Alumni & Friends

As a self-described “practical person,” Erica Askin (BSW 2004) always wanted a hands-on career working directly with people. While at Florida State University as an undergraduate student, social work offered the hands-on experience and skills she sought. “I chose the Social Work program at FSU because it aligned with these values while also giving me the opportunity to be educated and mentored by really great professors and to gain new perspectives in a different region of Florida where I grew up,” said Askin.

“I have heard people say, ‘you don’t need others to make it in life’ and about ‘self-made’ successful individuals. This was not my story. I needed people,” said Altrichia Cook Wilcox (BSW '09).

While just starting out at Florida State University and five hours away from her hometown of Lakeland, Florida, she knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by the prospect of being a young mother balancing the demands of school and daily life.

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.

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 pursuits demonstrate dedication and focus on child welfare issues.

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.

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.