Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Graduate Faculty: Graduate College of Social Work


Colleges  > Graduate College of Social Work  > Graduate Faculty: Graduate College of Social Work

Faculty Emeriti 

W. Andrew Achenbaum.  Professor of History and Social Work.  B.A., Amherst; M.A., University of Pennsylvania; Ph.D., University of Michigan.  Research interests: Gerontology; history of aging; social welfare history.

Dale Alexander.  Professor Emeritus of Social Work.  B.S., M.S.W., Florida State University; Ph.D., The Ohio State University.  Research interests:  Social work and physician clinical education; occupational mental health; substance abuse; primary care mental health.

Steven Lozano Applewhite.  Associate Professor of Social Work.  B.A., University of Texas at Austin; M.S.W., Ph.D., University of Michigan.  Research interests:  Hispanic and minority aging; ethnographic research; aging and social policy; multicultural social work; qualitative evaluation; community planning and organization; curriculum development; minority recruitment and retention.

Florence Clemenger (deceased).  Professor Emerita of Social Work; Academy of Certified Social Workers and Registered Social Worker.  B.A., University of Cincinnati; M.S.W., University of California, Berkeley; D.S.W., University of Southern California.

Gerson David.  Professor Emeritus of Social Work; Academy of Certified Social Workers and Licensed Master Social Worker.  B.Com., Madras University, India; M.A., University of Chicago; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh.  Research interests:  Policy research studies; income maintenance and poverty; crime and delinquency; health and services to the elderly; international social welfare education; peace and development studies.

Maxine Weinman Epstein.  Professor Emerita of Social Work.  Academy of Certified Social Workers and Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  B.A., Queens College; M.S.W., University of Oklahoma; Dr.P.H., University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston.  Research interests:  Child abuse; primary prevention and treatment; maternal and child health; curriculum development; community health; AIDS education; cultural issues in treatment.

Karen A. Holmes.  Professor Emerita. Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  B.A., Midwestern University; M.S.W., University of Texas at Arlington; Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin.  Research interests:  Violence issues; feminist practice; crisis intervention; spirituality and social work.

Daniel E. Jennings.  Professor Emeritus of Social Work.  Academy of Certified Social Workers, Certified Social Worker, and Advanced Clinical Practitioner.  B.A., St. Michael’s College; M.S.W., Boston College; D.S.W., Catholic University of America.

Jean Kantambu Latting.  Professor Emerita.  A.B., Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; M.S., Columbia University; Dr.P.H., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Research interests:  Organizational development and change; quality management; organizational behavior; diversity in the workplace.

Mary R. Lewis (deceased).  Professor Emerita. Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  B.A., Wesleyan College; M.A., University of Alabama; M.S.W., University of Denver; Ph.D., Bryn Mawr College.  Research interests:  Social policy research; juvenile offenders; child and family welfare; children with disabilities; international social welfare; mental health; social security and income support policies; social research.

George W. Magner (deceased).  Professor of Social Work and Senior Vice President Emeritus.  Academy of Certified Social Workers.  B.A., New Mexico Highlands University; M.A., University of Connecticut; Ph.D., University of Chicago.

Paul R. Raffoul. Professor Emeritus of Social Work and Interim Dean of Graduate College of Social Work.  Academy of Certified Social Workers.  A.B., Clark University; M.S.W., Florida State University; Ph.D., Washington University.  Research interests:  Drug and alcohol use and misuse among selected populations; evaluation research; clinical research; technological applications for social work practice.

Ellen S. Stevens-Roseman.  Professor Emerita.  B.S., Florida State University; M.S.W., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; D.S.W., Columbia University.  Research interests:  Gerontology; volunteerism; well elderly; family relationships; practice research.

Alexander G. Zaphiris (deceased).  Professor Emeritus of Social Work.  Academy of Certified Social Workers.  M.S.W., Wayne State University; J.D., Athens University, Greece; Ed.D., University of Northern Colorado. 

Faculty 

Chiara Acquati.  Assistant Professor. PhD, Kent School of Social Work, 2016, MSW, Social Work, Boston college, 2011, MS, Clinical Psycology, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 2007, BA Psycological Sciences and Techniques, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Curore, 2005.  Research Interests:  Oncology, Dyadic Coping, Couple-based Interventions.

Samira Ali. Assistant Professor. PhD, Social Welfare, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy, 2013; MSW, Social Work, Columbia University, 2006; BA, Psychology and Law & Society, Purdue University, 2004. RESEARCH INTERESTS: HIV risk and prevention; Structural determinants of health; Family-based interventions; Global social work; Methods: Mixed methods, community-based participatory research.

Donna Amtsberg.  Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work.  B.S., M.S.W., University of Houston.  Research interests:  Clinical social work practice; macro social work practice; trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy; family violence; crisis intervention; adult violent death fatality review; Equine-assisted psychotherapy; play therapy.

Reiko Boyd. Visiting Assistant Professor. PhD, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley 2015; MSW, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles 2006. RESEARCH INTERESTS: Racial/ethnic disparities in children’s service systems; Structural inequality and opportunity in African American communities; Infant/adolescent health and well-being; Youth emancipating from foster care; Social determinants of health.

Nicole Bromfield.  Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.  PhD, Public Policy, Virginia Common Wealth University.  MSW, West Virginia University.  Research Interests:  Human Trafficking, Global Surrogacy.

Aabha Brown. Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work. MSW, University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, May 2003; BA, Psychology, Minor in Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, August 1998.

C. Brené Brown.  Research Professor of Social Work.  Licensed Master Social Worker.  B.S.W., University of Texas at Austin; M.S.W., Ph.D., University of Houston. Research interests:  Political social work; contextualized practice; women’s issues; qualitative research (grounded theory), and chaos theory and complexity.

Jodi Berger Cardoso.  Assistant Professor of Social Work.  B.S., Portland State University; M.S.W., Columbia University; Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin.  Research interests:  Cultural stressors in Latino immigrants and their children; health disparities; addiction; obesity; mental health issues in the Latino community.

Monit Cheung.  Professor of Social Work.  Diploma in Sociology, Hong Kong Baptist College; M.A. (Public Administration), M.S.W., Ph.D., The Ohio State University.   Research interests:  Child abuse and neglect; needs assessments for the elderly; international and comparative practice; ethnicity and minority issues; refugee and immigrant problems; program evaluation and grant writing; expressive arts and play therapy; family therapy and parenting techniques.

Ronda Dearing. Visiting Research Professor. PhD, Psychology (Clinical), George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 2001; MA, Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 1997; BS, Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, 1994; BA, Biology, California State University, Northridge, 1985 RESEARCH INTERESTS: Shame and guilt, help-seeking behaviors, self-change, therapeutic alliance, hazardous alcohol use and alcohol use disorders, interventions for alcohol dependence, wholeheartedness, authenticity, vulnerability, courage, shame resilience, The Daring Way™ psychoeducational curriculum.

Alan Dettlaff. Dean and Maconda Brown O’ Connor Endowed Dean’s Chair. 2004 PhD University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX Social Work; 1999 MSSW University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX Social Work; 1995 BSW Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX Social Work. RESEARCH INTERESTS:Racial disparities in the child welfare system, understanding and addressing the unique needs of Latino immigrant children and families in child welfare systems, improving outcomes for LGBTQ youth in child welfare and affiliated service systems.

Robin Gearing. Associate Professor. PhD, University of Toronto, 2006; MSW, Wilfrid Laurier University, 1997; BA, University of Toronto, 1991. RESEARCH INTERESTS: Improving outcomes for adolescents and emerging adults with serious mental illnesses and their families, client engagement and adherence to evidence-based psychosocial and pharmacological treatments, patterns of service delivery, service utilization, and treatment adherence, strategies for addressing barriers and enhancing promoters to mental health treatment and services, and interventions to maintain clients in treatment and improve outcomes and recovery.

Sheara A. Williams Jennings.  Associate Professor of Social Work and Ph.D. Program Director.  Academy of Certified Social Workers.  B.S.W., Southern University; M.S.W., Louisiana State University; Ph.D., University of North Carolina.  Research interests:  social intervention child behavioral and mental health; the academic achievement gap; social, emotional, and behavioral school readiness.

Patrick Leung.  Professor of Social Work.  Diploma in Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist College; B.S.S.W., M.A. (Public Administration), M.S.W., Ph.D., The Ohio State University.  Research interests:  Computer-based training in child protection services; evaluation research; child welfare; refugee and immigrant issues; cultural competency.

Ginger Lucas. Clinical Assistant Professor. MSW, University of Texas in Austin, 1998; BS, Psychology, Texas A&M University, 1996. Research Interests: Best Practices in Online Education Issues related to Public Health including Teen Pregnancy, STD Prevention, HIV awareness, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Christina Miyawaki. Assistant professor. San Francisco State University (Master of Arts in Gerontology); University of California, Berkeley (Master of Social Welfare, Gerontology Focus); University of Washington (Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare). Research Interest: Health disparities among older adults of color; health and acculturation, with a focus on immigrant caregivers of older adults; association of race and ethnicity with older adults’ health; health promotion and healthy aging

Sarah Narendorf. Assistant Professor. PhD, Philosophy in Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2012; MSW, Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 1998; BA, Rice University, Houston, TX, 1994 RESEARCH INTERESTS: Homeless youth and young adults, Adolescent and young adult mental health, Youth aging out of public systems of care, Experience of psychotropic medication treatment, Racial disparities in service use.

Jamie Parker. Clinical Assistant Professor, Director of Field Education. MSW, Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston, 2006; BS, Psychology, University of Houston, 2001. Research Interests: Field Education.

Danielle Parrish.  Associate Professor of Social Work.  B.A., M.S.W., California State University, Fresno; Ph.D. in Social Work, University of Texas at Austin.  Research interests:  Evidence-based behavioral health interventions for adolescents and adult females; Transtheoretical Model of behavioral change (TTM) and motivational interviewing; integration of innovative technology with existing efficacious interventions.

Suzanne Pritzker.  Assistant Professor of Social Work.  B.A., University of Virginia; M.Ed., University of Virginia; M.S.W., Virginia Commonwealth University; Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis.  Research interests:  Youth civic engagement (especially among poor and minority adolescents); service-learning: positive youth development; political advocacy; social welfare policy.

Susan P. Robbins.  Professor of Social Work.  Licensed Social Worker, and Diplomate in Clinical Social Work.  B.A., Hamline University; M.S.W., University of Minnesota; D.S.W., Tulane University.  Research interests:  Juvenile delinquency; drug abuse; labeling in mental health/psychiatry; recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse; satanic ritual abuse; cults; American Indians; mediation.

Allen Rubin.  Jean Kantambu Latting College Professorship of Leadership and Social Change.  B.S., Pennsylvania State University; M.S.W., Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh.  Research interests:  Bridging the gap between research and practice by assessing conditions under which interventions are found to be effective in research studies, and how they are and are not effective when adapted and implemented in real world practice settings.

McClain Sampson.  Assistant Professor of Social Work.  B.A., University of Colorado, Boulder; M.S.S.W., University of Tennessee at Knoxville; Ph.D. in Social Work, University of Texas at Austin.  Research interests:  Health issues that affect pregnant and postpartum women such as depression, stress and obesity; health promotion; racial/ethnic disparities of maternal stress; the use of Motivational Interviewing in substance abuse settings; and health care provider’s comfort with delivery of palliative care.

Isabel Torres.  Associate Professor of Social Work.  B.A., University of Texas at Austin; M.P.H. in Health Services Organization, University of Texas at Austin; Dr.P.H. in international and Family Health, University of Texas at Austin.  Research interests:  Cancer Health Disparities; Palliative and Supportive Care; Geriatric Health; International Health; Medical Mistrust; Informed Decision Making; HPV Vaccine Uptake and Acceptance.

Luis R. Torres. Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Partnerships and Director of the Center for Drug and Social Policy Research.  B.A., University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; M.A., Ph.D., Fordham University.  Research interests:  Role of immigration and acculturation in the development of co-occurring (mental health, substance abuse, and medical) disorders; impact of culture on psychiatric diagnosis; cultural competency.

Jody Williams.  Distinguished Visiting Professor, Sam and Cele Keeper Endowed Professor in Peace and Social Justice.  Nobel Laureate for Peace (1997).  B.A., University of Vermont; M.A., John Hopkins University; M.A., School of International Training.  Research interests:  International relations; peace and human rights issues.