Child welfare professionals and Florida State University College of Social Work students often face challenges in developing the necessary skills for effective observation and interviewing in real-world settings.
This year Dr. Shalay Jackson, an associate teaching professor at the College of Social Work, was named the new chair of the Association for Community Organizing and Social Action (ACOSA). Elected by ACOSA’s board, she will hold the position for two years through December 2026.
ACOSA is a professional membership organization designed to bring together community organizers, nonprofit administrators, community builders, policy practitioners, students and educators.
The College of Social Work has had a special international partnership with Jönköping University in Sweden since 2012, offering an exchange opportunity for both universities’ undergraduate students. Students participating in the exchange can take a full-time course load for a full semester at their host university.
The College of Social Work recently named Dr. Lisa Schelbe its Jeanene M. Janes Professor in Child Welfare. The professorship is awarded to a faculty member whose scholarly and educational demonstrate dedication and focus on child welfare issues.
Taylor Biro, a two-time FSU College of Social Work graduate (MSW 2023, BSW 2021), has been a long-time community organizer and activist with roots in Tallahassee, Florida. “When I started in social work, I wanted to make a difference,” she explained. “I began in direct service delivery but quickly saw the inequities and harmful practices embedded in many systems.”
Florida State University launches the 14th annual FSU’s Great Give on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
During the 24-hour event, the FSU College of Social Work has set a fundraising goal of $30,000 to support FSU social work students in gaining life-changing global experiences through the college’s international programs.
Generous College of Social Work donors and alumni, Meg and John Paschal, have agreed to match the first $5000 donated dollar-for-dollar.
Ngondwe Ponsiano, or Pons as he also likes to be called, a doctoral student at the FSU College of Social Work, received a 2025 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Doctoral Student Travel Award to help him attend the society’s January conference in Seattle, Washington.
Keithen Mathis, MSW associate dean for Culture and Community Engagement and teaching professor at the College of Social Work, was awarded the 2025 FSU Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Distinguished Service Award. Awards were presented on Tuesday, January 14th, at the MLK Awards and Golden Torch Lecture Series, presenting Ziwe Fumudoh, a Nigerian American author and comedian, during FSU’s 37th annual MLK Week.
The Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children (Stoops CFC Center) in the FSU College of Social Work received a $670,000 grant from Elevance Health Foundation to launch a new program designed to help individuals who are involved in the justice system break the cycle of substance use and build healthier lives.
FSU College of Social Work (FSU CSW) participated in the 2025 Society for Social Work and Research Conference in Seattle, Washington. From January 15-19, faculty and doctoral students and affiliates from the Florida Institute for Child Welfare presented more than 40 presentations and sessions at the conference (listed below with FSU CSW participants).
