Faculty & Research

“Early parenthood is associated with risk factors for both the mother and child and involvement in foster care amplifies these challenges,” stated Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah, a doctoral candidate at the FSU College of Social Work.

A recent study in the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal by Esaa and Professor Melissa Radey and Associate Professor Shamra Boel-Studt at the FSU College of Social Work examined the roles of formal and informal support for mothers aging out of maternity group homes as their young families face a variety of complex challenges.

Researchers at the Florida State University College of Social Work are expanding their work in criminal justice settings to offer trauma-based behavioral health programming to youth 21 and under in adult jail settings.

Assistant Teaching Professor Brenda Legaspi was awarded a 2023-2024 Excellence in Online Teaching Award from Florida State University for her exemplary teaching approach through the College of Social Work’s Online MSW Program. 

Dr. Jessica Pryce, a research faculty member at the Florida State University College of Social Work, launched her new book, BROKEN: Transforming Child Protective Services…Notes of a Former Caseworker this March. Dr. Pryce uses her expertise as a social worker and former caseworker in the book to explore the issues found within the United States child welfare system.

Dr. Amy L. Ai, a distinguished research professor at the FSU College of Social Work, was recognized by the Society for Behavioral Medicine (SBM) as the 2024 recipient of the Integrative Health and Spirituality Special Group (IHS SG) Distinguished Scientist Award.

A memorial service in honor of Norman B. Anderson has been scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, April 22, 2024, at Dodd Hall, 641 University Way, on the campus of Florida State University.

March 8, 2024: Celebrations of Life are being planned for Greensboro and Washington, D.C. Details will be published as they become available at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/norman-anderson-obituary?id=54524295.

Dr. Michael Killian, an associate professor at the College of Social Work, was inducted into the 2024 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) fellows class.

SSWR fellows are members who have served to advance the society's mission to advance, disseminate, and translate research that addresses social work practice and policy issues, promoting a just society. 

Drs. Melissa Radey and Shamra Boel-Studt recently published two articles from a study funded by the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW) aimed to provide insights into maternity group homes and their services to young mothers and their families.

FSU College of Social Work affiliates participated in the 2024 Society for Social Work and Research 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.

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: