Alumni & Friends

Poverty may be the most troubling and complex social problems we face. According to the World Bank, more than 768.5 billion people were experiencing poverty around the world in 2017. Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, the United States is home to around 40 million people in poverty. 

The Florida State University College of Social Work will host a daylong conference that examines the challenges of poverty and ways that they can be addressed.

The National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University named Sylvia Stinson-Perez as the new director of the Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center.

Stinson-Perez has more than 20 years of experience in the field of vision rehabilitation and five years in higher education. She received her MSW (1993) and BSW (1991) along with a Master's degree (2010) in education witha specialization on visual disabilities at Florida State University. She assumes her new leadership role Monday, Jan. 7.

The College of Social Work ended the semester with a graduation reception for its Fall 2018 graduates and their guests at the Oglesby Union Ballrooms. The reception celebrated 5 BSWs, 57 MSWs, and 1 Ph.D. graduate. The event’s program featured remarks by Dean Jim Clark, Reception Speaker Dana Brooks, and Student Speaker and MSW Graduate Amanda Nicole Sholty.

Alumna Machelle Madsen Thompson is known at the FSU College of Social Work, where she is a researcher and adjunct professor, and in the local community for her multi-faceted community outreach. This fall, Dr. Thompson was on the front line for two major events in the Tallahassee area, assisting with recovery after both Hurricane Michael and the mass shooting at a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida.

The FSU Alumni Association honored its 2018 cohort of Notable Noles and its three 2018 Reubin O’D. Askey Young Alumni Award recipients in November at their annual Young Alumni Awards Dinner. Among this year’s Notable Noles are two FSU College of Social Work graduates, Sabrina Kinslow, and Tiffanie Williams.

On Wednesday, November 28^th, the Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families, and Children (CFC) is hosting a presentation Dr. TK Logan from the University of Kentucky entitled: “Assessing and Addressing the Hidden Crime of Stalking. The presentation is the second lecture in the CFC’s inaugural research lecture 2018-2019 series, Engage, Invest, Respond. The presentation will take place at the FSU Alumni Association (1030 W. Tennessee Street) from 3 until 4:30 p.m., followed by a reception.

Florida State University College of Social Work will celebrate its 2018 distinguished graduates and scholarship recipients at a celebratory dinner at the FSU Alumni Association on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018. 

The highly anticipated event each year celebrates the contributions of students, alumni and donors to the College of Social Work, social work education and profession.

At the 2018 Child Protection Summit in September, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) honored award recipients, including this year’s Child Welfare Champion Award to FSU College of Social Work Alumna Lisa Jackson. 

Michelle Brantley dreams big and makes those dreams a reality. In 2007, her father suddenly passed away, and it caused her to re-evaluate her life and how valuable time is. She decided to honor his memory by being “true to herself,” which was some of his last words to her. Along this road, Michelle not only balanced her growth, healing, and education but a growing family. She opened her heart and home through the adoption of five siblings, including two sets of twins.   

Dr. Jessica Pryce and her team at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (Institute) are continuously working with researchers and organizations to find effective, evidence-based solutions to child welfare challenges in Florida. As a part of this mission, Pryce has actively sought out unique, innovative opportunities to inform and address the challenges present in child welfare.