University of Michigan School of Social Work

06/08/2026

Professor Rogério Pinto’s new book, “Freire and Drama: 'Marília', a Play — Anti-Oppression and Healing in the Arts,” has been published by Bloomsbury. The book introduces Paulo Freire's theoretical concepts as they relate to playwriting and theatre, and shows how anyone interested in social justice and self-healing can use performance as an accessible vehicle for exploring the root causes and effects of oppression. The text centers on Pinto’s award-winning one-person play, “Marília.”

This book introduces Freire's theoretical concepts as they relate to playwriting and theatre. User-friendly and concise, the book shows how anyone interested in…

06/05/2026

Professor Lisa Wexler and Research Investigator Elizabeth Evans are featured in the latest Michigan Research newsletter for the expansion of PC CARES. The article details how the program uses community-led learning circles to share research findings, allowing each community to discuss and develop solutions that will fit their needs. Originally designed by Wexler to address su***de prevention, this highly adaptable method is now being used to address substance use. "The opposite of addiction is connection. It’s that simple,” said Wexler.

Evans is spearheading the expansion of this program to new communities, including some in Michigan.

https://research.umich.edu/research-stories/translating-research-into-practical-community-tools/

06/02/2026

Clinical Assistant Professor Ayesha Ghazi Edwin gave the keynote speech at last month’s 2026 Asian American graduation celebration. “We reflected on the power of our stories, the ways our journeys are interwoven, and why intergroup solidarity is so important — especially in this moment,” said Ghazi Edwin.

06/01/2026

Associate Professor Shanna Kattari gave the keynote speaker at Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026, a virtual accessibility event that supports conversation, thinking, and learning about access and inclusion. This year’s conference theme, “Design, Develop, Deliver”, focused on refining digital accessibility skills and making accessibility an integral part of everything we do — from the way we communicate, design and innovate, to how we create a more equitable future for everyone.

This year’s event was sponsored by U-M, the University of Minnesota and the University of Illinois system, and organized by a volunteer group of dedicated employees from the sponsoring universities.

To learn more about the event: https://gaad.umn.edu/

06/01/2026

Ever wish you had hard data on social work salaries when negotiating pay? We're building that dataset right now. Take our 10-min anonymous survey and help create the public compensation data Michigan social workers can actually use for advocacy and career decisions.

https://ferris.questionpro.com/humanservicesstudy

This research is a partnership between Ferris State University and NASW-Michigan and has been reviewed and approved through the IRB Accepted Protocol -FY24-25-121 to protect your privacy and ensure ethical research practices.

05/22/2026

Laurel Hammis, MSW ’23, received the Emerging Social Work Leader Award and MSW student Angela Chin was honored as the U-M MSW Student of the Year at the National Association of Social Work-Michigan award ceremony last month.

https://bit.ly/4v6z1oB

LANSING, MI — The National Association of Social Workers – Michigan Chapter (NASW-Michigan) is proud to announce Laurel Hammis, LLMSW, as the recipient of the 2026 Emerging Social Work Leader Award.

05/21/2026

Two groups of MSW students from Clinical Assistant Professor Ayesha Ghazi Edwin’s SW509 class presented to the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission at the end of last term. The first group discussed potential legislation in Ann Arbor that would prevent sweeps of homeless encampments. The second group focused on the city’s progress towards creating an unarmed crisis response program and was invited to share their presentation with Ann Arbor Police Department senior leadership later this June.

05/20/2026

Lecturer Susan Radzilowski wrote an article in “The Conversation” on gender‑affirming care and current access challenges for transgender youth and families.

“Families are flooded with disinformation and misinformation suggesting the science on gender-affirming care has changed. It has not,” wrote Radzilowski. “But a growing gap exists between what the law permits and what families believe possible, shaping how parents make medical decisions for their children.”

https://bit.ly/3Rz1ULq

Misinformation and a shifting legal landscape have left many families with trans children uncertain about what care doctors can still provide.

05/15/2026

The School’s Center for Equitable Family and Community Well-Being hosted a day-long summit last week to discuss the state of housing in Detroit. The program featured a range of speakers on home repair, housing trends, homelessness, policy, and other gaps, needs and resources in the city’s housing space.

“A combination of policy and intention alongside market forces and incentives got us where we are today,” said Professor Trina Shanks, the center’s director. “It’s going to take a combination of policy and intention to help Detroit evolve to more positive housing outcomes in the future.”

“There could be easy wins if people work together,” she added.
https://bit.ly/3RISPQb

Welcome back to Detroit City Notebook! I’m Christine. Gayanga Co., the Detroit-based demolition contractor accused by city officials of using contaminated dirt to backfill properties and now at the center of a federal investigation, shut down and has filed a defamation lawsuit. Brian McKinney, G...

05/13/2026

The work of our faculty and students is impactful, innovative and varied. The Research Office hosted an interactive session of Research Connections Poster Bingo today where participants had the opportunity to learn more about current research projects, discover new ways to collaborate, and win fabulous swag and prizes. The School’s research is a pillar of our strategic vision.