The College of Social Work at Florida State University hosted its 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award and Student Scholarship dinner Thursday, October 13, 2022. The event honored five distinguished social work graduates and 2021-2022 student scholars.

More than $168K in scholarships were given in 2021-2022 to support undergraduate- and graduate-level social work students with interests in areas including child welfare, social policy, international social work, social work practice and military veterans.

Craig Stanley, interim dean and teaching professor, hosted the event along with faculty members Carol Campbell Edwards, Keithen Mathis, Fran Gomory and Vicky Verano.

The five CSW Alumni Award recipients included:

Distinguished Emeritus Alumni Award

NOLIA BRANDT

Dr. Nolia Brandt (BSW, 1972; MSW, 1973; MA, 1993; PhD, 2004) is a four-time Florida State University graduate, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work along with a master’s in creative writing and a doctoral degree in education. Her career took her both into the public and private sectors in areas including human services, medical-social work, criminal justice, advocacy and community development and work in business and entrepreneurship and information technology. Brandt wrote and lobbied for changes in public policy related to program development, funding, service delivery, performance improvement and accountability. She also provided instruction for two universities, teaching instructional design, social work, criminal justice, sociology and business and entrepreneurship. Brandt and her husband, Bill Brandt, built and ran an award-winning information technology business for 25 years. She also taught and coached at the FSU College of Business’s Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship before retiring.

Distinguished Young Alumni Award

CHUN ROSENKRANZ

Wang (Chun) Rosenkranz (BSW, 2013) is a formerly incarcerated social worker and founder of the I’ll Be There Project nonprofit dedicated to empowering and uplifting people through the transformative conduit of kindness. Chun earned his BSW from Florida State in 2013 and a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. Upon completing his degrees, he joined Bronx Defenders working with adolescent males in the criminal justice system. He left the Defenders to establish the I’ll Be There Project, which focuses on connection with people experiencing hardships including homelessness, substance use and involvement with the criminal justice system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chun was named New Yorker of the Week by NYNews1 for his work with individuals experiencing homelessness and in need of additional resources during the shutdown. Chun begins each new connection with the question, “How can I help?” drawing on his social work education to meet clients where they are.  

Distinguished Social Work Educator Alumni Award

DAVID JENKINS

Dr. David Jenkins (PhD, 1992) is a licensed clinical social worker and is currently dean and professor of the College of Social Work at The Ohio State University with more than 30 years of working in social work education. He served as dean of the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work from 2016-2022, advancing faculty research and teaching support while strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. He was also part of the faculty at Texas Christian University since 1991, serving in leadership roles including associate dean, department chair and Master of Social Work program director. Much of his recent research focuses on understanding the lived experiences of individuals and family forms suffering from marginalization, with a specific interest in the lives of sexual minorities. He earned his bachelor’s degree and Master of Social Work degree from Louisiana State University and his doctoral degree in social work from FSU.  

Distinguished Social Work Practice Alumni Award

ANGELA MARTINEZ

Dr. Angela M. Martinez (MSW, 1975) is a licensed clinical social worker and community psychologist with more than forty years of experience in South Florida providing individual, couples and family psychotherapy. Throughout her career, Dr. Martinez has also designed and executed several research, training and consultation programs for organizations at the national level including the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Office of Refugee Resettlement and Planned Parenthood. She has also provided services to organizations in her community including Miami’s fire and police departments, the Department of Veterans Affairs, SouthCom and the Seaport of Miami.  Programming developed by Dr. Martinez has focused on issues including diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace including leadership, empowerment and organizational development. Martinez has also served on the faculty of several South Florida universities, including the past fifteen years working for Florida International University where she is a current member of the university President’s Council. She has consulted internationally in several areas of the Caribbean and South America. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Barry University (1971), her MSW from FSU in 1975 and a doctoral degree from Union Institute and University (1981).

Distinguished Social Policy and Administration Alumni Award

LYNN ROSENTHAL

Lynn Rosenthal (BSW, 1980) is the president of the Center for Family Safety and Healing in Columbus, Ohio which addresses family violence including child abuse, intimate partner violence and elder abuse. She is a social worker with expertise in public policy on gender-based violence. She oversees teams providing medical care, counseling and advocacy home-visit services and well-childcare for diverse populations including victims of violence and children in the foster care and child welfare systems. From 2009-2015, Lynn served as the first-ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women and a senior advisor to then Vice President Biden. Prior to her federal service, she held leadership positions in local and state domestic violence agencies. She served as executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence from 2000-2006. Most recently, Lynn was appointed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin to lead a 90-day Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, delivering a report and recommendations for the Department of Defense. She also served on the Advisory Board of the Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families and Children at the FSU College of Social Work.