A team of Florida State University researchers has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the resilience of older patients after undergoing open-heart surgery. 

The study, a first of its kind, will provide a comprehensive analysis of long-term survival benefits of psychological strengths, such as optimism and spirituality, in older adults with advanced heart disease.

The Florida State University College of Social Work celebrated its 2019 Distinguished Graduate Award recipients and social work scholarship recipients at a dinner at the FSU Alumni Association Thursday, Sept. 26.

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

Two Florida State University faculty members have been awarded a grant to study health outcomes after pediatric organ transplants.

Michael Killian, an assistant professor with the FSU College of Social Work, and Zhe He, an assistant professor with the FSU College of Communication and Information, were awarded the grant by the University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Precision Health Initiative Pilot Project.

Barbara Williams White (1943-2019) passed away on July 19, 2019. She was born February 26, 1943, in Macon, Georgia and was raised in Jacksonville, Florida. White completed her undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University in music education (BS, ’64). She went on to complete bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in social work at Florida State University (BSW, ’74; MSW, ’75; Ph.D., ’86).

The Institute for Justice Research and Development (IJRD), housed within FSU’s College of Social Work, recently launched a unique Post-Master’s Fellowship designed to prepare the profession of social work to practice and research with criminal justice-involved adults and their families.

FSU College of Social Work Assistant Professor Michael Killian led a team of researchers in a comprehensive, systematic review of the literature on the reasons behind pediatric organ transplant patients not taking their medication. One of the vital steps for children receiving an organ transplant is consistently taking immunosuppressant medication that prevents and delays organ rejection and failure.

A Florida State University researcher has received a fellowship grant from the Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation to support her study on the impact of media on trauma recovery.

Professor of Social Work Amy L. Ai, named a 2019 Fahs-Beck Fellow, will use the $20,000 grant for her project, “Traumatization and Resilience among Puerto Rican Americans Following Hurricane Maria.”

Assistant Professor Lisa Schelbe was one of eight Florida State University faculty members to receive a University Teaching Award at the end of the spring 2019 semester. Recipients are recognized as outstanding in the many aspects of teaching, which contribute to successful learning. These teaching awards are student-oriented, with nominations submitted by both current FSU students and alumni.

New research from Florida State University has found that Seeking Safety, a cognitive behavior-based intervention program, is a promising program for reducing incarcerated women’s symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

At the annual Social Work Month Celebration, National Association of Social Workers Florida (NASW-FL) Big Bend Unit celebrated this year’s leaders in the region. Among these honored social workers were NASW-FL President and FSU College of Social Work faculty member Carol Edwards, BSW student Kathryn Casello and FSU College of Social Work MSW Alumni Christine Didion.