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Sharing moments & connections at WashU's Brown School. #SocialWork & #SocialPolicy

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Professor Jordan P. Davis has been named an associate editor of the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, the flagship peer-reviewed publication of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Davis’ three-year term began Oct. 1, 2026. Jennifer L. Bellamy, the Shanti K. Khinduka Distinguished Professor at the Brown School, also serves as an associate editor.

The Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research publishes research that informs policy, advance social work practice, and address social issues. As an associate editor, Davis will screen submissions, secure peer reviewers and ensure manuscripts align with the journal’s scope. by @washubrownschool

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20 hours ago

Congratulations to PhD student Jenika Scott on receiving an honorable mention for the Marie O. Weil Best Article Award for an article published in the Journal of Community Practice!

The article, “A Workshop on Historical Racism, Police Violence and Know Your Rights with Congolese Refugees: Reflections and Insights on Participatory Programming,” examines a workshop developed and implemented with and for Congolese refugees in the United States to promote safe interactions with police.

Scott is the article’s lead author, with co-authors Ifrah Mahamud Magan of New York University’s Silver School of Social Work and Odessa Gonzalez Benson of the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work.

The award recognizes the timeliness and creativity of their research. It is co-sponsored by the journal’s publisher, Taylor and Francis, and the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration.

Scott and her co-authors will be recognized at the Council on Social Work Education’s upcoming annual meeting in Atlanta. by @washubrownschool

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2 days ago

Join us in congratulating Dr. Sheretta Butler-Barnes on these outstanding accomplishments!

Butler-Barnes, a professor and Dean’s Distinguished Professorial Scholar, has been appointed to two national committees. She will serve on the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) Publications Committee, which oversees the society's scholarly publications, including the Journal of Research on Adolescence.

She has also been appointed to the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award Committee for 2026–2028. The committee recognizes scholars who bring education research to the public. by @washubrownschool

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5 days ago

Congratulations to Brown School PhD student Portia Nartey on being selected as the recipient of the 2026 Public Health Social Work (PHSW) Student Award from the American Public Health Association (APHA)!

The award recognizes outstanding student research in public health social work. Nartey will be honored at the APHA Annual Meeting & Expo, Nov. 1–4 in San Antonio, Texas, where she will also present her research. by @washubrownschool

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8 days ago

Enrollment in the Brown School’s Master of Social Work program increased 29% this fall, with 152 students joining the incoming class — the program’s largest entering cohort in five years, school officials said.

The incoming class also posted a 52% yield rate, meaning more than half of admitted students chose to enroll. That’s the program’s highest yield rate in more than 30 years.

Overall application volume remained relatively steady, as continued growth in domestic applications offset a decline in international applications.

Jamie Adkisson Hennessy, assistant dean for admissions and enrollment management, said increased investment in financial support played a significant role in the enrollment gains.

“We know that cost weighs heavily for students considering an MSW,” she said, adding that the financial support offered this year “made a meaningful difference” for many students choosing the Brown School. by @washubrownschool

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9 days ago

It’s a June morning in Brown Lounge at WashU’s Brown Hall, and the room is buzzing with conversation. Teams from seven St. Louis-area nonprofits are working through a fundamental question: How do you know whether your work is making a difference?

Coaches from the Evaluation Center at the Brown School move between tables, offering questions, suggestions, and encouragement. The exercise is part of the inaugural Brown School Evaluation Fellowship. The program helps small nonprofits build the skills to evaluate their programs and use what they learn to strengthen their work.

“It does not have to be perfect, y’all,” a coach reminds the group.

For many small nonprofits, the challenge isn’t a lack of interest in measuring their work. It’s finding the time, money, and expertise to do it.

The Brown School Evaluation Fellowship was created to help bridge that gap, providing evaluation support to smaller community organizations at no cost. The fellowship is made possible through support of the late Dorothy R. Moog, who was committed to supporting professionals working with small nonprofit organizations in St. Louis.

Rather than simply producing an evaluation plan for each organization, the fellowship focused on building participants’ own evaluation skills and giving them a framework they can apply to programs, events and organizational initiatives long after the fellowship ends.

The inaugural cohort brought together seven St. Louis-area organizations working across areas including refugee services, behavioral health, housing, education and youth development: Archway Refugee Connections, Aspire Advocates for Behavioral Health, Beyond Housing, College Bound, LEAD STL, The Soulard School and Trans Housing Initiative St. Louis, or THISTL. by @washubrownschool

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11 days ago

Congratulations to Brown School PhD student Morgan Van Vleck, MSW ’22, on being selected for the 2026 AGESW Gerontological Social Work Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program!

Van Vleck is one of 12 scholars selected for this year's cohort. The fellowship provides training, mentorship and professional development to doctoral students preparing for careers in gerontological social work research and education.

As part of the fellowship, Van Vleck will receive a stipend to attend the AGESW Pre-Dissertation Fellows Training at the 2026 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting.

Van Vleck’s research focuses on exploring structural factors that impact well-being at end-of-life, particularly among marginalized patients and their caregivers. Most recently, their work explores how machine learning-based mortality prediction tools in hospital settings shape access to palliative care and advance care planning for those nearing end-of-life. by @washubrownschool

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23 days ago

Congratulations to Christi Lero, a doctoral candidate in social work at the Brown School, on receiving a two-year, $106,228 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health!

The fellowship will support Lero's dissertation research focused on the well-being of individuals who care for people living with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“I am grateful to NCCIH, my mentors and the participants in this study for their support in the critically important work of understanding how to best support caregivers and reconceptualize what it means to be well during difficult times,” Lero said. by @washubrownschool

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a month ago

We’re excited to welcome five new doctoral students to our Brown School community this fall!

Their research interests range from aging and health to poverty reduction, child welfare, and community-based approaches to social change.

Help us give a warm welcome to:

👋 L. Patty Flores
👋 Bethanie Saint Louis
👋 Stella Jendrzejewski
👋 Liz Smith
👋 Zeyi Wu by @washubrownschool

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a month ago

Seizing opportunity, advocating for change ❤️🤝💚

Throughout her life and career, Melanie Goldring, AB ’17, MSW/MSP ’19, has found ways to make productive use of challenges, treating them as opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Melanie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes shortly before her 12th birthday. Undeterred, she quickly took responsibility for managing her condition and by age 17 was serving as an international volunteer for @ayudainc, teaching children and families about diabetes in Ecuador and subsequently in the Dominican Republic.

She arrived at WashU with a desire to build a world where all young people can access the resources necessary for their well-being. In addition to studying psychology alongside Spanish and Children's Studies minors, she co-led a study on early childhood literacy development in the lab of @washuartsci professor Lori Markson.

Melanie went on to earn dual master's degrees in social work and social policy at the @washubrownschool, learning how to be a strategic thinker and realistically pursue social change from award-winning professors such as Lorien Carter, MSW '98, and Anna Shabsin, JD '93, MSW '05.

Today, Melanie serves as manager of organizational capacity and strategy for @thedreamprojectdr, a youth education and community empowerment organization based in the Dominican Republic. She also is executive director at AYUDA, where she oversees the recruitment, training, and mentorship of youth volunteer diabetes educators, working remotely from her native Los Angeles. Her success and impact at these two organizations helped earn her recognition from WashU via the 2024 Brown School Emerging Leader Award.

With you, we can prepare WashU students like Melanie to be future-ready leaders of principle, character, and conviction. Photo of WashU alumna Melanie Goldring on a rocky beach with the text With You overlaid on the image by @washubrownschool

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a month ago

Congratulations to Aïcha Camara, a dual-degree candidate pursuing an MBA from Olin Business School and an MSW from the Brown School, on being selected as a student delegate to the WashU Board of Trustees for the 2026–27 academic year!

Student delegates serve as non-voting participants in the Board’s meetings for a one-year term, bringing student perspectives to university governance and helping shape the institution’s future.

Originally from Guinea, Camara earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Maryland and is a United Way board fellow. Camara previously worked at an immigration and refugee organization supporting unaccompanied minors. She is passionate about the intersection of business and social impact. by @washubrownschool

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a month ago

The Brown School newsletter is out today! Here’s a quick TL;DR with a few highlights. by @washubrownschool

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a month ago