News
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Online BSSW Student Victoria-Rose Keith Honored with Ruby Falls Annual Steiner Scholarship
Ruby Falls recently announced Online BSSW Student Victoria-Rose Keith as one of two 2025 recipients of the John Thomas Steiner, Sr. Memorial Scholarship. Along with Tyler Bennett from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, Keith received the scholarship to help further her academic achievements and dedicated service to the community. Keith is pursuing her professional goal…
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Fulbright Scholar Dr. Dimi Lattas Joins UTCSW through Summer 2026
Dr. Dimi Lattas is joining the UTCSW for eight months as a Fulbright Scholar from Queensland, Australia. She is a lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast, where her research focuses on strengthening and advancing forensic social work education globally. Her Fulbright projects center on developing international collaborations and building shared educational standards to…
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UTCSW Alumna Leads the Charge in Expanding Access to Essential Baby Supplies
When Jamie Lackey (BSW ’00) thinks back on what led her to social work, the path feels almost inevitable. Raised by a single mother who often brought her along to nonprofit board meetings, she grew up observing the impact of community work from behind the scenes. “I got behind-the-scenes knowledge into how important nonprofits were…
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UTCSW VIPHEC Partnership Transforms Graduate Education in Nashville
The University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) is excited to announce an innovative, interprofessional partnership with Vanderbilt University and Lipscomb University. The Vanderbilt Interprofessional Health Education Collaborative (VIPHEC) is a groundbreaking initiative that brings together students from social work, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, counseling, and marriage and family therapy to engage in collaborative learning,…
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Leading the Way: UTCSW’s Outstanding Faculty Drive Social Work Innovation
University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) faculty members are at the forefront of groundbreaking research and innovation that shape the future of social work education, practice, and policy. Their dedication to advancing knowledge is evident in innovative studies, influential publications, and collaborative projects that address pressing social challenges. By combining expertise with passion,…
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UTK and Knoxville Family Justice Center’s Partnership Focuses on Domestic Violence Awareness
UT College of Social Work (UTCSW), UT College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS), and the Knoxville Family Justice Center (KFJC) partnered to lead the community in recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) 2025 through a powerful lineup of events, outreach initiatives, and a renewed focus on survivor-centered care. Although emphasized in…
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Giving Back to Knoxville: UTCSW Alumna Brittney Dunn Champions Youth Mental Health
For Knoxville native Brittney Dunn (MSSW ’25), a lifelong passion for helping others eventually led her from the world of speech pathology to social work. After spending 15 years as a speech therapist, Dunn said she began to see that social work was where she truly wanted to be. “I’ve always been a social worker…
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UTCSW eVOLve Keynote Speaker Aspires to Help Others by Sharing Lessons Learned
Kristie Hammonds, president & CEO of Frontier Health, the region’s leading provider of behavioral health services, will serve as the keynote speaker for the University of Tennessee College of Social Work’s (UTCSW) 2026 conference eVOLve: The Future of Behavioral Health. Her talk, titled Innovation and Impact: Balancing Heart, Innovation, and Quality, will explore the critical…
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PhD Student Ilana Shtivelman Brings Valuable Insights Back from the ISGAP Oxford Summer Institute
UTCSW PhD student Ilana Shtivelman attended the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) in the United Kingdom over the past summer. The institute is committed to fighting antisemitism and is dedicated to scholarly research into the origins, processes, and manifestations of global antisemitism and of other forms of prejudice, including various…
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Dr. Kate Chaffin Named 2025 NASW-TN Social Work Educator of the Year
Dr. Kate Chaffin, Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and Clinical Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW), earned statewide recognition as the 2025 Social Work Educator of the Year from the National Association of Social Workers Tennessee Chapter (NASW-TN). The award highlights Chaffin’s dedication to preparing future social workers through innovative…