DSW Graduates
2026
Dr. Mercy Berkoh
Parenting Experiences of Sub-Saharan Immigrant Families Living in the United States
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Marc Felizzi Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Halfhide (Rice) and Adwoa Bonney-Graves
Dr. Jessica Hippely
Barriers to Help-Seeking for Undergraduate College Students with Mental Health Concerns
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Marc Felizzi Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Hilary Copp and Heather Girvin
Dr. karen s lehman
A Look at Social and Emotional Learning and Its Future: The Shifting Terminology of Teaching Students Personal Integrity and Civic Responsibility Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Halfhide (Rice) Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Leonora Foels and Jane Hershberger
Dr. Yanina M Marti-Ramirez de Arellano
Cuidando de mi: A Qualitative Exploration of Self-Care Among Latin American Social Workers
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Bertha Saldana DeJesus Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Leonora Foels and Wanja Ogongi
2025
Dr. Pamela Carr
Advancing Competencies in Team-Based Behavioral Health Care: Exploring Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors Among MSW Students in Interprofessional EducationDissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Laura Granruth and Heather Girvin
dr. patricia colucci
Effect of Professional Development on School Staff Knowledge Related to Death, Loss, and Grief
Dissertation Co-Chairs: Drs. Karen Rice & Bertha Saldana DeJesus Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Leonora Foels, Joyous Bethel, & Cynthia Moss
dr. erica devery
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Heather Girvin & Madeline DiPasquale
dr. Bethany Franklin
LGBT Programming During Inpatient Treatment for Substance Use Disorder: Increasing Recovery Capital
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Curtis Proctor Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Marc Felizzi & Jennifer Frank
dr. Dianna montgomery
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Leonora Foels Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. A. Nicole Pfannenstiel and Melissa Mullen Davis
dr. Nancy Schuyler
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Bertha Saldana DeJesus Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Marc Felizzi & Heather Girvin
dr. Heather Strohman
Dissertation Co-Chairs: Drs. Karen Rice & Laura Granruth Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Tiffany Wright & Rachel Finley-Bowman
dr. Taraya Wright
Exploring Youth Perceptions of Empowerment and Social Supports in a Strengths-Based and Responsive Program: A Qualitative Study of Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Bertha Saldana DeJesus & Marc Felizzi
2024
Dr. Miranda K Blackburn
Suicide and the Citizen-Soldier: Disrupting the Clinical Narrative
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Heather Girvin Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Marc Felizzi & Bertha Saldana DeJesus
Dr. Dymonde Davis-Fairfax
Relationships and Connections in Foster Care: Why It Matters
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Bertha Saldana DeJesus Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Rice & Dawne Washington
Dr. Dylesia Hampton Barner
The Angry, Strong Welfare Queen Jezebel: How America's Historical Movements and Its Gendered Racial Stereotypes Have Shaped African American Mother-Daughter Relationships
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Wanja Ogongi Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Bertha Saldana DeJesus & Marc Felizzi
Dr. Shane joseph
Beliefs, Attitudes, Perceptions, and Knowledge of Student Guidance Counselors Toward Mental Health and Mental Health Seeking Behaviors in Grenada: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Pilot Study
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Polite & Rohan Jeremiah
Dr. Brandy Alicyn Shealer
Adolescent Vaping: A Concern, A Choice, Or Negotiable Harm?
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Marc Felizzi Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Wanja Ogongi & Amy Landis
Dr. Lauren Weber Wolf
Are We Ready And Willing To Get Involved In This Work? An Exploration of Social Workers' Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, And Practices Related to Gun Violence
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Laura Granruth Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Jennifer Frank & Stephanie Jerstand. Reader: Dr. Shelley Cohen Konrad
Dr. Elizabeth zimmerman-clayton
Warm handoffs and cold fumbles: How One Primary Care Practice Recognizes And Responds to Late Life Suicide Risk
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Laura Brierton-Granruth Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Jennifer Frank & Karen Rice
2023
Dr. Aliesha Y. clark
A Megaphone for Black Mothers: Exploring Factors that Shape the Content and Style of Black Parenting
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Heather Girvin Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Bertha Saldana-DeJesus & Wanja Ogongi
Dr. Hilary cobb
Creating Connections: Discussion Group Size and Social Connectedness in Online Community College Students
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Laura Brierton Granruth Dissertation Committe Members: Drs. Oliver Dreon & A. Nicole Pffannestiel
Dr. Kelli fox
Playing Well With Others: Evaluating an Intervention to Prepare Students for Interprofessional Collaborative Learning
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Cayleigh Minter & Shelley Cohen Konrad
Dr. Michelle palmieri
COVID-19 and Mental Health: Exploring the Impact of a Digital Application
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Marc Felizzi & Eva Szigethy
Dr. Linda timme
Social Workers' Perspectives of the Effectiveness of EMDR in Telehealth for PTSD Patients
Dissertation Chairs: Drs. Bertha Saldana DeJesus & Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Marcelle Giovannetti & Dr. Jessica Weiss-Ford
2022
Dr. Christina Helfrick
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Ann Guadino & Jennifer Frank
Dr. solomon hill
What are Students' Perceptions of Online Social Work Education, Specifically MSW Programs?
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Leonora Foels & Steve Stoeffler
Dr. Erica maloney
It's Complicated: Exploring Labor Union Attitudes, Experiences, and Perceptions Among Social Workers
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Jennifer Frank Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Laura Brierton-Granruth & Pamela Twiss
Dr. Bridgette montgomery
Digital Immigrants Raising Digital Natives Perception of Social Media's Influence on Youth's Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Development
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Andrew Bland, Bertha Saldana DeJesus, and Mary Glazier
Dr. Janice nuss
The Impact of Global Learning on Social Work Student Values
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Wanja Ogongi & Jason Petula
Dr. carrie snyder
#Say the Word: Is Disability Included in Diversity Training for Social Work Educators?
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Laura Brierton Granruth Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Rice & Thomas Neuville
Dr. Abigail Wilson
Social Workers and Child Welfare: Perceptions and Factors of Career Trajectory after Graduation
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Heather Girvin Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Rice & Jennifer Frank
Dr. Shin Yun
Social Work Awareness of Hospice Referral Barriers in the Veterans Health Administration
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Curtis Proctor Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Joyous Bethel and Samuel Benbow
2021
Dr. Paula Ugochukwu Ude
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Among African Diaspora Living in the United States: Knowledge & Help-Seeking Behaviors
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Wanja Ogongi Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Juliana Svistova & Barth Yeboah
Dr. Gina Daniel
Family Secrets: Exploring Unexpected Paternity Through Direct-to-Consumer DNA Ancestry Tests
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Laura Brierton Granruth Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Rice & Juliana Svistovar
Dr. Amanda Musser
Social Work Leadership and the Needs of Pediatric Cancer Patients in Schools: Providing Education and Support to Teachers and Administration on the Front Line
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Heather Girvin Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Rice & Laura Granruth
2020
Dr. Sylvia Bekele
Professional Identity Development in Graduate Level Social Work Students: An Efficacy Test of the Social Work Identity Workshop
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Wanja Ogongi & Barth Yeboah
Dr. Heidi kimmel
Utilizing Trauma-Informed Supervision to Address Compassion
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Marc Felizzi Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Heather Girvin & Karen Rice
Dr. Kevin Lally
The Relationship Between Disability, Psychological Distress, and Opioid Use
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Alex Redcay Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Marc Felizzi & Sharon Lyter
Dr. Bradley Schaffer
A Qualitative Study of Rural Veterans Treatment Court: Participant Lived Experiences and Perspectives
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Heather Girvin & Edward Hanna
Dr. Dee Stalnecker
Revisiting the Visiting Teacher: A Historical Analysis of School Social Work Identity
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Leonora Foels Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Lesley Colabucci, Jennifer Frank & Karen Rice
2019
Dr. Micah Beaston
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Heather Girvin & Tiffany Wright
Dr. Amy L. Freeman
Complex Organizational Trauma: Development Of A Measurement Tool
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Alex Redcay Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. John Conahan & Marc Felizzi
Dr. Allison Gosch
Teacher And Administrator Perspectives Of School Climate In A Rural School District
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Marc Felizzi Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Laura B. Granruth & Wanja Ogongi
Dr. Tammy Hendrix
When Change Comes: Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Perceived Effect Of Permanency Roundtables On The Decision Making Ecology Of Pennsylvania Child Welfare Caseworkers
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Heather Girvin Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Rice & Jennifer Frank
Dr. Tami J. Micksy
The Community of Inquiry Framework and Distance Education in Social Work
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Leonora Foels Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Joyous Bethel & Curtis Proctor
Dr. Alexandria Patrick
Participant's Perceptions Of An Urban After-School Employment Program: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Marc Felizzi Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Heather Girvin & Julian Svistova
Dr. Amy Roth
Adventure-Based Experiential Learning Components Essential For Teaching Social Skills: A Systematic Review
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Leonora Foels Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Rice & Joyous Bethel
2018
Dr. Bertha DeJesus
Does Experiential Training Received By Field Instructors Affect The Supervision Students Received In Field Settings?
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Jennifer Frank & Kathleen Walsh
Dr. Ling Dinse
Barriers To Exiting And Factors Contributing To The Cycle Of Enter/Exit/Re-entering Commercial Sex Work
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Marc Felizzi and Wanja Ogongi
Dr. Ethan L. Haymovitz
Minority Stress, Gender Nonconformity, And Disparities In Young Men's Mental Health
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Curtis Proctor Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Karen Rice & Heather Girvin
Dr. Pia K. Houseal-Allport
Making Meaning Of Place: Facilitating Ecological Place-Based Experiences With Youth
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Heather Girvin Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Marc Felizzi & Juliana Svistova
Dr. Meredith E. Moore
Vantage Points: Variables Which Influence Female Ascent To Veterans Administration Leadership
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Heather Girvin Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Marc Felizzi & Laura Granruth
Dr. Karen E. Polite
An Exploration Of Culture As An Agent Of African American Male Persistence At A Community College
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Karen Rice Dissertation Committee Members: Drs. Leonora Foels & Kimberly Mahaffy