Message from the Dean
We live and work in an increasingly global environment. No longer is diversity just tolerated, but embraced. More and more, in organizations and academic institutions around the world, an international presence not only is expected, but essential.
Here at the School of Social Policy & Practice, we are pioneers in this area, boasting one of the most diverse faculty and student populations at Penn. Still, there is more work to be done. Ultimately, we understand that diversity, broadly defined, must include senior citizens; the physically challenged; those with alternative lifestyles; and the bevy of races, cultures, ethnicities, and belief systems that exist across the globe. It is especially crucial for social workers and policy makers to recognize and celebrate these differences, so they can effectively serve their communities and the world at-large.
This month’s Penn Matters has an international flair, from our highlight about an alumna who spent the summer in Africa, to a summary about the first official “reunion” in Korea of Social Work and SP2 Korean alumni. Meet Jan, a student from Germany, in the Student Profile. Finally, our featured interview is with Dick Goldberg, Executive Director of Coming of Age, a progressive program offering volunteer experiences, resources and more, especially for people over 50.
On another note, congratulations to Brydie Bernardo, the winner of our 2006 Career Plans survey raffle. Brydie will receive a $100.00 gift card to Starbucks. It is essential for our continued growth and success that we showcase the variety of careers that our alumni pursue. You are social workers, administrators, deans, program officers, professors and more.
Thank you to those in the Class of 2006 who participated in this survey. Everyone else, please watch for another career survey soon. Thanks in advance for helping us to stay abreast of the important work that you are doing.
I can’t believe it’s time to say this already, but here’s wishing you a safe and Happy Holiday Season! Encourage your peers to stay connected by reading Penn Matters.
Richard J. Gelles
Dean
Feature Article
“What comes next?” This question, common among those approaching -- or in -- retirement, means different things to different people. For some, it can refer to decisions about how to use their time or become involved in their community. For others, it can raise questions about financial planning or health concerns. Regardless of which “what comes next” issue is on the table, there is good news for those in the 50+ age group: there are many opportunities and there is an easy way to get answers. The Philadelphia-based non-profit initiative Coming of Age offers Pennsylvania’s Boomers resources, events, guidance, and access to opportunities.
[read complete feature article]
Alumni in the Field
When Lean Camara, MSW’02 began her academic career, her professional plans did not include social work. As an undergraduate at Ithaca College in NY, she was a journalism major with a specific interest in sports broadcasting. However, in her journalism courses she wrote primarily about social issues like child abuse and HIV/AIDS. One of her professors encouraged her to explore social work and the rest, as they say, is history. Lean entered Penn’s MSW program immediately following her graduation from Ithaca College.
[read more about Lean Camara, MSW'02]
School News
The School of Social Policy & Practice is a vibrant community on Penn’s campus. On a daily basis, our faculty, staff, students, and alumni engage in research, discussions, social activities, mentoring, and professional development. Below are some of the most recent pieces of news from the SP² community.
New Staff
Timothy Wortham joined the School’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations on December 4th as Annual Giving Officer.
Eric Ashton assumed the role of Associate Director of the Nonprofit Leadership Program on Tuesday, December 5.
[meet Timothy and Eric]
Reunion of SP² Doctoral Graduates in Korea
This summer, as part of the inaugural Penn-Kyung Hee University joint program in “NGOs and Global Governance in East Asia,” SP² facilitated a reunion in Seoul, Korea, of some its recent doctoral program graduates. The alumni in attendance – all eminent leaders of the social work and social welfare professions in South Korea, were joined by three members of the School’s faculty - Dr. Ram Cnaan, Dr. Richard Estes, and Dr. Femida Handy.
[read more about the reunion]
Brydie Bernardo, MSW’06, wins Career Plans Survey Raffle
Many thanks to all of the members of the Class of 2006 who completed the Career Plans Survey – 53% of the graduating class participated in the survey, up from 24% last year! All survey respondents were entered into a raffle drawing for a $100 gift card to Starbucks. Congratulations to Brydie Bernardo, MSW’06, who won this raffle! Career Services is compiling the data and will post the results on the website. We will let you know when this information is available and look forward to sharing it with you.
NPL Students Volunteer at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House
The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House – the first Ronald McDonald House in the world – sits on the outskirts of Penn’s campus at 39th and Chestnut Streets. The House serves as a home away from home for the families of children receiving treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) or other area hospitals, and counts on volunteers to make this possible. Through its Guest Chef Program, groups of volunteers cook meals for the residents; on average, this means serving 40-50 people for breakfast and 80-90 people for dinner.
[read more about the volunteer event]
Faculty Notes
Our full- and part-time faculty are leaders in research and practice. They are experts in fields such as gerontology, child welfare, family violence, international social work, homelessness, mental health and health. This section of our newsletter will keep you up to date on the most recent research accomplishments of the School of Social Policy & Practice faculty.
Ram Cnann, PhD and Carl Milofsky are the editors of a new book, Handbook of Community Movements and Local Organizations. The book is designed to “form the foundation stone for a ‘discipline’ in social science study and a sophisticated resource that will be useful to practitioners around the world.” For a full description of the book, click here.
Susan Kinnevy, PhD, Nancy Peter, M.Ed., Jennifer Buher-Kane, and Stacy Olitsky of the Center for Research on Youth and Social Policy, are the authors of the article entitled, "Findings from Five Out-of-School Time Focus Groups: Professional Development Preferences, Experiences and Recommendations for Future Planning.” The article, published in the September, 2006 issue of The Journal of Youth Development, asserts that although evaluating professional development can assist in designing better programs, survey instruments may not always capture the nuances of participants' experiences. To better develop its survey instruments, the Out-of-School Time Resource Center conducted a series of five focus groups and used these findings to revise OSTRC pilot surveys, which have since been standardized and published as a Professional Development Evaluation Toolkit. Nancy Peter and her husband, Kevin, received a "Local Heroes" award in recognition of their support of, and advocacy for, their local public school. To read more about their efforts and the award ($5,000 to donate to the cause of their choice) click here.
Carol Wilson Spigner, DSW, has been appointed co-chair of the Child Welfare Advisory Panel in Philadelphia. The panel members were chosen by Mayor John Street to evaluate the Department of Human Services (DHS) and review cases of child abuse and neglect. In the past several years, a number of these cases resulted in child fatalities.Future Leaders
Jan Duker
As an international visiting student from Bielefeld, Germany, Jan Duker comes to the School of Social Policy & Practice with a different perspective. In Germany, his course of study has a focus on educational sciences, but also includes a social work component. He attributes his decision to spend a semester studying at the School of Social Policy & Practice to the recommendation of one of his German professors who encouraged him to develop a comparative perspective. Specifically, his attention is concentrated on a comparison of the welfare systems in the United States and Germany.
[read more about Jan Duker]
Upcoming Events
Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice, & Research Winter Breakfast Symposium
Parents’ Rights vs. Children’s Rights
A debate of the issues between Martin Guggenheim, Esq. and Richard Gelles, PhD
January 31, 2007
8:30 – 10:30am
Martin Guggenheim is the author of What’s Wrong with Children’s Rights, and is the Fiorello LaGuardia Professor of Clinical Law at NYU School of Law. Richard Gelles is a noted author and child abuse expert, is the Dean of the Penn School of Social Policy & Practice, and holds the Joanne and Raymond Welsh Chair of Child Welfare and Family Violence.
Social Work CEUs available for $20
Registration opens January 2, 2007.
To register, email fieldctr@sp2.upenn.edu or call 215.573.5442.
Space is limited.
ALUMNI WEEKEND and REUNION 2007
Save the Date!
Friday, May 11 – Sunday, May 13, 2007
Alumni needing hotel accommodations are encouraged to make hotel reservations as early as possible. The School has reserved a block of rooms at Club Quarters in Center City Philadelphia. For more information on making a Club Quarters reservation, please contact the SP² Alumni Relations Office at 215.573.7133.
One Child Many Hands:
A Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Welfare
May 30 – June 1, 2007
Lead sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Organized by the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice, and Research at the University of Pennsylvania
This national conference on child abuse and neglect serves as a forum to disseminate timely and valuable information to an audience of social workers, attorneys, physicians, therapists, court system officials, nurses, and child welfare workers and administrators.
Registration information will be available in the spring.
Editor's Note
We are always seeking to better serve our alumni and offer a more convenient way to share news with the Social Policy & Practice community. Penn Matters Online offers a way to highlight happenings and information in a timely manner. It acts as a supplement to the printed Penn Matters , which will still be mailed to you every September. We welcome your feedback and suggestions about Penn Matters and Penn Matters Online. Please email Alumni Relations with questions, comments, feedback, and suggestions.
Penn Matters Online is created using Cascading Style Sheets according to W3C web standards for compliance and accessibility. It is accessible for Braille, aural, and handheld readers, and the layout is fully resizable through your Internet browser preferences. For your convenience when printing, all images will be omitted and the text will be set to a 12 point Arial font. Please contact Lizza Robb with any questions or suggestions.
Emily M. Brueckner, MSW’05
Editor, Penn Matters and Penn Matters Online
