School of Social Welfare Dean's Update

Graduation is just a few weeks away at the University of Kansas. It’s been a busy year for the School of Social Welfare in teaching, research and service. Developments and highlights include:

On May 16, we will celebrate more than 250 graduates who have chosen social work as their career path. In this month’s newsletter, we highlight a DSW degree candidate, alumni of our BSW and MSW programs, and new research from our faculty.

As always, please reach out to me with questions or concerns at any time at kusswdo@ku.edu. Your feedback and collaboration are extremely important to us. 

Take good care and Rock Chalk,

Michelle Carney, PhD, MSSA
Dean and Professor
KU School of Social Welfare

Rebecca Beeler successfully completed her oral exams and proposal defense for her final capstone project in April, officially moving on as a Doctor of Social Work candidate.

Beeler, the director of social services at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri, has a soft spot for classmates in her cohort, who started the program in fall 2023 as the inaugural KU DSW class.

"I have learned a ton in this program, and I adore my cohort. ... I feel like I've known them all forever at this point, and I hope that they'll be lifelong friends. We've really created a bond," Beeler said.

A new study from the University of Kansas highlights inequalities in how populations are impacted by climate change, calling for social workers to play a critical role in advocating for and including marginalized communities in addressing climate change and injustice.

Joonmo Kang, assistant professor of social welfare at KU, spent a year living in a jjokbang-chon, the so-called “last remaining slum” in Seoul, as part of a research project on the everyday experiences of climate change-related disasters in marginalized communities. For the study, Kang estimated the carbon footprint of jjokbang-chon residents, highlighting the climate injustice they face.

KU’s Master of Social Work program ranks 22nd among public universities in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.

MSW programs are ranked every other year, based on a survey of peer institutions. The current Best Schools for Social Work rankings were released in 2024.

The MSW program is one of 48 KU graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities, including 10 programs in the top 10.

As a case manager at the KU Health System Addiction Clinic, Carlie Sauntry – BSW 2023, MSW 2024 – helps her clients find work, housing, insurance, and access to services.

"I always thought I'd want to be doing something with psychology or trying to understand why people are the way they are. But social work is the perfect blend of all of the little things: of psychology, of therapy, of doing social justice, of being an advocate," Sauntry said. "It's all combined into one thing that I felt really passionate about."

Though at first glance her career in interior design appears to have veered far from her KU degree, Mel McDaniel, BSW 2002, says “my social welfare heart never left me.” 

In 2019, she founded Marvin’s Home, a nonprofit organization in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. Marvin’s Home furnishes first apartments or homes for young adults who have spent their teenage years in foster care or other temporary shelters.

Partnering with Valley Youth House, a well-known agency in Pennsylvania, McDaniel and her crew of 40 volunteers have created homes for more than 60 young clients starting new lives on their own.

Story by Jennifer Jackson Sanner for Kansas Alumni Magazine

On the last Tuesday of fall classes, as a cold breeze whistled across the ridge of Mount Oread, Twente Hall silently weathered one of its final days as an academic building in the heart of campus. The hall, which opened in 1932 as Watkins Memorial Hospital and in 1974 became the first home of the School of Social Welfare, warmly embraced its few final visitors with free pizza in the foyer.

Story by Chris Lazzarino for Kansas Alumni Magazine

MSW, DSW and PhD Graduate Hooding & Recognition Ceremony
Friday, May 16, 1-2:30 p.m.
Lied Center

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Recognition Ceremony
Friday, May 16, 3:30-5 p.m.
Lied Center

Body Mapping: A Tool for Understanding Secondary Occupational Trauma
Tuesday, June 17
12-2 p.m.
Virtual
CEU: 2

Toward Trauma-Informed Schools
Thursday, Aug. 7
12-2 p.m.
Virtual
CEU: 2

Ethics, Technology, and AI in Social Work Practice: Navigating the Future Responsibly
Thursday, Aug. 14
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Virtual
CEU: 3 Ethics

Edith Guffey, MSW 1987, is the new board chair for PFLAG National, leading a 22-member board. Read an article about Guffey’s new role.

Suzanne Wikle, MSW 2006, was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in November 2024. She is representing the constituents of House District 10 through her work in Topeka.

Whether you just received a promotion, started a new position or project, or moved across the country, the School of Social Welfare wants to keep updated on your life adventures. Update your contact information and share your alumni news.

In April, the School of Social Welfare celebrated the launch of the Center for the Advancement of Healthcare for Everyone at the KU Edwards Campus. The event began with a panel, hosted by local and national experts in the field, and was followed by the Integrated Health Scholar Program's Capstone Poster presentations.

Thank you to everyone who made this a special event!

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university’s programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or using the Title IX online report form and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or using the Title IX online complaint form.

The University of Kansas is a public institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.