MSW graduate Christian Gudiel combines education with his own lived experience to empower system-impacted youth. Read more about his full-circle journey: https://bit.ly/4ntdiEr
Class of 2026 PhD candidate Maiya Hotchkiss has received the prestigious USC PhD Achievement Award, recognizing their outstanding academic profile. This is the second consecutive year that a doctoral candidate at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work has received this distinction.
Hotchkiss also received a F31 dissertation fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for their project, “Inundated, in Community, and in the Loop: Complex Systems Science Approaches to Suicide Prevention Research with LGBTQ+ Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness.”
Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4uLIgtU
Nurses are on the frontlines of identifying and addressing the Social Determinants of Health that are responsible for 80% of health outcomes, making nurses essential partners for the social work profession in striving for health equity.
#USCSocialWork is honored to educate the next generation of these critical healthcare professionals in our Master of Nursing (MSN) program. #NursesWeek #NursesWeek2026
A demonstration of the intersection of social work and public policy in action, as Brianna Dominguez, 1st year MSW student, speaks before the West Hollywood City Council on May 4th to recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Joining her were Associate Teaching Professor Sam Mistrano and additional students from his policy classes. West Hollywood Vice Mayor Danny Hang, MSW '11, led the recognition. View the full city council meeting, or skip to minute 14:37 to see the mental health awareness recognition: https://bit.ly/4uOUXo1
Members of the Unchained Scholars program were featured in The Daily Trojan. The Unchained Scholars program aims to empower students who were formerly incarcerated and provide a sense of community. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4mWqcKY
Professor Ben Henwood and collaborative research between USC and UCLA featured in L.A. Times article on the impact of the L.A. County Fires on the homeless population. Henwood discusses the impact of encampment sweeps: “Over the longer term, it creates a kind of chronic instability that makes it extremely difficult to engage in healthcare, maintain treatment, or make progress toward housing. In effect, it keeps people in a constant state of starting over.” Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4ez3tT0
The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is excited to welcome veteran, leadership strategist, best-selling author, and USC MSW alumna Kristen Kavanaugh as keynote speaker for its 2026 Commencement Ceremony on May 15. Her career journey has taken her from the U.S. Naval Academy to the frontlines of military service, from grassroots community leadership to executive roles at the highest levels of the private sector. Read more: https://bit.ly/4tDVHMg
Homeboys Forever: The Lifetime Consequences of Gang Membership, is the new book from #USCSocialWork Professor Emeritus Avelardo Valdez, published by the University of Chicago Press.
Drawing on more than two decades of longitudinal research, the book follows the lives of Mexican American men as they navigate adolescence, gang involvement, and the transition into adulthood. Based on extensive fieldwork and in-depth interviews, it examines how structural inequality and institutional factors shape long-term life trajectories. Learn more and order here: https://bit.ly/489O0VF
"Getting $750 a month didn't end homelessness — but our study shows it still improved the lives of homeless people." Ben Henwood, professor, shares more insight on the results of his basic income study for people experiencing homelessness in The Conversation. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4cDNsJa
San Diego Padres Social Work Night drew 688 San Diego–based social workers. Fifty were honored on the field, including first- and second-year USC MSW students. Join us next year!
The practices of social work and dentistry have common threads rooted in well-being. Our expert guests created an interdisciplinary collaboration and internship program that provides compassionate, comprehensive oral health care to underserved individuals and communities in Los Angeles.
Join us for season 2 of the #USCSocialWork podcast, Listen. Up. People. Listen on Youtube at https://bit.ly/4qlmcE6 and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcast and Amazon Music.
