Edward J. Alessi, PhD, LCSW
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Rutgers University
Dr. Alessi's scholarship (a) investigates the effect of minority stress on the mental health of sexual and gender minority populations; (b) examines mental health practitioners' use of affirmative practice; and (c) seeks to advance clinical practice with marginalized and oppressed populations. His research has been published in journals such as The Journal of Sex Research, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Research, and Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Dr. Alessi also served as guest editor for the Clinical Social Work Journal's first special issue on Clinical Practice with LGBTQ Populations. A clinical social worker since 2001, he has worked primarily in outpatient mental health and has been an independent practitioner since 2004. Dr. Alessi received his PhD in clinical social work from New York University and his Master of Science in social work from Columbia University.
Tyler M. Argüello, PhD, DCSW, LCSW, ACSW
Assistant Professor, College of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Work, California State University at Sacramento
Dr. Argüello's research and clinical work is a transdisciplinary project that concerns communicative practices, queer theory, and the production of identities, sex/ualities, and health disparities, namely HIV. Currently, Dr. Argüello studies intergenerational stress and divides within queer populations, and is the Principal Investigator on multiple critical theory driven and multi-media studies on "HIV Stress Exchange", AIDS Survivor Syndrome, and long-term survivorship of queer men, inclusive of all HIV statuses. Dr. Argüello has been a practicing social worker for over twenty years, primarily around community mental health and HIV. He teaches courses in difference and social justice, advanced clinical practice, psychodiagnostics, and qualitative research. He is a licensed independent clinical social worker, Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, and holds a BA (Spanish), BASW, MSW, and PhD (Social Welfare), all from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Ashley Austin, PhD, LCSW
Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice in the School of Social Work at Barry University
Dr. Austin's research and practice interests revolve around reducing disparities in health and well-being among sexual and gender diverse individuals. Dr. Austin's clinical practice and community education is rooted in a transgender affirmative framework. Dr. Austin is involved in multiple collaborations aimed at improving the delivery of transgender affirmative social work education and practice. In particular, Dr. Austin's clinical work is focused on the development and dissemination of a transgender affirmative cognitive behavioral therapy approach which targets the specific mental and behavioral health needs of gender diverse clients. This model integrates an affirmative framework with empirically supported strategies to address minority stress and develop positive coping. Dr. Austin is also actively involved in creating a transgender inclusive campus and community by bringing events such as the Transgender Day of Remembrance and Transgender Week of Awareness to her university's campus, and advocating for gender inclusive policies and practices.
Jean E. Balestrery, PhD, MA, MSW
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Northern Arizona University
Dr. Balestrery earned her Ph.D. in social work and anthropology from University of Michigan, Master of Arts in anthropology from University of Michigan, Master of Social Work from University of Washington and Bachelor of Arts from Brown University. Dr. Balestrery is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research aims to improve health and social service outcomes particularly for marginalized communities. Her research, which is informed by many years of practice experience, addresses health, aging, clinical practice, service delivery systems and intercultural communication in a diverse global society. She was selected in 2015 as a scholar-participant for the "Translational Health Disparities" course at National Institute of Minority Health Disparities in Bethesda, MD and as an ambassador with Gerontological Society of America for a U.S.-China delegation at the 1st annual "Healthy Ageing and Society" research symposium in Suzhou, China. Dr. Balestrery has addressed Native health disparities as a Spirit of Eagles Hampton Faculty Fellow and LGBTTQ community issues as a Councilor on the Council on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression with the Council on Social Work Education. Strengthening linkages between research, teaching and practice, Dr. Balestrery conducts consultations and trainings for community-based stakeholders.
Lacey D. Clark, MSW
Lecturer, Department of Social Work, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Ms. Clark received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Social Work degrees at Binghamton University in New York. Ms. Clark's social work practice experiences relate primarily to mental health issues with adults and youth, involving multiple practice modalities, including work with individuals, families, groups, and communities. Ms. Clark has engaged in collaborative research, including evaluation research and qualitative research projects on topics such as sexuality, culturally competent practice and diversity in doctoral education. Ms. Clark has taught BSSW and MSW courses, including research methods and practice evaluation, diversity, and electives that focus on gender and sexuality. Ms. Clark's academic interests also include the role of research in social work practice, addressing issues of diversity and marginalization in the social work curriculum and classroom, and online pedagogy.
Shelley L. Craig, PhD, LCSW
Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of School of Social Work, University of Toronto
Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Youth
Dr. Craig's research focuses on the social determinants of health and mental health and the impact of the service delivery system on vulnerable populations. Her primary specializations are: (1) the needs of sexual and gender minority youth and subsequent program development and service delivery (2) the roles and interventions used by health social workers to impact the social determinants of health (3) developing competent social work practitioners through effective social work education. Dr. Craig is registered and licensed clinical social worker with a particular expertise in delivering effective services for vulnerable populations. Selected experiences over her twenty five years of practice include: Founder and Executive Director of the Alliance for LGBTQ Youth, Executive Director of ALSO for Out Youth; Medical social worker in the emergency care center of a community hospital; Director of a domestic violence shelter.
Dr. Craig has been the recipient of numerous awards, including: the Inspirational Social Work Leader 2015, Ontario Association of Social Workers; Fellow, the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR); the Excellence in Research Scholarship Award from the Council of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression (CSOGE), National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Student Social Worker of the Year and the Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS) National Person of Impact. She is particularly proud that several of her students and mentees have also become Student Social Worker(s) of the Year.
Marcie Fisher-Borne, PhD, MSW, MPH
Program Director and Co-Principal Investigator of the Vaccinate Adolescents against Cancers Project, American Cancer Society
Assistant Professor, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University
Dr. Fisher-Borne has taught social work education for over 10 years. With a longstanding interest in health equity and intervention research, she is currently leading a cancer prevention intervention nationally at the American Cancer Society. She chose social work as a discipline because of its long history of applied, interdisciplinary, practice-based research. Her overarching research goals have been to contribute to the body of knowledge that helps practitioners to understand how interventions focused on structural change impact health outcomes for marginalized populations. Specifically, her work has focused on developing and evaluating health interventions that build community and organizational partnerships to tackle health inequalities in the U.S. and Global South (i.e. Central America and Asia).Through a competitive process in 2013, Dr. Fisher-Borne was awarded a contract from the American Cancer Society to assess the impact of community health advisers on reducing cancer disparities. The Cancer Disparities Reduction Collaborative is modeled on an evidence-based intervention from the Deep South Network for Cancer Control. She was contracted to evaluate the three-year pilot phase of intervention in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation.
Megan Gandy-Guedes, PhD
Assistant Professor, Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, University of Oklahoma
Dr. Gandy-Guedes graduated with her MSW from UNC-Charlotte, and practiced as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with children, adolescents, and adults with serious mental illness in both community and inpatient settings for over 6 years before returning to school for her Ph.D. at the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. In addition to her role as Assistant Professor at the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma, she holds core affiliate faculty status with the OU Department of Women's and Gender Studies and is a Faculty Associate with the OU Knee Center for Strong Families. Her substantive area of research interest is LGBTQ populations, focusing primarily on mental health and service use, faith communities and social support, and social justice issues. Her scholarship includes the Queer Youth Cultural Competency (QYCC) scale, an instrument to measure LGBTQ related cultural competency in direct-care behavioral health workers. She also explores how faith communities act as protective factors in the lives of LGBTQ people. Her teaching interests include direct clinical practice with individuals, groups, and families. Dr. Gandy-Guedes is involved at the grassroots level in community advocacy for LGBTQ people through a citizen-led initiative called Norman United.
Trevor G. Gates, PhD, LCSW
Assistant Professor, Social Work, Greater Rochester Collaborative MSW Program, College at Brockport, State University of New York
Dr. Gates holds the PhD in Social Work with an interdisciplinary certificate in gender and women's studies from University of Illinois at Chicago. Trevor is a clinical social worker and substance abuse counselor with over 12 years of experience community-based and hospital settings, specializing in practice with LGBTQ communities. His current research focuses on social justice issues with LGBTQ communities, organizational behavior, and strengths-based practices. He is currently doing empirical research on the impact of workplace stigma-related experiences on LGBTQ people and the correlation of organizational tolerance for heterosexism and individual/organizational wellness. He is also interested in international issues, especially human rights issues for LGBTQ workers.
Eric Hartman, LCSW
Doctoral Candidate, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Mr. Hartman received his baccalaureate degree in social work from Rutgers University, Newark, and master's degree in social work from New York University. He completed a post-masters certificate program at the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center in New York City in 2013, and is expected to be awarded his doctorate in social work from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ in June of 2016. His doctoral research project is the investigation of gay male embodiment and the intercorporeal structures of gay men's identities. His other research interests include studying the intersection of relational psychoanalysis, phenomenology, and queer theory as frameworks for both clinical practice and practice-based research. He is also interested in the utility of the narrative case study as a method to bridge traditional quantitative research to the context-dependent world of social work practice. He worked for seven years as a clinician and program director at a community-based service provider for homeless LGBTQ youth in New York City. He is a recurrent guest lecturer on the topics of relational trauma, dissociation, and working with LGBTQ youth at New York University and Hunter College and is currently employed in full-time private practice in New York City.
Kirsten Havig, MSW, PhD
Assistant Professor, Division of Social Work, University of Wyoming
Dr. Havig is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at University of Wyoming, where she teaches courses on diversity and social justice, social welfare policy, administration and clinical practice. Prior to accepting her position in Wyoming, Dr. Havig spent five years at the University of Oklahoma, and served two years as a Clinical Instructor under the Federal Title IV-E Child Welfare training grant at the University of Missouri where she provided classroom instruction and other training around child sexual abuse and exploitation, child welfare policy, and children with sexual behavior problems. Her current research focuses on the commercial sexual exploitation of children; trauma, resilience, and posttraumatic growth; child welfare systems; and social justice pedagogy in social work education. She is a former Faculty Associate with the Oklahoma University Knee Center for Strong Families with funded research focused on the intersection of sexual exploitation and the child welfare system. Prior to working in higher education she was a licensed clinical social worker who practiced primarily with justice-involved youth and survivors of sexual trauma doing therapy, forensic interviewing, and advocacy work.
Lynn C. Holley, PhD, ACSW
Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Arizona State University
Dr. Holley is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. She has conducted multicultural feminist research about diversity and oppression of several oppressed identity groups. Her current focus is on oppression of people with mental health conditions, including those who are of color and/or LGBTQ. She enjoys teaching and mentoring BSW, MSW, and PhD students. She earned her MSSW from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and her PhD from the University of Washington at Seattle.
Ian W. Holloway, PhD, MSW, MPH
Assistant Professor, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles
Professor Holloway's research focuses on understanding the multilevel contexts in which health risk and protective behaviors occur in order to inform theoretically driven, culturally tailored structural and social network-delivered interventions to improve the health and well-being of sexual and gender minority (LGBT) communities. He is the Principal Investigator of a study funded by the UCLA Center for AIDS Research to understand health risk behaviors among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in the Dominican Republic. Dr. Holloway is also currently collaborating on two studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. The first, entitled "Social Networks and Technology Use of Transgender Women with/at High Risk for HIV" focuses on understanding how the structure and composition of transgender women's egocentric social networks influences their engagement in HIV risk and protective behaviors. The second, entitled "Social Media for HIV Testing and Studying Social Networks" examines the efficacy of a Facebook-delivered peer education program on HIV testing behaviors of racially and ethnically diverse gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
Sid P. Jordan, JD
Doctoral Student, Luskin School of Public Affairs School in Social Welfare, University of California at Los Angeles
Sid Jordan's research and field experience has focused on the health, wellness, and self-determination of LGBTQ youth and survivors of violence. Mr. Jordan previously led one of the first federally-funded demonstration projects aimed at increasing access to victim services for LGBTQ communities and has provided extensive training and consulting for health and human service organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Jordan's research interests include the intersections of social work and the law, community-based responses to violence and trauma, and the criminalization of LGBTQ youth and transgender people.
Brian L. Kelly, PhD, MSW, CADC
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago
Dr. Kelly received his BSW, MSW, and doctorate in social work from University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work. His research explores current and historical uses of recreational, art, and music-based activities in social work and related fields as sites and opportunities for strengths-based social work practice. He holds an associate degree in audio engineering from Full Sail University and incorporates audio documentary and other audio-based ethnographic methodologies in his work as means to increase strengths-based, participatory research practices. Dr. Kelly has several years of clinical experience working individuals with substance use issues as a certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor. In addition, he has several years of practice experience working with the homeless, including adults living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic medical conditions as well as young people. Dr. Kelly is an advocate for the advancement of social work practice with groups and teaches group work and substance use courses at the graduate level.
Shaina Knepler-Foss, MSW, CADC
Alumnus, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago
Ms. Knepler-Foss, MSW, CADC is a May 2016 graduate from the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago. She specialized in mental health and the Certified Alcohol and other Drug Counselor (CADC-E) program. Ms. Knepler-Foss is interested in working with diverse communities to establish effective alternative treatments for individuals who are impacted by chemical and process addictions. While presently employed at a psychiatric rehabilitation center, Ms. Knepler-Foss spends her free time crocheting, and exploring Chicago with her partner Eric and dog Luther.
Gayle Mallinger, PhD, MSW
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Western Kentucky University
Professor Mallinger earned her MSW and PhD in social work at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on examining the influence of intersecting contexts on individual, family, and community resilience. Specifically, she investigates the determinants of social injustice and the evaluation of interventions aimed at promoting equity. Her current work is centered on the efficacy of varied pedagogical strategies in preparing social work students to successfully practice with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender client systems.
Lauren B. McInroy, MSW
Doctoral Student, Factor-Inwentash School of Social Work, University of Toronto
Ms. McInroy is a PhD Candidate, Research Coordinator, and Course Instructor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. She also holds Master of Social Work, Bachelor of Education, and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Toronto, and is a Registered Social Worker in the Province of Ontario. Lauren's research primarily focuses on the well-being of LGBTQ+ populations, and the developmental and social implications of offline and online information and communication technologies (ICTs) on children, adolescents and young adults. An accomplished emerging scholar with numerous publications, her dissertation research is investigating the impact of creative, community-driven online fan culture on the identity development and resilience of LGBTQ+ young people.
David Axlyn McLeod, PhD, MSW
Graduate Coordinator and Assistant Professor, Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, University of Oklahoma
Dr. McLeod has spent the better part of the past two decades working to actively reduce violence, particularly that directed at people and communities with diminished capacities for self-protection. In addition to being an Assistant Professor in the University of Oklahoma Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work he holds affiliate faculty status with the OU Department of Women's and Gender Studies and the OU Center for Social Justice as well as being a Faculty Associate with the OU Knee Center for Strong Families. A former police detective who transitioned to become a forensic social worker, David has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in programs of social work, criminal justice, and preparing future faculty. His research is focused on the intersection of criminal behavior development, gender, and trauma. Some of David's current professional activities include investigations of differential criminal behavior development, the impact of trauma on human development, neuroscience, female sexual offending, female incarceration, child sexual abuse, child protection and child protective service provision, intra-professional and multidisciplinary collaboration, and human sex trafficking.
Natasha S. Mendoza, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Arizona State University
Dr. Natasha Mendoza is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. She received her MSW from the University of Wyoming and her PhD at The Ohio State University. Prior to joining ASU, Dr. Mendoza was an NIH supported postdoctoral fellow at the Research Institute on Addictions in Buffalo, New York. Currently, Dr. Mendoza serves on the Board of Directors for The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Phoenix). Dr. Mendoza's scholarship is based on the premise that motivation to change substance use behaviors is intrinsic and a function of interpersonal relationships, occurring within the context of culture and across multiple systems (e.g., criminal justice, child protective services). Moreover, intersecting identities (i.e., gender, ethnic, and sexual orientation), physical health and wellness are indelibly linked to behavioral health. Her work examines the ways in which identity and wellness may be an asset in recovery from substance use disorders or connected to risk factors associated with problematic use and treatment barriers. Aside from research, Dr. Mendoza is actively engaged in preparing students to work with members of the LGBTQ community and build on the empirical foundation of social work with an emphasis on evidence-based treatment of substance use disorders.
Anthony P. Natale, MSW, PhD
Associate Professor and Assistant Director, Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, University of Oklahoma
Dr. Natale is a PhD graduate from the University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work and obtained a Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University. His social work practice background includes community-based clinical social work, crisis mental health services and employee assistance program delivery. Dr. Natale's primary scholarly interests include health disparities, HIV/AIDS, trauma and human development, social determinants of health, and social and public health policy.
John Orwat, PhD, LCSW
Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago
Dr. Orwat is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago. He teaches health policy and systems in the MSW program and advanced statistics in the doctoral program. Dr. Orwat is Principal Investigator for the Interprofessional Practice with at-Risk Youth (IPRY) project at Loyola University Chicago, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. He has also led several health services research projects, most recently an analysis of physician quality in urban vs. rural areas. Dr. Orwat holds a PhD from the the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and a Master of Arts in clinical social work from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration.
G. Allen Ratliff, MSW, LCSW
Doctoral Student, University of California-Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Mr. Ratliff previously worked as the Director of Clinical Services at Youth Service Project, a social service agency on the west side of Chicago, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Illinois. Mr. Ratliff received his BA in Sociology and English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and his MSW from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mr. Ratliff has several years of clinical experience working with queer, gender non-conforming, and/or homeless young people, and with youth and families affected by community violence. His research is centered on the experiences of queer and gender non-conforming children and adolescents, with particular emphasis on the impacts of microaggressions on developmental milestones and long-term outcomes in health, education, and relationships. In his clinical practice and supervision Mr. Ratliff advocates the use of trauma-informed, harm reduction, positive youth development practices with young people affected by community violence, trauma, and discrimination.
Elizabeth B. Russell, PhD, LCSW, MSW
Clinical Associate Professor, Social Work, Greater Rochester Collaborative MSW Program, College at Brockport, State University of New York
Dr. Russell is currently a Clinical Associate Professor at the College at Brockport, State University and was previously a tenured Associate Professor at Nazareth College. She has worked in a variety of practice settings including as a case manager for the chronically mentally ill, a clinical social worker in a university hospital outpatient setting, child therapist, sex therapist, clinical supervisor, and researcher at two other universities. Her main areas of interest are sexual health in practice settings, community advocacy for social justice, women and depression, and mental health. Her current research focuses on the sexual health training of social workers, online curriculum development and delivery, and women in academia. Dr. Russell received her PhD from the University of Rochester, and her Master of Social Work Degree (MSW) from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor where she majored interpersonal practice and sexual health. Her doctoral dissertation assessed mental health practitioners' knowledge, attitudes, and training in sexual health.
Kristin S. Scherrer, PhD, LCSW, MA
Associate Professor and BSSW Program Director, Department of Social Work, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Dr. Scherrer received her PhD in Social Work and Sociology, as well as her MSW and MA in Sociology from the University of Michigan and her BA in sociology and psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Scherrer's research examines how age, generation and cohort shape how individuals recognize themselves as having sexual minority identities and how these identities affect their family relationships. Most recently, she investigated how family systems, and grandparent-grandchild relationships in particular, are affected by the discovery of a grandchild's gay, lesbian bisexual or queer (GLBQ) sexual orientation. Other research interests include bisexual and asexual identities, culturally competent practice, and gerontology. Dr. Scherrer's practice experiences have involved working with GLBTQ individuals and their families, women and children who were victims of violence, and older adults and their families. Across these roles, Dr. Scherrer's clinical work has focused on how individuals and families cope with conflict and crisis. Dr. Scherrer has taught social work courses at MSU Denver, Rutgers University and the University of Michigan, in content areas such as social work practice, diversity, advanced clinical practice with older adults, GLBT issues, international social work, group dynamics, aging and gerontological services, qualitative research and women's issues.
Mark Smith, PhD, LCSW
Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Barry University
Dr. Smith has been a social work faculty member at Barry University for 14 years and holds the rank of Associate Professor. His undergraduate degree is in Early Childhood Education (University of South Carolina) and his MSW is from San Francisco State University. He maintains a small practice specializing clinical supervision and in narrative-based work with adults, adolescents, children, and families. Dr. Smith's areas of interest and expertise include: resiliency-focused clinical practice, social group work, family practice, community responses to disaster and trauma, LGBTQ youth and adults, international social work and social development, anti-racist/oppressive social work pedagogy, narrative and constructivist clinical practice, spirituality, and participant-based qualitative research. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG) organization.
Marcia Spira, PhD
Professor and Interim Associate Dean, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago
Dr. Spira coordinates the gero subspecialization program in the Master of Social Work program. She teaches classes in human behavior and direct practice to students in the masters and doctoral program. She earned her doctorate degree (PhD) in 1982 from the University of Chicago where she studied the impact of a chronic illness on family relationships. Dr. Spira has published many articles and presented at local and national conferences on individuals and families confronted with challenges and transitions throughout the life cycle. Her most recent work focuses on the shifts that occur in families challenged with the diagnosis of dementia. She also maintains a private practice.
De'Shay Thomas, MSW
Doctoral Student, School of Social Work, Arizona State University
De'Shay is a third year doctoral student in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. She received a B.A. in Social Work from San Diego State University and her master's degree in social work from California State University, Los Angeles. De'Shay worked as a doctoral research intern and graduate research associate with the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, where her work was centered in ethnic/racial minorities' health disparities in urban and rural communities. Her current research interests include behavioral health disparities, particularly in ethnic, gender, and sexual minority communities. She aims to understand how social-cultural ideologies influence help-seeking processes while utilizing intersectionality and a black feminist/womanist perspective.
Pamela A. Viggiani, PhD, LMSW
Associate Professor, Social Work, Greater Rochester Collaborative MSW Program, College at Brockport, State University of New York
Dr. Viggiani is currently an Associate Professor at the College at Brockport, State University of New York. She has worked in a variety of practice settings including working with at risk elementary and middle school children, and as the Legislation Director at the New York State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Her main areas of interest are oppression and privilege, cultural humility, advocacy and social justice, and children and families with disabilities. Her current research focuses on best practices for teaching cultural humility to social workers and health care professionals, and on practitioner client relationships with refugee families that have children with disabilities. Dr. Viggiani received her PhD and her MSW from the State University of New York at Albany.
M. Alex Wagaman, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Wagaman received her PhD and MSW from Arizona State University. She has over ten years of practice experience in neighborhood and community organizing, and community-based anti-oppression education work. Dr. Wagaman has been actively involved in LGBTQ organizations and advocacy for two decades. Her research interests include: participatory research and social service approaches for adolescents and young adults who are members of populations that face oppression and marginalization, including LGBTQ youth; community-based research needs of LGBTQ youth organizations; critical methodologies; and qualitative research methods. Dr. Wagaman's teaching interests include macro practice and social welfare policy.
Courtney Wilson, MSW
Alumnus, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago
Ms. Wilson, MSW, is a May 2016 graduate from the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, where she specialized in the mental health program and co-chaired the Social Work Student Organization's LGBTQ committee. Ms. Wilson is interested in working with LGBTQ individuals, especially those experiencing complex trauma and substance abuse. Ms. Wilson spends her free time sewing and exploring Chicago on her bicycle.
Sarah R. Young, PhD, MSW
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Binghamton University
Dr. Young received her PhD in Social Work from The University of Alabama and her MSW with a focus in community organizing from The University of Michigan. Born and raised in a rural town in upstate New York, Sarah fell in love with the Deep South and lived in Mississippi from 2008 to 2012 working as an LGBTQ youth organizer. She is co-founder and former program manager of the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition, a youth-led LGBTQ youth advocacy group working to make school climate safer for LGBTQ youth. Sarah has served as adjunct faculty in the social work departments of both Mississippi State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a former Point Foundation Scholar, was selected by the White House as an Emerging LGBTQ Leader, and her dissertation focused on expanding safe schools protections for LGBTQ youth in the Deep South. Her research focuses on LGBTQ policy, community organizing in conservative and under-resourced areas, and on supporting the families of LGBTQ youth. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Binghamton University.