The Massachusetts State House
Three Boston College School of Social Work faculty members were recently named to important advisory boards in Massachusetts: Rocio Calvo and Thanh Tran will provide counsel to Governor Charlie Baker, while Westy Egmont will help guide Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
- Calvo serves on the Commonwealth’s Autism Commission, an initiative comprised of autism experts, providers, advocates, and state leaders convened to review an agenda enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2014 to improve and expand treatment, resources, and insurance coverage for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Commission is headed by Secretary of Health and Human Services and visiting BCSSW professor Marylou Sudders. Associate Dean of Academic and Student Services Teresa Schirmer also serves on the Commission.
- Tran has been tasked with “advising the governor on policy, planning, and priorities for refugees and immigrants living in the Commonwealth.” In this capacity, he will serve a three-year term on the Office of Refugees and Immigrants’ Advisory Council. Much of Tran’s own research has focused around various immigrant groups in and around Boston, including the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian communities.
- Egmont was appointed to the mayor’s New Bostonians Advisory Board. The stated mission of this office is to “strengthen the ability of diverse cultural and linguistic communities to play an active role in the economic, civic, social, and cultural life in the city of Boston.” This is not a new role for Egmont; he has served as an advisor on immigrant integration to past mayors of Boston, as well as to the last five governors of Massachusetts.