Articles from June 2020

Help us spread the news about the great work of UI School of Social Work faculty, staff, students, and alumni! Please notify the School of your noteworthy awards, publications, performances, recordings, presentations, exhibitions, and other achievements—or let us know when you see someone else from the Iowa Social Work community doing something great.

Tell Us Your News!

Social Work Students Lead 'Speak Your Truth' Committee on Iowa's Track And Field Team

Iowa's Track And Field Team Creates 'Speak Your Truth' Committee, led by Iowa City MSW students Antonio Woodard and Nia Britt. Both classmates and teammates, Antonio and Nia also earned the Teammate Award from the Hawkeye Track and Field Team.

2018 Social Work BA Grad Bernadine Franks segment Re-Aired on NBC's Today Show

Friday, June 12, 2020
Bernadine Franks graduated from the University of Iowa School of Social Work in December 2018, at age 67, making good on a promise she'd made to her mother decades before. Her inspiring story was featured on the Today Show in January 2019. What has she been doing since then?

Open Letter to Students to Acknowledge and Respond to Racial Trauma

Friday, June 12, 2020
We are committed to continuing our own work and supporting student leadership to protect Black lives and work for justice. We are here for you.

UI Social Work grad on Talk of Iowa: "How To Be An Ally For Racial Justice"

On this episode of Talk of Iowa, Charity Nebbe speaks with activists and educators including School of Social Work alumna Dionna Langford (2013 BASW) about how to make a difference for racial justice and take action.

Making Social Justice Work: Our response to the protests

Wednesday, June 3, 2020
The protests in response to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, reflect the pain and anguish of Mr. Floyd’s death, but are also emblematic of the history of police violence against Black communities in our country, who have been met with broken promises of freedom and equality. This is an extremely traumatic time for Black people. We see and support you.

Nia Britt Brings Grit, Work Ethic, to MSW Program and the Hawkeye Track and Field Team

Nia Britt (pictured, on right) is a determined, hard-working athlete on the Iowa Track & Field/Cross Country team--and she brings the same heart, grit, and work ethic to her studies pursuing her MSW degree.

UI Social Work alum Dionne Langford protest speech covered by NBC News

NBC News reported that University of Iowa School of Social Work alum and former Des Moines Public School Board Member Dionna Langford (2013 BASW) spoke to a crowd of hundreds gathered outside of the governor’s mansion in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday evening, June 2, 2020.

UI PhD Grad McKinley Awarded $2.7M Grant to Reduce Substance Abuse and Violence among Native American Families

Dr. Catherine McKinley earned her MSW and PhD degrees here in the UI School of Social Work. Now a professor at Tulane University School of Social Work, she's been awarded a $2.7 million research grant to study effective, sustainable, culturally relevant and family-centered interventions for substance abuse and violence among Native American families.