Dr. David Springer will step into the role as interim dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) while UT conducts a national search for a new dean. More than two decades as a professor and academic leader at UT Austin have prepared him for this new leadership role.
Fall 2020 Graduates were celebrated in a virtual ceremony on Friday, December 11th, incorporating many traditional customs associated with the usual on-campus commencement exercises including the opening processional to “Pomp and Circumstance,” the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance, the official conferring of graduate and undergraduate academic degrees, and the turning of tassels on the graduates’ caps.
“I’m pleased to announce Kim Boswell as commissioner for the Alabama Department of Mental Health,” said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. “She has spent the entirety of her professional career devoted to helping struggling individuals and I appreciate her willingness to serve in this new capacity. Her background as a mental health provider as well as administrator makes her uniquely qualified.”
Margaret Atwood wrote in The Penelopiad, “Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall; it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing, in the end, can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember, you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.” Therefore, it is appropriate that Pamela W.
The FSU College of Social Work (CSW) celebrated its 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award and Student Scholarship recipients through a virtual event on Thursday, November 5, 2020. The event was hosted by Dean Jim Clark and faculty members who serve on the college’s Student Affairs Committee.
The event honored 90 outstanding student scholars. Scholarship awards totaling more than $97,000 were given in support of CSW students, including those studying international programs, child welfare, social policy, and veterans.
The five CSW Alumni Award recipients included:
Shevaun Harris (MSW, 2004; BA, 2002) was appointed in October 2020 by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as acting secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The agency oversees the state’s $25 billion Medicaid program. She replaces Mary Mayhew, who left the agency to become CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, a group representing more than 200 hospitals in the state.
Robyn Metcalf, the statewide director of Voices for Florida’s Open Doors Outreach Network, has been selected as a 2020 Notable Nole by the FSU Alumni Association.
FSU College of Social Work Alumnus Dr. Daniel Dunleavy graduated this summer with his social work doctoral degree. His dissertation, titled “Appraising contemporary social work research: Meta research on statistical reporting, statistical power, and evidential value,” (Major professor: Dr. Jeffrey Lacasse) reflects his research interests in research methods and statistical inference. Dr. Dunleavy’s research interests also include mental health, substance abuse, child welfare and the philosophy of science.
In the wake of the pandemic, many college students have been left discouraged at the loss of in-person opportunities to gain real-world work experience. My experience this summer in a field-placement with Voices for Florida (Voices) demonstrated that not only are virtual field placements available, they can be an incredible opportunity for personal and professional growth. In fact, virtual field placements may open you to even more opportunities, as I was recently hired by Voices as an education and training consultant!
For years after his father’s death in 1999, Ahmad Aliyy (formerly known as Skip Young) contemplated a way to honor his father, Edward Young’s legacy as a father and mentor, and his influence on Aliyy. “I once asked my father what goals he had in life, and he replied, raising a family,” Aliyy recalls.
