University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is also pursuing a minor in Religion and Nonprofit Leadership, where she enjoys exploring the many ways social work can make an impact. One of Katie’s favorite things about being a Vol is the supportive campus culture, where students genuinely want to see one another succeed while encouraging each other…
Fall Events Welcome Back Celebration August 17 | 4:00-6:00pm CT Build your professional social work community. RSVP for Welcome Back Celebration Suicide Prevention Training September 14 | 12:00-1:00pm CT Learn important strategies to keep community members safe. RSVP for Suicide Prevention Training Overdose Prevention Training September 26 | 4:30-6:00pm CT Learn important strategies to keep…
Austin is an MSSW student at the University of Tennessee’s Nashville campus. Their passions range from social, political, and racial justice to mental health support and advocacy. Primarily interested in education and therapy, they focus on the overlap between systems and individuals.” After graduation, they plan to pursue an LCSW to serve in the substance…
The UT College of Social Work faculty and PhD students are presenting their latest research and projects at the SSWR 2026 Annual Conference, Leading for Transformative Change: Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice. Our presenters will share important insights and advance the field of social work on the national stage. Check the schedule…
Oliver I. Eya is a PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research focuses on intimate partner violence (IPV), faith-based responses to IPV, and help-seeking behaviors among survivors. He is particularly interested in how community and religious leaders can serve as key facilitators…
Ilana Shtivelman is a second year international PhD student at the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research interests primarily encompass moral injury at the intersection of identity and ideology formation, military mental health, global social work (particularly concerning culture and ethics), and Jewish identity/history. In 2016, Ilana completed her…
Jong Sung Kim is a PhD student in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research centers on trauma-informed education and equity for adolescents from socio-economically disadvantaged communities in the U.S. and globally. He investigates how family, school, and neighborhood environments influence academic outcomes, executive function, sleep, and mental health—leveraging large-scale…
Melissa is from St. Petersburg, Florida and earned her bachelor’s in social work from the University of South Florida, St. Pete and her master’s in social work from the University of South Florida, Tampa. Melissa has experience in community mental health, medical social work, juvenile justice, and spent the majority of her career in school…
Vallee is a sophomore in the BSSW program at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She was born and raised in Knoxville. She is the president of our student ran Bachelor’s of Social Work club, BSWO. Vallee wants to do macro social work. She hopes to focus on community health or anything involving nonprofit work. Her…