Thank you for visiting Penn Matters!
Congratulations to the winner of the December Penn Matters Readership Raffle: Rachel Singer Volodarsky, MSW'07, has won a copy of the 2008 Centennial Edition Alumni Directory.
Click here to enter the February Readership Raffle for a chance to win a copy of the SP2 Centennial Edition Alumni Directory.
Alumni Benefit of the Month
Being a Penn alum has many benefits. Each month, we highlight a benefit available to the SP2 alumni community. A full list of alumni benefits can be found on the Penn Alumni site.
Penn Alumni Insurance
Penn Alumni can take advantage of group rates for auto, renters, homeowners, short-term medical, and life insurance, as well as other insurance products. For additional information, click here.
Recommend an Applicant
Alumni who know potential applicants who would be good candidates for the Master of Social Work, Master of Science in Social Policy, Master of Science in Non-profit/Non-governmental Organization Leadership, or Doctorate in Clinical Social Work degree programs are invited to recommend them to the School, and we will waive the application fee for them. To recommend an applicant, click here.
Job Announcements
Sign up for the Career Services job listserv (there are separate listservs for clinical and macro job opportunities). If you would like to advertise a job announcement to our alumni through the Career Services listserv please email the information to Alumni Relations. To sign up for the Career Services listserv, click here.
Join QuakerNet – Penn’s Online Community!
A classmate may be trying to get in touch with you! The online community is password protected and available only to registered Penn alumni. By registering, you will be able to update your own profile, as well as search the directory for the contact information of your classmates. If you haven’t yet registered for the online community, click here to do so today. If you have questions about the online community, please contact Emily Brueckner at embrueck@sp2.upenn.edu.
Need to Contact SP2 Alumni Relations?
We have a user-friendly email address: alumnirelations@sp2.upenn.edu. Send alumni questions, comments, and concerns to this address and we'll make sure it gets to the appropriate person.
"100 for 100" Centennial Campaign
Dean's Welcome
So far, 2009 has been a busy year for the School of Social Policy & Practice and it is not slowing down. The Class of 2009 is in the midst of their Class Gift Campaign and has already raised more than $6,000 for the creation of a quiet study space at the School. On March 26, we are privileged to have Dan Keplinger show his award-winning film, “King Gimp”, and join is a discussion with the entire SP2 community (alumni are invited to attend!). Additionally, we have added four new Continuing Education workshops in the month of April, and are gearing up for Alumni Weekend in May and the Field Center’s One Child, Many Hands conference in June.
Meanwhile, our students, faculty, and alumni continue to excel. To keep our community better informed of their work and research, beginning next month, Penn Matters will include features that better highlight their contributions to the field. Thank you for reading Penn Matters and staying apprised of the happenings at SP2. I look forward to seeing you at a Social Policy & Practice event this semester.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Gelles, PhD
Dean
Spotlight
MARGIE GORDON SCHAYE, CW'75
Margie Gordon Schaye, CW’75, is a member of the School of Social Policy & Practice Board of Oversees and the Chair of the Trustees Council of Penn Women (TCPW), and she served as the matching donor for the 2008 SP2 Class Gift Campaign. And that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of her involvement with the school, the University, and her community. “The value of giving back,” says Schaye, “is something that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I feel that being able to serve in some capacity is a privilege and an honor.” Read more.
School News
COMING NEXT MONTH: CHANGES TO PENN MATTERS
Stay tuned for the new and improved Penn Matters! Based on feedback from Penn Matters readers, the school’s monthly online magazine will be re-designed to have a greater focus on the work and research of our faculty, alumni, and students. Penn Matters will still include important updates and announcements from the school, while incorporating new elements like podcasts, easy-to-find resource links, and more. The new format will be revealed in next month’s March issue. Reader feedback is always welcome; please send any comments or suggestions to: alumnirelations@sp2.upenn.edu.
PURCHASE A PIECE OF HISTORYIn conjunction with the SP2 Centennial Celebration, the school recently published two special books about its rich history: A Century of Social Work and Social Welfare at Penn (edited by Ram Cnaan, Melissa Dichter, and Jeffrey Draine) and A Centennial History of the Penn School of Social Policy & Practice (by Mark Frazier Lloyd). Both books are now available for purchase. Read more.
NEW CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOPS FOR APRIL
The Department of Continuing Education and Professional Development has added four workshops to the schedule in April. The new workshops are:
Looking at the Social Worker/Therapist’s Own Family of Origin (Monday, April 6)
Do Well While Doing Good-How to Raise Funds for Your Nonprofit Organization (Saturday, April 18)
Internet Addiction: Sexual and Non-Sexual Online Compulsive Behavior (Monday, April 20)
Trauma Informed Structural Family Therapy: Working with Families Struggling with Domestic Violence
(Wednesday, April 29)
To learn more about these workshops, and to register, click here. (Note: these workshops are only being advertised online, so mail-in registration is not available for these workshops.) Please contact Joseph McBride or Renee Jordan with questions.
"ONE CHILD, MANY HANDS" CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 2009
The Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research is pleased to present its third biennial interdisciplinary child welfare conference, which will be held in Phildadelphia on June 3-5, 2009. This year’s program features three outstanding keynote addresses: Bernadine Dohrn, JD, Director, Children and Family Justice Center, Northwestern University School of Law, speaking on “Children and Human Rights: A Comprehensive View of the Welfare of the Child”; Carol Wilson Spigner, DSW, Kenneth L. M. Pray Distinguished Professor, Penn School of Social Policy & Practice, speaking on “Disproportionality and Disparities in Child Welfare: Facts, History and the Challenge”; and David Gil, DSW, Professor of Social Policy, Brandeis University Heller School of Social Policy & Management, speaking on “Child Welfare and the Politics of Human Liberation.” In addition, four compelling plenary panels will be convened on critical topics in child welfare:
Child Welfare in the New Administration
Risk Assessment Models and Empirical Validity: Making Life and Death Decisions
Making Your Agency Legally Bulletproof
The Use of Psychotropic Medications by Children in Foster Care
The conference will feature 30 additional breakout sessions offered by presenters from around the nation sharing important practice, policy and research initiatives with conference attendees. Registration opens in March. For more information, please visit the conference website or contact Conference Manager Deena Caswell or 215.573.9779.
On January 15, the Alumni Relations Office hosted its annual Career Connections Alumni Panel for all SP2 students. The panelists (Kimberly Cohens, MSW'94; Connie Hoe, MSW'07;Lara Krawchuk, MSW'95; and Gilbert Thompson, MSW'04) spoke to students about life after graduation: everything from finding a first job and negotiating salary to advancing within one's career and ongoing networking. The panel was moderated by Gale Gibbons, Career Coach in Penn's Human Resources Department. Nearly 60 students attended this popular event. Alumni who are interested in speaking to students about their careers should contact Emily Brueckner in the Alumni Relations Office at alumnirelations@sp2.upenn.edu or 215-573-7133.
Faculty News
Susan Kinnevy, Ph.D., recently became the new Deputy Commissioner for Performance Management and Accountability at the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS). In this capacity, Dr. Kinnevy will oversee data and performance management, quality assurance, quality improvement, program evaluation, and provider relations. Prior to joining DHS, Dr. Kinnevy was Co-Director at the Center for Research of Youth and Social Policy (CRYSP) at SP2. She worked on numerous projects at CRYSP with relevance to DHS, such as the role of social workers in dependency court proceedings, law enforcement involvement in child abuse investigations, and violence-reduction programs facilitated by The Center for Neighborhood Enterprise.
Phyllis solomon, ph.d., mary cavanaugh, ph.d., and jeffrey draine, ph.d., recently released a book entitled, Randomized Controlled Trials: Design and Implementation for community-Based Psychosocial Interventions, published by Oxford University Press. The book is part of the series, Pocket Guides to Social Work Research Methods.
Future Leaders
Jennie Steinkamp, MSW'09 Candidate, co-authored an op-ed piece that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on January 7, 2009, entitled, A Chance to do good and save Phila. money. The piece, which was co-written by Ann Schwartzman, policy director for the Pennsylvania Prison Society, addressed Philadelphia's policy of keeping pregnant women in prisons. To read the full piece, click here.
Esther Reyes, MSW'09 Candidate, was selected to present her research at the 2009 Latino Social Workers Organization Conference at the University of Illinois-Chicago in March. Her poster, Invisible Work: Day Laborers in Philadelphia, discusses the workplace-related problems facing day laborers across the nation and the work that is being done by JUNTOS (a community-based organization for Latina/o immigrants in South Philadelphia) is doing to build the capacity of day laborers to effect change.
Upcoming Events
PENN ALUMNI DIVERSITY ALLIANCE SPEAKER SERIES
Monday, February 23, 6:00 - 7:30pm
"Acute Sensibility: Defying Gender-Based Career Expectations"
A Conversation with Martin Camacho, MSN, ACNP-BC, GNU'03
Wednesday, March 18, 6:00 - 7:30pm
"From Survivor to Advocate: Influencing Health Policy and Research"
A Conversation with Sherry Salway Black, WG'82
To RSVP and for additional information, click here.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 7:00 pm
"Local Leaders form Strong Global Partnerships"
International House Ibrahim Theater (3701 Chestnut Street)
For details on panelists and additional information, click here.
CAREER FAIRS
Friday, February 27, 1:00 - 4:00pm
Philadelphia Not-for-Profit and Public Service Networking Fair
Bryn Mawr College
Additional information
Friday, March 6, 12:00 - 4:00pm
Not-for-Profit & Public Service Career Fair
Columbia University, New York City
Additional information
Thursday, March 19, 2:00 - 4:00pm
University of Pennsylvania Social Services Career Fair
Houston Hall, Bodek Lounge (3417 Spruce Street)
"KING GIMP" FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION
Thursday, March 26, 2:30 - 4:00pm
Showing of the award-winning film, "King Gimp," and discussion with Dan Keplinger, an artist with cerebral palsy who is the subject and writer of the film.
Location TBA
Read more about Dan Keplinger.
REUNION AND ALUMNI WEEKEND
May 15 – 16, 2009
The complete Alumni Weekend schedule and registration information will be available in March.
ONE CHILD, MANY HANDS: A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CHILD WELFARE CONFERENCE
June 3 - 5, 2009 in Philadelphia
Hosted by the Field Center for Children's Policy, Practice, and Research
Conference registration opens in March. For more information, visit the Conference website.
Announcements and Services
INTERNATIONAL IMMERSION PROGRAMS (SUMMER 2009)
The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Social Work are offering international short-term immersion programs to China and Ecuador this summer. The programs are open to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, alumni, and professionals.
To learn more about the trip to China, click here.
To learn more about the trip to Ecuador, click here.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Practical Matters, a new online peer-reviewed journal designed to ask and provoke questions about religious practices, is now accepting submissions on the theme of youth. Specifically, the journal is seeking submsissions that describe and analyze the religious practices of young people. This is a multimedia, transdiciplinary journal of the Emory University Graduate Division of Religion. The submission deadline is March 1, 2009. For detailed, additional information, click here.
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