College of Social Work

Phd Student Profile

  • Jessica Shields

    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…

  • HUSSAIN AL-ZAHRANI

    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…

  • Caitlin (Cat) Steele

    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

    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…

  • Peter Kingsley

    Peter Kingsley is an active-duty military member with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Brigham Young University, as well as a master’s degree in education, focusing on applied behavior analysis, from Arizona State University, and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Wyoming. In his clinical work, Pete has experience in working…

  • Shanimol (Shani) Shajimon

    Shani has been an active contributor to community development and education, particularly focused on supporting children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds in India. During her master’s program at St. Berchmans College, India, she undertook diverse research projects on topics such as Women Empowerment through Microenterprises, and Psychosocial Development of Psychiatric Patients through Vocational Rehabilitation. Her dedication to the…

  • UTCSW PhD student Sangmi Kim Selected for National Fellowship

    PhD student Sangmi Kim has been selected for the CSWE Doctoral Student Policy Fellowship. The goal of this national fellowship through the CSWE is to develop a cohort of doctoral-level social workers who influence social policy through the federal legislative policy process. “I am thrilled to begin the CSWE Doctoral Student Policy Fellowship,” Kim stated.…

  • Doctoral Dedication: The Sweet Story of a Cohort Couple

    Namrata Mukherjee and Aritra Moulick know what it is like to pack up and leave family and friends to attend school in a foreign country. But luckily, they were able to do it together as a couple. Moulick and Mukherjee are married and both in the UT College of Social Work (UTCSW) PhD program. They…

  • Yejin Heo

    Yejin Heo is a PhD student in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Before starting her PhD program, she worked as a researcher focusing on aging and social welfare at the National Assembly Research Service and the Seoul Welfare Foundation, a public think tank in South Korea. Her research centers…