Professor Bern-Klug is a gerontological social work scholar who focuses on improving care for older adults with advanced health conditions, including dementia. She studies how to better support medical decision-making as the end-of-life approaches, including working with family members who may serve as surrogate decision-makers. Mercedes is working to enhance the role of nursing home social workers.

Dr. Conrad's research examines the social determinants that reduce child maltreatment and promote family wellbeing. Past projects include linking material hardship (food/housing insecurity) to child abuse, and validating the Spanish version of the Protective Factors Survey. 

Stephen Cummings is a clinical associate professor with over 20 years of practice in social service fields, including 10 years as a licensed social worker in a Trauma I level hospital setting. His areas of interest include ethical use of technology in social work practice, clinical supervision, and preparing students for the social work licensure exam.

Dr. Gilster is an Associate Professor of Social Work, and Research Fellow in the Social and Education Policy Research Program in the University of Iowa Public Policy Center. Her research addresses how community and neighborhood conditions matter for the well-being of residents.

Dr. Guo's work addresses the intersection between immigration and aging, examining the well-being of older immigrants in the changing family and neighborhood contexts.

Motier F. Haskins' primary teaching goal is to help social work students develop an increased awareness of their values, interests, strengths, and motivations so that they are compassionate and effective practitioners, confidently represent their expertise in interprofessional work settings, and critically engage with complex social problems.

Since 1999, Julia Kleinschmit has primarily taught in and coordinated the three-year, Part-Time M.S.W. Program in Sioux City. She teaches Research, Policy, Discrimination Oppression and Diversity, Organization and Community Practice, and Integrated Theory and Practice. Her interests include Disproportionate Minority Contact, especially in regards to reducing the number of Native children in the child welfare system and the number of children of color in juvenile detention.

Dr. Landsman is the Director of the School of Social Work, the Executive Director of the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice and the Co-Director of the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation. Her primary areas of research are family-centered approaches to child welfare and the child welfare workforce.

Dr. Sara Sanders is the Dean of the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and formerly served as Director of the School of Social Work. Her research interests pertain to gerontology and end-of-life.

Dr. Yi Wang’s research focuses on the neighborhood-level determinants of health disparities in later life. Her work examines how contextual features influence older adults’ wellbeing (i.e., physical, mental, cognitive health) and explores the underlying mechanisms (e.g., the mediating roles of activity engagement and coping resources) for racial/ethnic minority and older immigrants.

Professor Witry has 12 years of experience in non-profit management, program development, and program assessment and evaluation focusing on food security, anti-poverty, and housing security services. She is now the Practicum Education Director and is passionate about inspiring and supporting social work students to act as change agents in the field and in their future work as professionals.