The UT College of Social Work welcomed three exceptional faculty members: DR. RUBÉN PARRA-CARDONA, Roger and Carol Nooe Endowed Chair; DR. BRIDGET FREISTHLER, Cooper- Herron Endowed Professor in mental health; and DR. TIFFANY WASHINGTON, Associate Professor (health specialization). These faculty brought innovative contributions and unparalleled expertise in each of their respective fields.
Dr. Rubén Parra-Cardona was hired as the first Roger and Carol Nooe Endowed Chair. This prestigious position was made possible through a generous $2 million donation from Phillip and Janet Lawson in honor of the legacy of Roger Nooe and his wife, Carol. Parra-Cardona came 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.
Parra-Cardona’s journey from public service in child welfare programs in Mexico to the Roger and Carol Nooe Endowed Chair is a testament to his true passion for helping others and his unwavering dedication to making a difference in the lives of others. Originally from Mexico, he embarked on a transformative path that led him to earn a degree in psychology from ITESO University in Guadalajara, Mexico, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. in couple and family therapy from Syracuse University and Texas Tech University, respectively.
“It is an exceptional honor to be the inaugural Roger and Carol Nooe Endowed Chair at the University of Tennessee and to focus on incredibly important social justice issues found on Rocky Top, in the state of Tennessee, and around the world,” Parra-Cardona stated. “This is a critical time in our country to focus on mental health practices, and as the Nooe chair, I look forward to building upon the many successes of a top college of social work.”
Dr. Bridget Freisthler joined the UTCSW as the new Cooper-Herron Endowed Professor in mental health. This professorship was established through the generosity of long-time College of Social Work supporters Susan Cooper and Dr. Freida Herron. Freisthler comes to the
UTCSW from Ohio State University.
Growing up in a small rural Ohio town, Freisthler was a first-generation college graduate. Not fully understanding what social work was about, she started out pursuing clinical psychology. “I thought clinical psychology was my path but was paired with a mentor my first year of undergrad who was chair of the Sociology program and told me I think ‘too big’ to be a psychologist,” she said. “What he meant, I realized, is that I looked at systems and communities, not just individuals. Social work seemed like a nice balance between
the two.”
Her recent research focuses on reducing trauma symptoms and preventing additional trauma related to parental drug use among families involved in the child welfare system. Additionally, she looks at the context of substance use and parenting to develop, implement, and evaluate
interventions to prevent and reduce problems that arise from early adversity and trauma.
Dr. Tiffany Washington was hired as a new Associate Professor (health specialization) and came to the UTCSW from the University of Georgia School of Social Work, where she served as an associate professor with tenure.
Born in Connecticut and raised in rural North Carolina, Washington was a first-generation college student. After working as a receptionist at a counseling agency during her senior year in college, Washington realized that a graduate degree in social work could be her pathway into a mental health career.
Washington’s main area of research is health social work. “I am interested in designing behavioral interventions that social workers can implement in their respective healthcare and community-based settings with disadvantaged older adults, family caregivers, and individuals
living with chronic conditions,” she explained. “I also focus on implementation barriers and facilitators that impact the uptake of interventions in those settings.”