Congratulations to the following faculty for their recent promotions: Associate Professor Viktor Burlaka, Professor Debra Patterson, and Professor Richard Smith.

October is Bullying Prevention Month and last month Associate Professor Jun Sung Hong was recognized as an Expertscape World Expert in the Prevention of Bullying! Expertscape's PubMed-based algorithms placed him in the top 0.1% of scholars writing about bullying over the past 10 years.

Social Work Dean Sheryl Kubiak was honored as the Mental Health Champion of the year by the Mental Health Association of Michigan at their annual Tribute dinner on Thursday, October 28 alongside Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton. Kubiak shared the honor with the staff of the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice, a community-based technical assistance and research center at Wayne State University School of Social Work, that provides support for counties in efforts to divert and deflect individuals from the criminal/legal system. 

Social Work Assistant Professor Lisa A. O'Donnell, Social Work Doctoral Student Kathy Szechy and Henry Ford Research Scientist Amy Loree are recipients of the 2021 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Disability Manuscript Award for their submission titled, "Public Attitudes Towards Individuals With Bipolar Disorders." The award recognizes scholarship that contributes to knowledge about disability; full participation of persons with disabilities; social, political, and economic issues related to disability and persons with disabilities; and social work education curriculum materials focused on disability and persons with disabilities. The CSWE Council on Disability and Persons With Disabilities (CDPD) recognize award recipients at the Annual Program Meeting via a virtual ceremony.

Social Work Associate Professor Tam Perry is working with Wayne State students and experts from across the U.S. to explore enhanced service delivery practices and concrete ways in which we can better support older members of the bleeding disorders community. Perry was recently named a 2021-22 Resident Scholar by the Wayne State Humanities Center. Perry's residency will allow her to further develop analysis, presentations and publications for her NHF funded project "Navigating Time and Space: Experiences of Aging and Hemophilia" otherwise known as "Project Survivor". 

Congratulations to Alexandra Schmaeman (Cameron) on the successful defense of her doctoral dissertation titled "A Theory of Social Suicide: An Examination of Mediating Factors of Bullying and Suicidal Ideation and Aspects of Resiliency among Youth through a Retrospective Lens". Schmaeman's area of research focuses on adolescent suicide and its relationship to bullying and resilience.

The Gerontological Society of America will be hosting their 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting virtually from November 10 13, 2021. This year's meeting will focus on the theme Disruption to Transformation: Aging in the "New Normal". Congratulations to the faculty and students presenting symposia, papers, and posters this year. We encourage you to attend the GSA sessions hosted by faculty, staff and students of Detroit's Social Work School.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) hosted its 67^th Annual Program Meeting (APM) from November 4-7, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. This year's APM was focused on "Leading Critical Conversations: Racial, Economic, & Environmental Justice" and featured presentations focused on innovative teaching/learning approaches, advanced research and new ways to promote racial, economic, and environmental justice. Congratulations to the faculty, staff and students who presented! 

The Wayne State Alumni Association is led by a dedicated group of individuals who reflect the passion, expertise, diversity and commitment of the university community. Two School of Social Work alum, Brandon Ivory, MSW '00  program officer at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and paul mack, MSW '11, founding partner and board president of Intertwined, LLC and Intertwined Family Foundation, have been selected to continue their roles as WSU Alumni Association Board members for the upcoming cycle. Board members play an essential role in guiding alumni relations efforts, programs and initiatives, serving as proud ambassadors of Wayne State University.