CSW General

Amy Ai, a distinguished research professor at the Florida State University College of Social Work, has been selected as a fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM).

As a first-generation American, Erika Cuffy calls Florida home after her parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba in the 1970s. She discovered at an early age how much she loved people and finding ways to connect and help them.

Following a national search, Florida State University has named three-time alumnus David W. Springer as dean of the College of Social Work. Springer will begin his new role on August 1, 2023.

Throughout the 2022-2023 academic year, the College of Social Work held an art competition called Color the College to celebrate the values of social work. The event welcomed art entries from students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the college to create artwork that personally expressed one or more social work values that would be displayed in the college’s administrative suite in University Center C, Suite 2500.

On Friday, May 5, 2023, the FSU College of Social Work celebrated spring graduates and its annual Award Recipients at a celebration in the social work lobby of University Center, Building C.

Spring graduates included 41 BSW graduates, 145 MSW graduates and two doctoral graduates, Chris Collins and Melissa Murphy.

At the event, awards were presented to exemplary students, faculty and field educators nominated internally for their efforts and dedication at the College of Social Work.

A recent study led by Beren Crim Sabuncu, an FSU College of Social Work doctoral student explored how spiritual and social support can be related to the long-term impacts of trauma. One source of trauma on the rise is natural disasters, Crim noted.

Crim, PhD candidate Wenyi Li, and FSU Distinguished Research Professor Dr. Amy L. Ai were particularly interested in the relationships between these protective factors and hurricane-related trauma for volunteers responding after a storm.

Dr. Qiuchang Cao, who also goes by Katy, learned first-hand as a clinical intern during her Master of Social Work program the challenges faced by older adults in vulnerable situations and was also deeply impressed by the resilience they demonstrated. While providing mental health counseling to minority/minoritized students, international scholars, and transnational families in a graduate housing community she gained more perspective on the experiences of minority/minoritized populations across the lifespan.

“When it comes to survivors and victims, there has been this perception that when they are no longer being exploited, that ‘they are free,” explained Erica Howard, who works in Northeast Ohio for Empower Her Network.

May is recognized as National Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, an opportunity to recognize the people, cultures and communities of Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Island Americans making up an important part of American life.

Conqualla Scott has been named Florida State University’s 2023 Humanitarian of the Year for her work in helping vulnerable populations. She was among 12 students nominated by their colleges, all of whom were honored during the annual celebration on April 7.