CSW General

Alumni, students, faculty and staff from the College of Social Work joined together with members of the Florida State family to commemorate 50 years of integration at FSU.

For the last several months, at local schools, social service agencies, senior citizen centers, art galleries and even ice cream shops, Tallahassee residents have made human-figure bones out of clay: fingers, legs, skulls, arms, spines, feet, etc. On Saturday, they will display their handiwork to the community — which they hope will join them in protesting international genocide.

The FSU College of Social Work hosted its inaugural Research Exposition, April 10, 2012 in the University Center’s Futch Ballroom. The College shared a rich array of research topics with professors and students of the broader Florida State campus and members of the Tallahassee social services community.  The Exhibition, spearheaded by Professors Jean Munn, Stephen Tripodi, and the College’s Research Committee, renamed and restructured the College’s Research Showcase into a larger, broader annual public event.

I am very pleased to introduce Colette Podgorski as the newest member of the CSW team. I am especially thankful to the FSU Foundation for their support in finding a person who is “the perfect fit” for our College. Colette’s combined commitment, interest, and enthusiasm for the College of Social Work is a model for all of our alumni and friends. Her academic, professional, and volunteer background relates well to social work fundraising.

On Tuesday, June 12th students in the College of Social Work created an installation of approximately 4,000 clay bones in the College’s lobby. Students, faculty, staff, and onlookers assembled the bones and congregated to discuss the meaning and significance of the clay bones and the importance of these installations as visual way to combat genocide and mass violence. Participants were also able to make clay bones, each bone raising a dollar to support survivors of mass violence.

Doctoral Candidate Judith Hefren has set herself apart with her dedication to teaching.  For the 2012-2013 academic year, Judy was nominated and selected to act as a representative of pedagogical excellence to the greater University as a Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) Teaching Associate.

The Florida State University College of Social Work has concluded its first two-week summer camp for middle-school children that served as the pilot project for CSW Arts & Athletics, a new program focusing on positive youth development.

The program brought together 20 young people from June 18-29 for the opportunity to benefit from arts, athletics and college preparatory activities.

Through joint efforts of the Florida State University College of Social Work and the Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA), Drs. Neil Abell and Pat Lager provided training to volunteers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to support their efforts assisting people impacted by HIV/AIDS.

With the help of FSU College of Social Work students Kayla Bennett and Jeff Dupuis, Alzheimer’s Project, Inc. and several other community organizations treated 75 local youths to a night at the movies at Movies 8 Tallahassee, afterwards presenting them with goodie bags filled with school supplies.

With the help of grant funding from the Tallahassee COPE Coalition, the College of Social Work’s Multidisciplinary Evaluation and Consulting Center (MDC) is partnering with the PACE Center for Girls to provide a curriculum-based intervention for treating and preventing obesity that will include: nutrition education, physical activity and a behavioral activation treatment program. Collaborating with the Coalition and community partners, the MDC will introduce PACE’s students to a variety of wellness activities that can be practically integrated into their daily lives.