Research

The University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) has hired Rubén Parra-Cardona as the first Roger and Carol Nooe Endowed Chair. Parra-Cardona comes to UT from the University of Texas at Austin where he was a professor and the associate dean for global engagement at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. He will…

Assistant Professor Thereasa Abrams, Professor William Nugent, Assistant Professor Andrea Joseph-McCatty, and PhD student Aritra Moulick recently published an article in the Journal of Burn Care & Research titled “Examining Disparities in Alcohol Use Testing on Burn Patient Admissions: A Call for Association Guidance.” Burn injuries are associated with as well as complicated by alcohol…

From anti-racist social work pedagogy to trauma-informed approaches to discipline, to guaranteed income programs, the UTCSW faculty’s research spans a variety of topics all aimed to better the world for the underserved.   Allison BuzardConceptualizing anti-racist social work pedagogyPractical Ideas for increasing faculty capacity, reflexivity, and ability. Advances in Social Work JournalDOI: https://doi.org/10.18060/27152 Studies have suggested…

University of Tennessee College of Social Work Urban Child institute Endowed Professor and Associate Professor of General Pediatrics Dr. Anne Conway focuses her research on how sleep and mental health intertwine. As Daylight Savings Time approaches and most of the country springs forward, Conway notes that changes in sleep predict mental health difficulties, particularly in…

UTCSW PhD students Chesney Ward and Kenyette Garrett recently attended a Race, Research, and Justice training offered by Vanderbilt as part of their Early Career Professional Learning Series. The training was held virtually on four Saturdays and covered topics such as teaching, mentoring, grant writing, philanthropy, writing and publishing across genres, and wellness and mindfulness.…

UTCSW PhD Students Kenyette Garrett and Chesney Ward were awarded the 2024 Initiative for Cross-Institutional Student Collaboration grant for the project entitled Count on Me: An exploration of the factors that shape perceptions of social support among Black women in social work research doctoral programs. They were recognized at the GADE Annual Reception at the…

UTCSW Assistant Professor Jennifer First is participating on the team that received two federal grants totaling $4.3 million, which will give tree lovers hoping to expand Knoxville’s canopy – especially in neighborhoods needing it the most – something to celebrate. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was awarded $2.6 million to increase tree canopy coverage, reduce…

The Joint Task Force on Children’s Justice and Child Sexual Abuse (JTF), a multi-disciplinary group of child welfare professionals, develop a plan and implement recommendations for improving the prevention, investigation, prosecution, judicial handling, and treatment of cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and other forms of severe child abuse and neglect. JTF Impact Child…

Director of Field Education and Professor of Practice Kim Crane Mallory discusses a marked increase in employment-based field placements (EBPs) which has made a big difference for Social Work students. Over 30 percent of all field students have a paid internship this year, a number which has nearly doubled from last year. What do you…