With educational, research and social work practice experience across three continents, including Africa, Europe and North America, Gashaye (Gash) Melaku Tefera considers himself an international social work researcher with a mission to improve the lives and representation of underserved populations. His research addresses concerns of immigrant, refugee and indigenous populations, focusing on underserved women and older adults.

Florida State University has chosen alumna Lisa Magruder as the next leader of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare.  

Magruder, the institute’s associate director of research since 2020, takes over the director’s role from fellow FSU graduate Jessica Pryce. Pryce, who served as director for six years, will lead the institute’s Alliance for Workforce Enhancement initiative.  

Years after Hurricane Michael devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast, residents of that area still struggle to overcome the trauma of the Category 5 storm. 

In a recent study, FSU researchers found that trauma and a host of psychosocial and physical challenges caused by Hurricane Michael disproportionately affect the region’s Black communities.  

William (Bill) Kintz, a long-time teaching professor with the FSU College of Social Work served as the college’s Department of Children and Families Training Coordinator until his death on December 14, 2022. He worked in the social work field for more than 50 years.

Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Bill earned his bachelor’s degree in 1970 from Saint Francis College and a master’s degree in social work from Indiana University in 1972. He began his social work career with Catholic Social Services/Catholic Charities in Indiana from 1972 until 1986.

As a young student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Margaret Ashmore was inspired by President Jimmy Carter’s dedication to service and social programs. A test at the university’s career center confirmed her desire to serve others, leading to a degree in social work. At UNCG, Ashmore was mentored by her professor, Dr. Patricia Spakes. “It was Dr. Spakes and another beloved professor, Jerry Finn, who influenced and encouraged me to continue my education.”

The College of Social Work Dean Search Committee is chaired by Dr. Don Farr, Dean, Dedman College of Hospitality at Florida State University.  SP&A Executive Search (formerly known as Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates), an executive search firm specializing in and exclusively dedicated to serving the higher education and non-profit sections has been retained to lead the committee through the search.

Dr. Bruce Thyer recently published a book in 2020 with his co-editors Dr. Charles Figley and Dr. Jeffrey Yarvis. The book Combat Social Work: Applying the Lessons of War to the Realities of Human Services, published by Oxford University Press, draws attention to the many unsung social work heroes exposed to active combat.

Developed in the early 2000s, Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) was developed as a distinct therapeutic technique for the treatment of traumatic stress. The technique is based on the principles of testimony therapy, according to the American Journal of Psychotherapy, and invites people to tell their stories or experiences, including traumatic events, in which the specific political context of the traumatic events is emphasized.

On November 2, 2022, Florida State University held a memorial service to remember the fourth anniversary of the 2018 shooting at a Tallahassee yoga studio that took the lives of FSU student Maura Binkley and FSU professor Dr. Nancy Van Vessem and injured five others.

The event was organized through the Maura’s Voice Research Fund, established in 2019 by Jeff and Margaret Binkley, Maura’s parents, to focus on researching and responding to the complex causes and effects of gun violence.

A team of Florida State University researchers has received a $150,000 grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to study the impact of client violence on child protective service workers in Florida.