Angela Lavery Benson's interests include intervention research involving older adults, specifically in the areas of end-of-life care and the use of animal-assisted interventions, social work interventions with incarcerated older adults, and the salutary effects of empathic relationships between companion animals and older adults.
Jennifer Boeckel is exploring the experiences of parenting for gay and lesbian Latinos/as, as well as understanding the barriers and facilitators of parenting in rural places. She is also looking at grandparent caregiver's use of resources and services, level of burden, and factors that mediate their relationship.
Erin Boyce is investigating social work practices related to direct, indirect and secondary trauma among those exposed to childhood sexual abuse disclosures.
Hagit Brandes is investigating the efficacy of animal-assisted intervention use in
aggression reduction.
Lindsey Breslin's research interests include HIV/AIDS risk and virtual social networks, sexual and
reproductive health among youth and young adults, social network analysis and comprehensive
sex education.
Michael Chifalo is currently researching lesbian and gay parenting and family systems, gay male fathers'
identity formation and dynamics, parenting experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual
Latino/as, adoption professionals' attitudes toward placing children with LGBT (lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender) families, and the Every Child Deserves a Family HR 3827
policy and practice implications.
Lacey Clark's current research interest is the qualitative exploration of microaggression perpetuated in the university classroom perpetuated against sexual minorities.
Eric DesMarais is interested in international social work with a focus on the development of transnational networks and their effects on human security, human trafficking, migration and development.
Jennifer Dickman's primary research focuses on older adults and health. She notes that this type
of research will be essential for creating innovative, cost-effective and evidence-based
practices, policies and environments to support our rapidly expanding population of
older adults.
Jie Feng's research interests include female populations left behind in Chinese rural communities,
social networks/empowerment in Chinese rural communities and social welfare reform
in rural communities.
Shandra Forrest-Bank's research focuses on delinquency, substance abuse, violence prevention and the transition to young adulthood.
Songmin Kim is investigating how evidence-based social work interventions can include spirituality, particularly in community social work practice.
Chris Knoepke's research interests include quality of life issues in cardiac care, particularly interventions that reduce anxiety provoked by health interventions.
Amy Lopez focuses her research on child welfare, especially the child welfare workforce, evidence-based practice and mental health in child welfare.
Maureen MacNamara's research interests include the dynamics of animal-assisted interactions, and the selection of animals incorporated in animal-assisted interactions, especially for trauma survivors. Her research interests also include the development and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children and the incidence of medical life threat among clients with chronic or life-threatening illness.
Ashley Michel is investigating the intersection of social work services and various immigration issues, including child welfare practices, migrant policy and the involvement of social workers in security and human rights violations at the U.S./Mexico border.
Sarah Nickels' research interests include risk, resilience and community organizing among lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth. She is also engaged in research
projects focusing on cisgender (non-transgender) privilege in social work education
and creating inclusive campus environments for transgender people.
Jamie Pease's research interests include depression in young adults attending college, and the
relationship between depression and transitioning/emerging adulthood. He is also involved
in suicidology research, including the Military Suicide Research Consortium, a three-year
grant from the Department of Defense aimed at suicide prevention among active duty
military and veterans. His other research interests include self-harm and suicidal
intent among adolescents.
Kristie Seelman primarily researches cultural/structural interventions to improve outcomes for LGBTIQ
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer) people, school engagement among
queer youth, modern forms of heterosexism and the role of privilege in social work
practice.
Laurie Walker's research focuses on community organizing in low-income neighborhoods that are facing
mixed-income redevelopment. She notes that mixed-income policy, while necessary because
of housing problems and the distress experienced by residents, has not always benefited
public housing residents and their surrounding neighbors. Collaboration with residents
that starts with using existing social networks and existing neighborhood organizations
throughout the planning and implementation of redevelopment may improve both transition
and/or relocation planning and resident readiness for mixed-income redevelopment.
Darin Wallis researches adolescent substance abuse treatment, family/systemic intervention strategies
and clinical social work supervision.
