FSU College of Social Work Celebrates 2024 Alumni Award and Scholarship Recipients
The College of Social Work at Florida State University hosted its 2024 Scholarship and Awards dinner during the 2024 FSU Homecoming week. The event honored six distinguished social work graduates and 112 student scholars.
More than $160K in scholarships was provided to undergraduate and graduate social work students with interests in areas including child welfare, social policy, international social work, social work practice and military veterans.
Dean David W. Springer hosted the event along with other College of Social Work faculty and administrators. MSW student and scholarship recipient Jamilla Alleyne also shared a few words about her journey and the impact scholarships have had on her.
The College of Social Work Alumni Award recipients included:
Distinguished Emeritus Alumni Award
Margaret (Meg) and John Paschal are both FSU College of Social Work graduates. Meg Paschal earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in 1974, and John Paschal earned an MSW in 1988. Each has an extensive career in social work practice. Meg Paschal’s social work career spanned more than 21 years with the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (DHRS) in various roles, including serving as a program manager for 14 counties in North Florida.
John Paschal’s social work career included 26 years as a licensed clinical social worker working with young children and families and 18 years with DHRS in various roles, including his final role as chief of Child Welfare Services in Florida. They established a private therapy practice and served the Tallahassee community for over 30 years. They also established the John and Meg Paschal International Social Work Scholarship to support FSU social work students wishing to study abroad and gain experience in international social work.
Distinguished Young Alumni Award
Hailey Philips Lovejoy, a three-time FSU graduate, earned a master’s in public safety and security (2024), an MSW (2020) and a bachelor’s in criminology and criminal justice (2016). Her career focuses on the intersection of criminal justice and mental health.
Her career and academic interests have centered on the intersection of criminal justice and mental health. While earning her MSW degree, she worked as a 911 dispatcher and completed her field placement internships as a drug treatment counselor in conjunction with a drug treatment court program in southern Georgia. For the past four years, she has worked with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, providing support services to people in crisis as a law enforcement officer. She is currently working toward social work licensure as the substance abuse/behavioral health counselor at the Walton County Jail. Her primary focus is now working with inmates on community re-entry transitions through the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Community Mental Health Initiative to bridge the gap in a county with limited support services.
Distinguished Social Work Educator Alumni Award
Joseph Neil Abell is a three-time FSU graduate, earning a social work doctoral degree (1986) and master’s degree (1982), along with a bachelor’s degree in psychology (1979). He is a professor and director of International Programs within the FSU College of Social Work and will retire in December 2024. His research and teaching focus on international social work, HIV/AIDs, human rights and mindfulness. As director of International Programs, he has facilitated experiences abroad for social work students, including the Alternative Spring Break field placement and exchange opportunities.
Distinguished Social Work Practice Alumni Award
Machelle Madsen Thompson earned a doctoral degree in social work from Florida State in 2010 and holds an Educational Psychology Statistics and Measurement certification. Thompson is a researcher and teaching instructor at the FSU College of Social Work, and she is a licensed clinical social worker and qualified supervisor. Her research and expertise include trauma, resilience and children. She conducts trauma intervention, measurement and outcome research with underserved communities. With over a decade of experience in non-accidental trauma intervention, she has been a dedicated professional at the Primary Children’s Hospital in the Mountain West region. She became a Fulbright Scholar in 2018, collaborating with Hong Kong Polytechnic University faculty and medical and social work professionals at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center.
Distinguished Social Policy and Administration Alumni Award
Patrick Garvey earned a bachelor’s degree in social welfare from Florida State University in 1972 and a master’s degree in public affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin in 1975. He began his career at the Florida Division of Family Services as a protective service officer guarding children’s rights. He spent his 30-year career in public service working with agencies in Texas and Washington, D.C., at the General Accountability Office and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In Texas, Garvey evaluated manpower employment programs and prison educational opportunities and served as a legislative assistant to the comptroller general in Washington, D.C. He retired in 2010 from the EPA as a program director of the largest environmental information system. Garvey has also worked in 14 federal and state elections and serves as a chief judge at one of the largest precincts. He continues serving his Washington, D.C., community by helping distribute food to people experiencing food insecurity and homelessness, as well as environmental cleanup projects and community special events.
