Pitt Social Work 2022 Holiday Gift Guide!

Looking for some gifts this season? Check out all of the wonderful goods and services our alumni are creating! From jewelry and clothing to children's books and gym memberships, shop to support our SSW alumni!

Find the gift guide here.

Doctoral student wins SSWR Award

Doctoral student Emil K. Smith has been named a 2023 Q Caucus SSWR Conference Scholarship Awardee. Smith will be presenting "Abolitionist Approaches to Mental Health" at SSWR in January. Their research interests include weight stigma and eating disorders in trans populations and anti-carceral approaches to mental health crisis assessment and intervention. Read more.

The First Modern EMS Service

The Daily Kos's article about the Freedom House Ambulance Service, the city's first mobile emergency medicine program, mentions the role of late social work professor Moe Coleman. Read about this fascinating moment in history here.

Pennies from Helpers

MSW alumna Andi Thieman talks to Pitt Magazine about her nonprofit PennyLoafer—named after the shoe that can hold a penny for making an emergency call—that enables donors to set up monthly donations to a curated collection of vetted nonprofits in the areas of mental health, racial justice, climate change and high-quality education. Read more.

Research position open for grad students

Dr. Marlo A. Perry is seeking a graduate student (Masters or PhD) to assist with a grant-funded research project focused on the emotional and professional well-being of Black, female child welfare professionals in Pennsylvania. Specifically, they are exploring how emotional labor manifests in Black, female child welfare professionals who also face gendered racial microaggressions in their daily work. Findings from this project will inform the development of trauma- and racially-informed mindfulness interventions for child welfare professionals. Duties include co-leading interviews and/or focus groups with study participants, assisting with data management and analyses, and collaborating on dissemination of findings. Schedule is flexible with an approximate 10 hours/week commitment for spring and summer semesters. Please see full job posting 

Nominate someone for the next class of Bright Young People 

Allies for Health + Wellbeing is seeking the next class of Bright Young People to be honored at its annual Allies Ball and Free For All. Bright Young People are constellation of excellence – people who are making a real and tangible difference in our community and working toward a bright future. The Bright Young People are making their mark through their art, their careers and their activism. Submit your nomination here. Nominations are due January 20, 2023.

2023 Excellence in Social Work Practice Awards

Excellence in Social Work Practice Awards recognize Master’s students in the Pitt School of Social Work who demonstrate exemplary commitment to their social work professional development. The awards are given to students completing specialized study and displaying outstanding potential as social workers. These awards are made possible by the generosity of alumni and friends of the School. Each award carries a small monetary recognition. Read more about the awards and nominate a student today!

Pitt Social Work sponsors holiday toy drive

We are excited to continue supporting our community partners Primary Care Health Services and Alma Illery Medical Center in Homewood as they brings holiday cheer to children ages 4 months through 13 years. From Monday, November 14th through Friday, December 16th, you can grab a gift tag on display in the Dean’s suite to purchase and return wrapped and unwrapped gifts for children. 

Suggested gift items include: books; toys; games; non-flammable jammies; and gift cards. All donations should be placed in the donation collection box—in the Dean’s suite—by 5PM on Friday, December 16. 

Winter Donation Drive led by MSW student

MSW student Hadar Re’em is currently in Professor Danny Rosen's Human Behavior in the Urban Environment class and as part of the "Improve Your City" assignment for the course is running a winter donation drive in partnership with Street Medicine at Pitt. Support our neighbors that sleep outside this winter by donating supplies you are giving to someone that

lives in our community. Donations accepted through Friday, December 16th. The collection box is in the Social Work lounge on the 23rd floor of the Cathedral of Learning (Room 2306).