Faculty & Research

Originally from Clearwater, Florida, Lisa Jackson came to Florida State University with the ambition to work with young adults. A two-time FSU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology (2013) and her Master of Social Work degree (2015), she knew she wanted to work in higher education to help youth adjust to the collegiate environment.

“My MSW application highlighted my desire to work with students navigating life on campus,” Lisa explained. “It’s an amazing time of life where students begin emerging into adulthood while facing many unique challenges.”

This spring, Associate Professor Dr. Jean Munn took a picture with her Introduction to the Profession class, the last she would teach as a faculty member of the College of Social Work before her retirement. She evoked, enjoying pizza and farewells," We met in the same classroom, room 1704, where I taught my first social work class at FSU. I loved teaching this class."

A recent study led by Dr. Lisa Schelbe looked at how campus support programs for students with a history of foster, relative care, and homelessness impacted college students.

Drawn to working with vulnerable populations at a young age, John Moore was expressly interested in working with individuals and families impacted by substance misuse. Although he initially intended to be a clinician, Moore’s research interests perpetuate his wish to promote the well-being and recovery of those impacted by substance misuse.

Dr. Stephen Tripodi, associate professor and director of the Doctoral Program at the FSU College of Social Work, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work, or GADE.

Amy Ai, a distinguished research professor at the Florida State University College of Social Work, has been selected as a fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM).

As a first-generation American, Erika Cuffy calls Florida home after her parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba in the 1970s. She discovered at an early age how much she loved people and finding ways to connect and help them.

Following a national search, Florida State University has named three-time alumnus David W. Springer as dean of the College of Social Work. Springer will begin his new role on August 1, 2023.

A recent study led by Beren Crim Sabuncu, an FSU College of Social Work doctoral student explored how spiritual and social support can be related to the long-term impacts of trauma. One source of trauma on the rise is natural disasters, Crim noted.

Crim, PhD candidate Wenyi Li, and FSU Distinguished Research Professor Dr. Amy L. Ai were particularly interested in the relationships between these protective factors and hurricane-related trauma for volunteers responding after a storm.

Dr. Qiuchang Cao, who also goes by Katy, learned first-hand as a clinical intern during her Master of Social Work program the challenges faced by older adults in vulnerable situations and was also deeply impressed by the resilience they demonstrated. While providing mental health counseling to minority/minoritized students, international scholars, and transnational families in a graduate housing community she gained more perspective on the experiences of minority/minoritized populations across the lifespan.