Dear Colleagues,
I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful start to your fall.
Please see communication below regarding upcoming PhD candidates who are currently on the job market. Best, Rebecca
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Sunghwan Cho, M.S.W.
Dissertation
Acculturative stress and quality of life among older Korean immigrants: Do religiosity and resilience matter?
Research interests
- Aging
- Health and Well-being
- Religiosity
- Racial Health Disparities
- Acculturation
- Technology
Statement
The goal of Sung's research is to promote health and mental health equity in later life. His research focuses on how social networks and religious beliefs and behaviors influence the physical and mental health of older adults, particularly members of immigrant and racial/ethnic minority groups. Sung has developed expertise in a range of quantitative methods to address issues, including smartphone / internet use to reduce social isolation, sex differences in psychological sense of community in the aftermath of a natural disaster, and religiosity as a resource for coping with acculturative stress.
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Sarah Lineberry, M.S.W., LCSW
Dissertation
Impact of COVID-19 on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States
Research interests
- Intellectual and Developmental Disability
- Health Equity
- Community Living
- Social Policy
Teaching interests
- Human Behavior in the Social Environment
- Research Methods
- Social Policy
Statement
Lineberry is committed to policy and research that promote equity and inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lineberry has also worked with the local health department at testing and vaccination events, gaining valuable experience that has informed her research on advancing access to quality healthcare and health outcomes for people with IDD. Lineberry has developed expertise in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research and is engaged with independent and collaborative research on quality of life outcomes, civic participation and access to support services for people with IDD.
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Jennifer Murphy, M.S., M.S.W.
Dissertation
Adolescent school mental health service utilization
Research interests
- Youth and Adolescent Mental Health Services
- School Mental Health Services
- School Social Work
- Childhood Adversity
Teaching interests
- Social Work Practice in the School Setting
- Research Methods and Quantitative/Qualitative Data Analysis
- Social Welfare Policy
Statement
Jennifer is passionate about promoting positive mental health outcomes and school success for adolescents through research that informs school interventions and policies. Her research focuses on identifying predictors and barriers to accessing school mental health services and the role of school social workers in promoting school mental health service utilization.
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Britney E. Pitts, M.S.W., LCSW
Dissertation
Wrestling with the one drop rule: Exploring understandings of multiraciality in social work education
Research interests
- Social Work Education
- Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education
- Multiracial Identity and Experiences
- Aesthetic Liberation for Black Individuals
- Culturally Responsive Research Methods
Teaching interests
- Critical and Transformational Pedagogy
- Online and Technology-enhanced Learning
- Human Behavior, Social Justice & Research Courses
Statement
Pitts' teaching and research interests are motivated by her commitment to multicultural understanding and safety in social work. Her methods challenge dominant narratives while uplifting the authentic stories of underrepresented populations. As such, Pitts has developed expertise in qualitative research methods. Her three-paper dissertation includes a case study that explores social work students' knowledge, attitudes and anticipated professional behavior with multiracial individuals and an autoethnography of her own experiences as a biracial student and researcher. The final paper provides recommendations to the CSWE EPAS to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion within social work curricula.
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Hilary Stim, M.S.W.
Dissertation
Exploring the experience of refugee youth in public schools: An ethical phenomenological inquiry
Research interests
- Education Reform
- Participatory Parity
- Youth Engagement
- Immigrant and Refugee Youth
Teaching interests
- Education Policy
- Immigrant and Refugee Youth: U.S and Global Policy
Statement
Stim's research focuses on the intersection between refugee youth and public schools. Currently, Stim works at New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), where she oversees youth-based congregate care settings and clinical interventions. Previously, she acted as the program director of Asian Family Support Services of Austin, Texas, an agency that supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She gained teaching and program experience working in schools in both Virginia and Texas. Presently she is in the dissertation phase of her Ph.D.
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Camie Tomlinson, M.S.W.
Dissertation
Comparing theoretical models of childhood adversity to understand psychological adjustment of child welfare-involved adolescents
Research interests
- Child and Adolescent Development
- Childhood Adversity
- Child Welfare
- Health Disparities
- Mental Health
Statement
Camie's research focuses on identifying risk and protective factors and the developmental mechanisms through which childhood adversity shapes mental health outcomes among youth involved in the child welfare system. Additionally, she focuses on addressing health disparities and improving outcomes for marginalized youth within the child welfare system, including racial/ethnic minoritized youth and sexual and gender minority youth. Her three-paper dissertation involves a systematic review and longitudinal analyses of the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II). The dissertation is funded by the APA Section on Child Maltreatment dissertation award.
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Mauricio Yabar, M.S.W., M.Ed., LCSW, CST
Dissertation
Horizontes extraños: A phenomenological investigation on the lived experiences of Latina mothers in the aftermath of youth sexual offending
Research interests
- Challenges and Collateral Consequences Facing Mothers of Youth Who Have Sexually Offended
- Latina Transnational Motherhood
- The Effects of Shame and Stigma on Identity Development
- Latino Queer Men with Childhood Histories of Homophobic Bullying
- Psychosocial Experiences of Latino Queer Men
- Critical Approaches in Qualitative Research
Teaching interests
- Culturally-Inclusive Narrative Pedagogy
- Fostering Healing through Social Work Education
- Clinical Social Work Theory and Practice
Statement
Yabar draws on social constructionism and narrative theory to inform his teaching, research and clinical practice. He is interested in applying qualitative research methods to explore the lived experiences of stigmatized, and largely understudied, populations. This work aims to disrupt dominant narratives that contribute to stigma while highlighting alternative interpretations of phenomena. His dissertation focuses on gaining an in-depth understanding of the unique experiences of Latina mothers of youth who have committed a sexual offense.
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| Feel free to reach out to me or contact the candidates directly if you are aware of tenure-track faculty openings, research positions or post-doc opportunities related to their interests. |
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Sincerely,
Denise Burnette, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Progam Director
Samuel S. Wurtzel Endowed Chair in Social Work
VCU School of Social Work
jdburnette@vcu.edu |
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Virginia Commonwealth University | School of Social Work
Academic Learning Commons | 1000 Floyd Avenue, Third Floor
Box 842027 | Richmond, Virginia 23284-2027
Email: sswinfo@vcu.edu
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Rebecca Gomez, PhD, LCSW (she, her, hers)
Interim Dean and Associate Professor
School of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
Executive Assistant: Allison Bell (
arbell@vcu.edu, P: 804-828-1036)
gomezr@vcu.edu------------------------------