Loyola University Chicago

Faculty Member of the Year - Maria Vidal de Haymes, PhD
Congratulations to the School of Social Work's Maria Vidal de Haymes, PhD for receiving the Faculty Member of the Year honor. Dr. Vidal de Haymes was recognized at the 2017 Faculty Convocation.
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MSW student completes internship in Thailand
Nicole Betteridge is completing her final MSW internship through a partnership between Thammasat University in Bangkok and Loyola University Chicago.
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Loyola SSW attends inaugural CRISP Political Bootcamp
In July 2017, Loyola School of Social Work sponsored Assistant Professor Amy Krings and three leaders of the School of Social Work Student Organization (SSWSO) - Megan Ammer, LaDonna Miller, and Meagan Tomasiewicz - to attend an intensive training on political social work in Washington, DC.
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Shirley Simon Receives the 2017 IASWG Lifetime Achievement Award
Each year the IASWG Board honors an individual whom, over their lifetime, has made substantial contributions to group work and/or IASWG. Loyola's School of Social Work Associate Professor, Shirley Simon, was this year's honoree. View the photo gallery for more images and videos from this year's symposium.
PHOTO GALLERY
Dear Students...A message from Dean Menon
A touching message from Dean Menon on the current status of our society.
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Dr. Shweta Singh's article featured in Huffington Post-India
Dr. Shweta Singh, "I am proposing a panoptic eye with a reframed focus to fit our changing social milieu."
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Goutham M. Menon, PhD, Appointed Dean of the School of Social Work
Goutham M. Menon, PhD, has been appointed as the dean of the School of Social Work. He will join Loyola on July 1 from the University of Nevada-Reno, where he serves as director of the School of Social Work.
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Congratulations to the Class of 2017!
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See Commencement Photos
School of Social Work faculty and staff join National Institutions Coming Out Day in Support of Undocumented Students at Loyola University's Water Tower Campus.
School of Social Work faculty and staff proudly participated in National Institutions Coming Out Day in Support of Undocumented Students at Loyola University's Water Tower Campus.
Second $1.35 million grant will help unemployed adults
Thanks to a new $1.35 million grant, School of Social Work professor Philip Hong, PhD, can expand his research into helping low-income adults overcome the barriers that prevent them from finding and keeping full-time jobs.
Loyola SSW and SSWSO Hold Inaugural Social Justice Summit
The Social Justice Summit, a collaboration between Loyola’s School of Social Work Student Organization (SSWSO) and Loyola’s School of Social Work (SSW) took place on Saturday, March 25th at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus.
SSW Alum and Adjunct Faculty Member Honored as Emerging Leader of the Year
In celebration of Social Work Month, Loyola SSW's very own Sarah Buino has been honored as the Emerging Leader of Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)-Illinois Chapter for her exceptional work as a clinician and leadership in promoting social justice and social change.
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SBIRT Training Program Launches at LUC!
In an effort to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness upon marginalized communities, Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, and Stritch School of Medicine have been awarded a grant to train students, faculty and community medical and behavioral health professionals in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and Motivational Interviewing. The program officially launched Saturday, February 25th with a training day event. But many more learning opportunities are to come!
Social Work Professor Nationally Honored at CSWE as PIE Award Recipient
Dr. Maria Vidal de Haymes received prestigious honor in international social work education by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). She was selected as the awardee of this year’s Partners in Advancing Education for International Social Work (PIE) Award by CSWE’s Commission on Global Social Work Education.
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Social Work: the 21st Century's Law Degree
"Social work education is the future of all academic teaching, even if most academicians don’t know it yet. It mixes training in social theory with mandatory hours of work in the field, putting those theories decidedly into practice -- something that most students clamor for."
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Congratulations to this year's Alpha Sigma Nu Inductees!
On Sunday, October 23rd School of Social Work Students: Dawn Kostenski, Megan Monahan, Candyss Newman, Stephanie Wessels, Dillon Dewitt, Margaret Marx, Natalie Pine, Sojourney Rallo, and Shayna Vaughn were inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu. Alpha Sigma Nu honors students of Jesuit colleges and universities who distinguish themselves in scholarship, loyalty to the ideals of Jesuit education, and service to others. As the only honor society permitted to bear the name Jesuit, the vision of the Society is the encouragement of Ignatian inspired lifelong leaders.
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The First South Asian Womanhood and Girlhood Conference
The first conference on South Asian Womanhood and Girlhood took place on October 28th and 29th at Loyola University Chicago’s Lakeshore Campus. Researchers, practitioners, scholars, and students welcomed in exploring social justice from a diversity of perspectives the lives of South Asian women in both South Asia and the diaspora.
IASWG Reunion Celebration and Showcase
On September 28th, 2016 the School of Social Work held a reunion Celebration and Showcase for students and recent alumni who attended and presented at the 38th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG). Student and alumni presenters also had a chance to share their work with the Loyola community during this event. The 2016 IASWG Symposium took place in New York City in June. IASWG is the premiere professional association for social work with groups, and Loyola has had over 169 Loyola students present at the annual symposia since 2005.
Founders' Dinner

Active alumni presented with Damen Award
Licensed social worker Daniel Kill is a long-time advocate for mental health
Family Assessment & Migration Studies in Mexico
During the Summer 2016 semester, 21 MSW students participated in a two-week course and/or field placements in Mexico with a focus on the Mexican Family and the dynamics of migration. While abroad students visited local NGOs and government agencies; observe immigration court proceedings; met with local social work professionals, students, faculty, and researchers; spoke with individuals and families impacted by migration and U.S. and Mexican immigration policies; and visited museums and cultural attractions.
PHOTO GALLERY
Contemporary Clinical Practice with the Best of Ancient Rome
This summer the School of Social Work took twelve students to the John Felice Rome Center. Students had class in the morning and explored Rome in the afternoon and evening, integrating the coursework with the city. For example, a section on trauma treatments was paired with a trip to Pompeii, disruptive disorders with a trip to the Colosseum & Forum, and mood / anxiety disorders with a trip to the Vatican Museum / Sistine Chapel. Students discussed psychiatric disorders and toured a 150 year old former psychiatric hospital, and talked about the role of religion and spirituality and toured the Old Jewish Ghetto.
PHOTO GALLERY
See Commencement photos
Check out our School of Social Work Commencement photo gallery.
See how Loyola is helping veterans adjust to civilian life
“The State of the American Veteran: The Chicagoland Veterans Study,” paints a jarring picture of post-military life for many area veterans. The School of Social Work is using the study—the first comprehensive look at the Chicago area’s military population—to develop four projects to help local veterans.
Advocacy Day 2016

Loyola SSW Lobbies for Advocacy Day!
Check out this video on the importance of Advocacy Day and how the School of Social Work participated!
Race, Culture, & Gender on the Border Spring Break Immersion Course & Experience
Each Spring, the School of Social Work offers a immersion Race, Culture & Gender on the Border course that provides students with the opportunity to visit the Arizona-Mexico border and explore race, culture, gender, and ethnicity as it relates to migration. Learn more about the reality of immigration on our southern border and the immersion experience from the 2016 cohort here!
The State of the American Veteran: The Chicagoland Veterans Study
The State of the American Veteran: The Chicagoland Veterans Study, conducted by the University of Southern California (USC) School of Social Work Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families (CIR) and in partnership with Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, is an effort to provide data-driven recommendations for serving the large population of veterans residing in Chicago and the surrounding area.
Responsible Budget Coalition: State of OUR State
Looking for guidance on dealing with state budget issues? This handout from the Responsible Budget Coalition will help.
Grant

Professor, team win $500,000 grant
Professor Philip Hong’s research helps unemployed adults get back on their feet. And now, after receiving a $500,000 grant, he hopes to help even more people.
President's Medallion: Her service work helps improve the lives of children
For graduate student Celeste Sánchez, service is a huge part of her life—both here and abroad. In Chicago, she provided a variety of services to homeless youth while interning at two local organizations. In Central America, she worked for several years with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (“Our Little Brothers and Sisters”), which operates homes for orphaned children.
Alumni

Lawrence Benito: Advocate for immigrants' rights
Lawrence Benito (MSW '98), a former Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) graduate fellow, spoke this past spring at the center's Alumni Speaker Series. Read about his cause, his time at Loyola, and his progress in the field.
Alumni

A powerful force for change
Candace Musick knew from the start that she wanted to help people, and she attributes much of her achievement to the experience provided by the School of Social Work. She knew from her first semester at Loyola that social work was the field for her.
Feature

Opening up opportunity
In spring 1965, Adrienne Bailey and a group of her Mundelein College classmates marched on Selma, Alabama, in support of civil rights...
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Video

A century of leadership and compassion
Loyola's School of Social Work celebrates 100 years of educating leaders in the social work profession.
Photo Gallery

2015 School of Social Work Gala
On May 30th, 2015, the Loyola University of Chicago School of Social Work held a Gala to celebrate their school's 100th year Anniversary. The Gala started off with a cocktail hour of drinks and conversation in the Loyola University Museum of Art or LUMA and finished with dinner in Regents Hall.
SSW alum's 'journey' leads to underserved LGBTQ seniors
Howard Brown Health Center is an LGBTQ-focused clinic located on Chicago’s North Side, and for Hugh Cole, a social worker and addiction counselor, there’s no place he’d rather be.
Academics

Weekend of Excellence: Mariela Rodriguez
Service and leadership are at the heart of a Jesuit education. And they’re also a key part of what drives Mariela Rodriguez each and every day. Rodriguez, who spent two months in Mexico working with indigenous women, hopes to one day earn her PhD and help immigrants and refugees.
Profile

Helping others through music
Before joining the faculty at Loyola’s School of Social Work, assistant professor Brian Kelly pursued a career in music. Now, he uses that musical background to connect with young clients.
Centennial Year

A century of social work in Chicago
Loyola’s commitment to service is lived out every day through the School of Social Work, which celebrates its centennial this year.
Video

Jesuit. Social worker. Loyolan at heart.
Marcos Gonzales, S.J., is focused on one thing: helping others. Marcos' Story | Watch his speech
Voter Registration

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Awards

Benjamin Marton: Empowering youth to be advocates for change
Marton, who is one of this year's President's Medallion recipients, is studying for his master’s degree in social work, serves as a graduate and research assistant for two professors, is the president of the School of Social Work Student Organization, and works several days a week as an intern at Loyola Community and Family Services.