Research

UTCSW Professor Courtney Cronley was recently named the Feminist Scholar Award Recipient by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for 2024. CSWE annually honors a scholar who advances feminist knowledge, including Womanist and Xicanism perspectives. Dr. Cronley investigates how the built environment contributes to social injustices and health disparities and how investments in housing and…

The University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) has hired Dr. Tiffany Washington as a new Associate Professor (Health Specialization) for Fall 2024. Washington comes to the UTCSW from the University of Georgia School of Social Work, where she served as an associate professor with tenure. She will begin at UTCSW August 1, 2024.…

Dr. Bridget Freisthler joins the University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) as the new Cooper-Herron Professor in mental health for fall 2024. The Cooper-Herron Endowed Professorship was established through the generosity of long-time College of Social Work supporters Susan Cooper and Dr. Freida Herron. Freisthler comes to UTCSW from Ohio State University and…

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…