Phd Student Profile

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…

Zakary (Zak) Amen is a 4th-year PhD Candidate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Social Work. His research focuses on homelessness and reproductive healthcare; specific projects and studies have focused on these issues within Appalachia. Other research interests include mixed-methods research, teaching research methods and statistics in the MSW program, and program evaluation.…

Santhosh Raj Srinivasan, a seasoned professional social worker and accomplished researcher hailing from India, has significantly contributed to the field of social welfare and research from 2019 to 2023. His professional journey has been marked by pivotal roles, including Research Assistant at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, Project Coordinator at The Banyan…

Kiki Kline is a licensed social worker (LSW) in the State of Colorado, specializing in clinical research and social work with individuals experiencing disordered eating and related populations. She most enjoys collaborating with others to instill social justice efforts in mental health and eating disorder systems of care through research, clinical, and advocacy work. In…

Sangmi Kim is a PhD candidate in Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a minor in Intercollegiate Graduate Statistics and Data Science Program (IGSDSP). She earned her MSW from Ewha Womans University (Seoul, Korea) in 2013 and holds Korea’s highest-level national social worker license. She has professional experience providing mental health support…

Khalid Alshehri has a master’s degree in social work from Southern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Imam Mohammed Saud University in Saudi Arabia. Alshehri has a practice background working with people experiencing food insecurity and in a variety of other social service and volunteer roles. Prior to joining the University…

Working in the field of child welfare for over 10 years has made me aware of various gaps when it comes to policies set in place to protect the most vulnerable of all citizens, children. My area of interest is just that, child welfare on a macro scale and the polices set in place that…

A faculty member with several years of academic experience, specializing in research, strategic planning, and teaching, with a strong commitment to raising educational standards. By fostering a collaborative learning environment, I actively mentor students and lead accreditation initiatives to ensure academic excellence. Driven by my passion for continuous improvement, I integrate innovative educational practices to…

Cat Steele is an incoming first generation PhD student in Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she also earned both her Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) and Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW). Her research focuses on expanding and refining mental health diagnostic criteria for adults with intellectual and…

Hailey Crowe is a first-generation college graduate from Knoxville, Tennessee. She earned her Associate of Science in Social Work from Pellissippi State Community College, her Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from UTK…