Autumn 2011 Featured Students

Thumbs Up to Honors Student Katie Eickholt and Her Research!

Katie’s research is exploratory in nature and is intended to assess the non-medical needs and services received by families of children experiencing amputation. Parents and/or caregivers of children who have experienced amputation will be asked to fill out an online questionnaire assessing the non-medical services the children were offered after amputation, the services they received, and any barriers they encountered in getting the services. Follow up telephone interviews will also be conducted for participants who indicate their willingness to be interviewed on the questionnaire. 

Thumbs Up to Honors Student Laura Smales and Her Research!

Laura’s research will compare women’s views on contraception and assess if there are any cultural differences in accessing and using contraception in India and the United States. The benefits of this research are to understand cross culturally the decision making on use of contraception. The findings will help in formulating interventions or policy to educate about women’s reproductive health. Laura’s research will also compare the views of professionals to that of the general population. Professionals include doctors, nurses, social workers, lab technicians, and counselors. This view will be collected in order to compare to that of the general population in order to see if there are differing views and if education has influence over these views.

Thumbs Up to Honors Student Lauren Persin and Her Research!

Lauren’s senior honors thesis seeks to better understand BSSW student attitudes toward individuals with developmental disabilities. She is interested in assessing general attitudes toward this particular population, the extent to which the study of developmental disabilities is incorporated within the standard academic curriculum, and the strength of the relationship between exposure and preparedness to advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities.

SW 713 Students Skype with Marion Inmates, Learn How They Can Reach Youth Still in Schools

Though some would view "men in blue" (inmates at the Marion Correctional Institute) as folks who have messed up and "deserved" to be in prison, the SW 713: Social Work Practice in Schools class took an evening to view them as experts.

Students listened to testimonies of what is was like to walk through the system (education, juvenile justice, children services, etc). Inmates spoke about being  a "client" in the system, what they felt would have made a difference in their lives as youth, and what they felt impacted their ability to change into the men they are now.
 
The overwhelming theme was crystal clear: When they found hope, someone to believe in them, or someone they could consistently count on, the inmates started to give themselves a chance to turn their life around. And as it turns out, they found these things in prison.
 
The class ended with a charge for the future school social workers to figure out a way to ensure they are offering hope, consistent support, confidence boosting to the youth they will serve in schools.

 Noelle Fields Accepted into John A. Hartford Doctoral Fellows Program

This year, PhD student Noelle Fields was accepted into the Hartford Doctoral Fellows program. The program, a component of the nationwide Geriatric Social Work Initiative, provides substantial financial support and professional development enhancements, prepares students for a tenure track faculty position at a major university, and provides them with an opportunity to become a leader in an elite network of scholars. Noelle will be researching older adults in assisted living settings in Ohio for her dissertation.