School of Social Work

The University of St. Thomas today announced Dr. MayKao Y. Hang has been appointed vice president and founding dean of its College of Health. The college is currently comprised of the university’s existing School of Social Work and Graduate School of Professional Psychology. The university also is moving forward with plans to create a nursing school that will be housed within the college.

3 BSW alumni who came to office in 2018 share their stories about social work’s power to prepare public servants who truly embody the role: servant to the public (Paul Schnell ’88 BSW, Minnesota Department of Corrections commissioner; Angela Conley ‘13 BSW, Hennepin County commissioner; and Ikram Koliso ’17 BSW, policy associate for the city of St. Paul)

Fulbright enabled Nesmith to expand her examination of the Czech experience of young people leaving institutional care, such as foster care homes, while developing long-term partnerships with Czech experts in the field of substitute family care.

This year’s graduating DSW cohort marked the first fulfilling the new degree requirement to defend their banded dissertations in an online, public format

Eva Solomonson, BSW field director, will join this summer's week-long facilitator training. Eva shares, "At St. Thomas, we view SEED as part of our campus-wide work combatting bias and systemic racism and oppressions related to gender, sexual orientation, religion, social class, or based on any systemically marginalized identities."

St. Catherine University announced that Lisa Dutton, PT, PhD, has been selected as the Dean of Health Sciences in the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health (HSSH).

Congratulations to incoming Department of Corrections Commissioner, Paul Schnell, BSW '88 alum, long-time adjunct faculty member - and Super Social Worker!

The Campus Engagement Election Project selected St. Thomas School of Social Work associate professor Katharine Hill to receive funding to host CEEP fellows this year to help encourage young people to vote.

Dr. Katharine Hill is a recipient of the Distinguished Early Career Grant, which she will use to conduct research in nonpartisan voter engagement

The Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP) selected School of Social Work associate professor Katharine Hill to receive funding to host a CEEP fellow this year to help encourage young people to get out and vote.

Will Wong DSW '17, is profiled by the California Social Work Education Center about his career in child welfare

More than 200 educators, students, social workers and health care practitioners gathered on Aug. 7 for the seventh annual Summit on Emerging Issues in Social Work Practice, “Healthy Communities: Broadening the Lens of Healthcare, Equity and Policy.”

Article highlights DSW '17 alum Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, who is encouraging her students to also incorporate animals and the environment in their interactions with future clients

Congratulations to Associate Professor Pa Der Vang, who has been appointed by Governor Dayton to the Minnesota Board of Social Work!

Theresa Kelly McPartlin was named winner of the 2017 Heart of Social Work Award at CSWE-APM in Dallas, TX, in October, 2017. The Spring 2018 edition of Field Educator features her nomination letter by Carey Winkler

Mayor Carter's "unconventional St. Paul pick for Airports Commission" is our own Ikram Koliso, BSW '17!

Tanya Rand and our work in interdisplinary education is featured in this April NASW news article on Social Work Education!

St. Kate's - St. Thomas MSW student, Keodora Moua, is  featured in this article about Washburn Center for Children's new Pathways program, a fellowship designed to support people of color interested in completing mental health degrees!

BSW Program Director Katharine Hill is being recognized for the President’s Civic Engagement Stewardship Award as a UST faculty member who has “significantly advanced their campus’ distinctive civic mission by forming strong partnerships, supporting others’ civic engagement and working to institutionalize a culture and practice of engagement"

During February, in honor of Valentine's Day, Oxford University Press has published Dr. Marrs Fuchsel’s blog on their website: a series on Healthy Relationships. Check out her writing as well as other material on healthy relationships»

On Feb. 7, the MSW Area of Emphasis in Practice with Immigrants & Refugees (AEIR) scholars hosted a panel discussion and conversation around fundamental topics relating to working with immigrant and refugee clients. A collection of resources is now available»

Social Work is one of a handful of majors included in the first phase of the St. Kate's Complete partnership agreements with St. Paul College and MCTC, which will provide a seamless transition to our four-year BSW degree.

Vang was asked to perform the ribbon-cutting to officially open the 39th annual Minnesota Hmong New Year Celebration and to give the keynote address. She was chosen as an ambassador to advance the United Hmong Family, Inc.'s vision to promote and honor Hmong Women's Leadership.

Associate professor Catherine Marrs Fuchsel recently published Sí, Yo Puedo, a step-by-step program to aid bilingual Spanish-English mental health professionals in their work with immigrant women who have been domestically assaulted. Newswire article»

2017 Field Practice Institute Summit focused on social justice in action, “Creating Pathways to a Diverse Workforce."

Dr. Katharine Hill's classes put policy into practice

Dean Shank's 40 years of service and leadership in the School of Social Work is highlighted in this St. Thomas Magazine article.

Ikram Koliso BSW '17, one of six Valedictorians in this year's graduating class, earned a standing ovation from the audience for her commencement speech at the St. Catherine University College for Women ceremony Sunday

Carol Kuechler was commended for serving as the first program director of the Doctor of Social Work program that was launched in 2014...

...professor emeriti honors were bestowed on Mary Ann Brenden...Brenden was honored as a passionate teacher who prepares students for engaged, ethical citizenship and participation in the profession, community, and world with an emphasis on social justice.

Dr. Barbara Shank, who is retiring as dean of the School of Social Work at St. Thomas and St. Catherine, received the St. Thomas Distinguished Service Award Saturday at graduate commencement exercises.

The Newsroom kicks off its series of stories about seniors and their plans for after graduation with Hannah Rudkin, a social work major with a Spanish minor, who plans to put both areas of her study to use as full-time international volunteer at NPH Mexico.

Congratulations to MSW alumna Carmeann Foster, MSW/JD ’12, 2017 recipient of St. Catherine University’s prestigious Rising Star Award! 

Ikram, a Social Work HEALS scholar and member of the Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society, received the Mary E. McCahill Award, which is presented annually to a senior who has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership, academic excellence, loyalty and service to the University. Congratulations Ikram!

Michelle Mullowney shares students' perspectives on anti-sex trafficking advocate Rachel Lloyd's visit as St. Kate's 2017 Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Distinguished Visiting Scholar, April 4 & 5

Dr. Carvalho currently serves as executive adviser to the president at the University of St. Thomas. She is also the proud parent of a St. Kate's - St. Thomas BSW graduate.

Anti-trafficking advocate Rachel Lloyd discussed the root causes of human trafficking and how to address them in a riveting lecture that concluded the 2017 Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Distinguished Scholar in Residence program.  The SSW was proud to coordinate Rachel's visit and promote her message of support for ALL social justice issues and services that support vulnerable communities. 

The University of St. Thomas has received the distinctive honor of being named a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U, a global consortium working to inspire a culture of social innovation in higher education. St. Thomas becomes the first in MN and the 40th Changemaker Campus in the consortium.

Yesterday, Dean Barbara Shank announced her intention to step down as Dean at the end of the spring semester.  We hope you will join us in congratulating her and wishing her the best in her “retirement” (because we all know she will continue to contribute to the School and the profession for many, many years to come)!

Shaunequa James ’17 is one of two St. Kate's students selected for the Minnesota Capitol Pathways internship, aimed at diversifying state policymaking. The social work major was paired with NAMI-MN for the internship.

Brenden’s story, illustrated by numerous photos, was produced by St. Catherine University and proceeds from the book will support preservation of the Chapel.  Learn more and order the book at the Chapel book site.

Prof. Katharine Hill highlighted in this St. Kate’s magazine article about students tackling global food issues in their quest to become ethical and socially responsible leaders

Emily Titus BSW '16, with the help of associate professor Ande Nesmith and a Collaborative Inquiry Grant, set out to find an answer. She outlined the barriers for refugees and how they can be overcome.

Rebecca has been employed with BSU since 2014 as a fixed-term faculty member and prior to that served as an Adjunct since 2010.  As Assistant Professor of Social Work she will serve as the Director of Field Education and teach macro social work practice courses.

Susan Schmidt, DSW class of 2017, has accepted a position as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work at Luther College in Iowa.  Congratulations Susan!

Sky has been appointed as an Assistant Professor in the MSW program at Mankato State starting in fall 2016.

MSW alumnae Emily Alewine ’08 and Rachel Walstad ’93, work for MN Adopt, a St. Paul-based organization that provides support services for adoptive families of all kinds in MN. These days, Walstad (MN Adopt’s executive director) and Alewine (MN Adopt’s HELP program manager and clinical specialist) are changing their organization’s way of operating. In recent years MN Adopt has expanded beyond its original focus of just foster care advocacy and support – and may now lead the entire nation forward with a new model for adoptive services.

Carmeann Foster MSW '12, our first Dual Degree MSW/JD graduate, will use grant to further her goal of reducing the number of black youth in the juvenile justice system.

Marcus, an Area of Emphasis in Military Practice (AEMP) Scholar and 2015 NASW-MN Graduate Student of the Year, highlights his call to social work in "Injured Minnesota Soldier Helps Vets Get Lives on Track"

As one of 10 schools that received the Social Work HEALS grant in 2015, four St. Kate's - St. Thomas students attended this policy summit in October - a phenomenal experience!

As one who studies domestic violence, Dr. Marrs Fuchsel  was asked to comment on the recent slaying of a woman in Plymouth by her partner. Read story»

Dr. Pa Der Vang was nominated and accepted into the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute for the February 2016 Cohort. 

Article titled, "The Impact of Electronic Communication and Social Media on Child Welfare Practice." 

Beginning this year, mental health professionals have been added to the Minnesota Loan Forgiveness Program, which was developed to ease the debt burden of health-care workers and encourage them to work in an underserved area of the state.

The SSW's 2015 Room at the Table event focused on our annual theme of Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking with "Trafficking in Minnesota: Protecting Sexually Exploited Youth"

Associate Professor of Social Work Catherine Marrs Fuchsel has found her life’s calling addressing the needs of some of society’s most vulnerable women: Latinas living in the U.S. with no immigration status, unfamiliar with the language and culture and being physically and verbally abused by an intimate partner.

MSW Field Director Lisa Richardson and others share how St. Kate’s is preparing students in numerous disciplines to meet the needs of the “silver tsunami” — and in ways that focus on the strengths, not just the disabilities, of older people.

From Exemplars, a publication of the Grants and Research Office.

On August 4, the SSW Field Practice Institute held their fourth annual Summit on Emerging Issues in Social Work Practice. The event tackled "Trafficking in Minnesota" and highlighted the perspectives of survivors, practitioners, organizations, policy makers, and law enforcement.

St. Kate's - St. Thomas is proud to be the only private school selected to participate in the HEALS program, which will be used to educate and train social workers to improve delivery of health care in the United States.

UST NEWSROOM article about Dr. Ande Nesmith’s three-year research study on youth transitioning out of foster care and her collaboration with a total of 7 social work students during the life of the project

..."when [Ruth] looks at her case manager a slight smile forms on her face and she utters three simple, yet powerful words. "I am thankful."

"The Power of Restorative Love: Supporting Moms in Prison"

This front-page Star Tribune article highlights the work of the Mental Health Workforce Summit workgroup, which Dean Barbara Shank and Director of MSW Field Education, Lisa Richardson, sat on during the past year representing the MN Private College Council

Ande's article, "Factors Influencing the Regularity of Parental Visits with Children in Foster Care," can be viewed and downloaded on the Springer Press website.

In it, she describes the “Intergenerational Retreat,” a two day event that brought Hmong men and women together to discuss gender issues within the family system and in the community to learn to be more intentional about addressing intergenerational conflict.

Erica was a leader in the coalition to pass legislation to support pregnant women and new mothers in Minnesota prisons and jails that went into effect July 1. Congratulations!

Carl White is completing his master's of social work and has a job as a health unit coordinator at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Mary's Campus. Read about his journey since 2009, when he was consumed by chronic pain from two accidents, and how far he's come since being referred to Mayo's Pain Rehabilitation Center.

As Richelle Amundson ’14 M.S.W. began to explore topics for her clinical research project, a requirement of her final year in the Master of Social Work program, she recalled her volunteer experience at the Center for Victims of Torture, which included working with many women who had experienced rape. This problem prompted Amundson to ask: Can spirituality help people build those relationships needed to heal?

The changing status and growth of social work education worldwide: Process, findings and implications of the IASSW 2010 census

Vang, P.D. (2014). Hmong and Acculturation (pp. 115-136). In Jack Merton (Ed.) Acculturation: Psychology, Processes and Global Perspectives. NY: Nova Publishers.

Vang, P.D., & Her, P. (2014). Teenage marriage among Hmong American women. Journal of Human Behavior and the Social Environment, 24, 138-155.s

Cheryl has been a school social worker in the Minneapolis Public Schools for 14 years. Her award will be presented at the Minnesota SSW conference on November 3rd in St. Paul.

MSW alumna, Margaret Kelly, is an ordained Lutheran pastor. Her vision of "radical hospitality" has come to life as a "church on wheels that drives to where people are, offering free food and prayer to the poor, homeless and near-homeless."

Perceived Admiration and Transition to Parenthood for Black and White Married Couples

Dean Barbara Shank gave the Graduate Commencement Address at St. Kate's on May 23, 2014

Using Technology in Peer Role-Play Assignments to Enhance Competency in Clinical Dyadic Treatment: A Pilot Study

Sondra Payne Elizondo, a Benson, Minn., native, is University of St. Thomas Humanitarian of the Year for her contributions to the betterment of the spiritual and material welfare of the less fortunate. She is co-founder and director of VIDA (Volunteers for Intercultural and Definitive Adventures), a nonprofit volunteer program which offers pre-medical, pre-dental, and pre-veterinary college students the chance to work with local doctors in underserved areas of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.

Catholic sisters were always a bit of a mystery for Helen Garcia, BSW student. She passed them in the hallways at St. Catherine University (St. Kate’s) in St. Paul, but never had a personal conversation — until this month.

Now Garcia and new friend Sister Vicky Larson are pioneers in a national movement to make the public more aware of the work of America’s Catholic sisters — and in the process, encourage young women to consider the calling.

St. Kate’s is the national hub for an initiative to let the world know about nuns’ contributions. Thanks to a $3.3 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, St. Kate’s has launched a project that will pair sisters and students across the country, record nuns’ oral histories and build school curriculum. It also has built a website called SisterStory.org that will be a national repository of oral histories and other materials to demystify nuns and highlight their many contributions.