CSW General

February is Black History Month, a time to recognize and honor the achievements, contributions, and history of African, Caribbean, and Black Americans. This year, the College of Social Work is kicking off its annual celebration of Black History Month by sharing information and upcoming events. 

The FSU College of Social Work is thrilled to be partnering with Florida State University and Tallahassee communities to celebrate Black History Month with several February events:

Dr. MaKenna Woods, a three-time Florida State University graduate, joined the University of West Florida (UWF) Department of Social Work staff as an assistant professor this spring.

A Floridian since the age of 10, she’s excited to continue making a difference in her home state. “I am looking forward to affecting so much change in my own little corner of the world,” she shared. “I have so many ideas that I couldn’t pursue as a student as dissertation deadlines loomed.”

The Spring 2024 semester started January 8th followed by a campus closure on January 9th due to inclement weather. Despite the weather, our semester is off to a strong start!  

The College of Social Work welcomed 24 BSW Students, 11 Advanced Standing Campus MSW students, and 133 Online MSW students. The total current enrollment includes 155 BSW Students, 256 Campus MSW students, 738 Online MSW students, and 19 doctoral students. 

FSU College of Social Work affiliates participated in the 2024 Society for Social Work and Reserach Conference on January 10-14, 2024, in Washington, DC. Faculty and doctoral students, along with affiliates from the Florida Institute for Child Welfare, presented at a total of 29 presentations and sessions at the conference.

The Southeast Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center (ROTA-RC) marked a significant milestone by successfully completing the first year of a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in September 2023.

The FSU Chapter of the Macro Social Work Student Network (MSWSN) was awarded the 2023 Outstanding Student Group Award by the Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA). Dr. Shalay Jackson, a teaching professor and faculty advisor for FSU MSWSN at the College of Social Work, accepted the award on the chapter’s behalf at the ACOSA membership Meeting and Awards Reception at the 2023 Council on Social Work Education’s Annual Program Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

Undergraduate student Allison Bloski felt a keen interest in research and contacted the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement to find an opportunity.

“The program set me up with a research mentor and guided me through the research process,” she recalled.

This year, Dr. Lisa Schelbe, an associate professor and associate director of Academic Affairs at the FSU College of Social Work, published her book Some Type of Way: Aging Out of Foster Care.

The book seeks to answer several questions to improve outcomes for youth aging out of foster care and the child welfare system, including:

In November, the Florida State University College of Social Work held a virtual event focused on "Child Welfare in Native American Communities." The event marked November as Native American Heritage Month and was a significant opportunity for the College's social work community to familiarize itself with the needs and issues facing a highly marginalized part of the child welfare system.

The College of Social Work is excited to welcome our newest cohort of doctoral students. Each joins Florida State University's academic community with a broad range of experience in social work and an interest in contributing to social work research and scholarship to advance the profession and benefit the many populations it serves. 

Schyler Brumm

Originally from Central Florida, Schyler attended Florida State for her bachelor's degree in psychology and dual master's degrees in social work and criminology.