Associate Dean for Research, and Dorothy Book Scholar.

Takeuchi's main research focus has been on how race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status are associated with health, access to care, treatment, quality of care, and outcomes. He was a key architect of the National Latino and Asian American Study, one of the most comprehensive studies of Latinos and Asian Americans ever conducted. Takeuchi served as principal investigator of major grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private foundations, and he is currently co-investigator of the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute funded by the National Institute of Health and Health Disparities.  More about David Takeuchi Joining BC Social Work »

Students Develop Solutions at Social Innovation Day

APRIL 26, 2013

Students in the Social Innovation + Leadership Program at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work participated in a day-long series of guided activities to develop innovative responses to social problems. The annual Social Innovation Day, this year held on April 8, gives social work students an opportunity to experience social innovation firsthand.  More about Social Innovation Day »

New Center Will Lead to Enhanced Geriatric Social Work Training

APRIL 11, 2013

The Hartford/Gerontological Society of America (GSA) National Center on Gerontological Social Work Excellence has chosen Boston College to be one of the first Hartford Academic Centers of Excellence in Geriatric Social Work.

The Hartford Center at Boston College will be led by GSA Fellow James Lubben, faculty member and director of the doctoral program at Boston College Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW).  More about the Hartford Center at Boston College »

Governor Deval Patrick Speaks to BC Social Work Community

APRIL 2, 2013

Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts, spoke to the Boston College Social Work community on April 2, 2013, about the politics and policies of inclusion.

"Welcoming new Americans reminds us of our ideals," said Governor Patrick. "The American dream is more than the stuff of legend or folklore. It's real … and it's especially real in the lives of immigrants and those of us who work to make it real, and make it last."  More about Governor Patrick's Address »

GSSW in the News
Social Work Professor Appointed to Gun Violence Panel

APRIL 2, 2013

Graduate School of Social Work Associate Professor Marylou Sudders has been appointed by Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo to a special advisory panel that will study and recommend possible legislative solutions to address gun violence. Sudders, a former Massachusetts Commissioner of Mental Health, chairs the GSSW Health and Mental Health Concentration and focuses her teaching and research on mental health policy, children's mental health, mental health planning, and child abuse and neglect.

"I appreciate that, with the creation of this panel, we are trying to have a thoughtful conversation about guns and mental illness, instead of reacting viscerally to events," said Sudders. "I am honored to play any part I can in aiding this dialogue."  More about gun violence panel »

Graduate School of Social Work Hosts Naturalization Ceremony

MARCH 26, 2013

Boston College welcomed 94 new American citizens at a Naturalization Ceremony hosted by Boston College Graduate School of Social Work on March 21, 2013.

"Social work is all about inclusion and empowerment," said GSSW Dean Alberto Godenzi. "There is something unique about experiencing this moment, when people from all walks of life collectively embrace the values of the nation. We wanted to bring this ceremony to BC to be witnessed by the students, faculty, and staff of Boston College."  More about Naturalization Ceremony »

Four Awards for GSSW Video and Magazine

MARCH 22, 2013

The Boston College Graduate School of Social Work Marketing & Communications Office has received four awards for the GSSW video, Where Transformation Happens, and the BC Social Work Magazine: 75th Anniversary Special Addition.  More about four awards »

GSSW in the News
Boston College Designated a 'Changemaker Campus'

MARCH 18, 2013

In recognition of initiatives such as the Graduate School of Social Work's Social Innovation and Leadership Program and Lab, Boston College has been named a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka, a global association of leading social entrepreneurs.

The Changemaker designation recognizes colleges and universities that "have embedded social innovation as a core value" and built "supportive environments for changemaking across the entire institution – from admissions through the curriculum, career services, all the way to community and alumni engagement."  More about Boston College designation »

GSSW Alumnus Named CEO of NASW

MARCH 12, 2013

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has announced that Anthony "Angelo" McClain, PhD, LICSW, has been named its new Chief Executive Officer. McClain received his PhD in Social Work from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work in 2001.

McClain joins NASW, the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, after serving six years as Commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF).  More about GSSW Alumnus »

Promotion and Tenure Announcement

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

Boston College Graduate School of Social Work is pleased to announce that Tom Crea, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Crea teaches in the Children, Youth and Families concentration. His areas of research include services for vulnerable children and families; decision-making in social services; special needs adoption, orphans and vulnerable children; and program evaluation. In addition to authoring several recent publications, Crea co-authored an article for an upcoming issue of The Lancet about child health and development in eastern Zimbabwe.

Tiziana Dearing to Join Social Work Faculty

FEBRUARY 20, 2013

Tiziana Dearing will join Boston College Graduate School of Social Work in the fall of 2013 as a full-time Associate Professor of Macro Practice with a focus on social innovation and leadership. Since 2010, Dearing has been CEO of Boston Rising, a start-up anti-poverty fund dedicated to breaking the generational cycle of poverty in Boston's neighborhoods. Dearing earned a Master in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a BA in English from the University of Michigan.  More about Tiziana Dearing joining GSSW »

GSSW in the News
GSSW Social Innovation Leaders Looking Ahead

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

With an important major milestone completed, organizers of the Graduate School of Social Work’s social innovation initiative are now planning for its next phase, including an effort to involve other Boston College schools, departments, and programs. Nearly three years ago, GSSW Associate Professors Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes and Stephanie Berzin launched the initiative, establishing a center to coordinate activities that promote social innovation — a growing field that blends entrepreneurship and practices from business/management and other disciplines to address social needs.  More about GSSW social innovation leaders »

GSSW in the News
Colloquium Marks Debut of GSSW Immigrant Integration Lab

JANUARY 15, 2013

In the midst of a national groundswell for immigration reform, the Graduate School of Social Work co-sponsored a Dec. 14 colloquium that officially launched its broad-based effort to aid immigrants’ transition into American democratic society. The event, held in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons, served as a formal welcome for GSSW's Immigrant Integration Lab (IIL) and its director, GSSW Research Professor Westy Egmont.  More about the colloquium »

Graduate School of Social Work Offers Hispanic/Latino Track

JANUARY 15, 2013

By mid-century, the majority of the U.S. population will be made up of minorities, predominantly Latinos. In response, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work established a Hispanic/Latino Track (HLT). The new offering bolsters students' linguistic and cultural competencies to work with Latino communities here and abroad.  More about GSSW Hispanic/Latino Track »