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22nd Annual Daniel S. Sanders Peace and Social Justice Lecture: Malala: Rights to a Girl's Education
Guest Speaker: Rangita de Silva de Alwis
|  Rangita de Silva de Alwis, Director of the Global Women's Leadership Initiative at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC, presented the lecture, titled Malala: Rights to a Girl's Education on Tuesday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. Dr. de Silva de Alwis has worked with a vast network of civil society and government organizations to develop innovative women's rights and human rights initiatives around the world. Her work and teaching have focused on using international human rights norms to guide law reform initiatives.
The Daniel S. Sanders Peace and Social Justice Lecture is an annual lecture held by the School of Social Work that focuses on human rights, social justice, and the effort to achieve world peace. The lecture is made possible by funds from Christobel S. Sanders, whose husband was former Dean of the School of Social Work. |
PhD Student Awarded the CAEPE
Deirdre Lanesskog | |
Each year the University of Illinois campus recognizes outstanding contributions in public engagement through the Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement (CAEPE). The University acknowledges those faculty members, academic professionals and students who engage the public to address critical issues that face our society. Congratulations to PhD student and 2013 award winner, Deirdre Lanesskog!
Deirdre is being recognized for her work on immigrant advocacy in the local community. She has conducted studies on a public health agency's efforts to provide immigrant friendly services in maternal and child health, as well as studies of the local government's responses to substandard housing among migrant workers. Her work focuses on the barriers immigrants face in accessing services, caring for their families, and integrating into the broader community. Last year Deirdre received a Graduate College Focal Point grant to support community engagement activities to address the needs of immigrants and their service providers. The project culminated in a national conference, and its success prompted the Graduate College to request a second proposal for the next academic year.
Congratulations Deirdre!
Check out past CAEPE award recipients here.
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2013 Graduate Woman Scholar Award
Margaret Thomas, MSW 2012 and Rachael Ahart, MSW 2012
| Congratulations to Maggie Thomas and Rachael Ahart who each received the 2013 Graduate Woman Scholar Award as part of the Annual Women's Awards Ceremony hosted by the University of Illinois Women's Resource Center.
The Graduate Woman Scholar Award is given to students whose graduate work on the University's campus has been essential in creating an environment that has a better understanding of the challenges facing certain populations of people, and for these award winners, the focus was on women and the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, ad Questioning) community.
Rachael was recognized for her work with women and young girls and identifying challenges while working towards equalizing their opportunities to grow. Her graduate work focused on sexual assault and victimization, and trying to improve understanding of what a comprehensive response to these issues could look like in terms of the criminal justice system. Rachael worked with support services to expand and enhance the capacity to recover from trauma.
Maggie received the award for her work on identifying challenges facing LGBTQ youth and their parents, as well as students who are victimized by sexual assault. Maggie's graduate work tried to reach out to more students, especially those who identify as LGBTQ, regarding sexual assault and victimization. She is also recognized for her work during her field placement at the UP Center helping community youth and their parents in the coming out process.
Thank you Maggie and Rachael for your support of the community! |
| 2013 Social Work Awards Ceremony | The School of Social Work recently celebrated the 2013 Awards Ceremony on April 21, 2013 at the I-Hotel and Conference Center. Thank you to all of the alumni and friends who make these awards and scholarships possible.
For the first time at this event, the School recognized students who received support from the Fund for Field initiative.
The following students received Fund for Field Awards:
| BSW | MSW | | Wosen Ayele | Ashley Bryan | | Teresa Bernard | Diane Bell | | Alice Cronenberg | Samantha Clarke | | Fatima Diabate | Khara Harper | | Max Kamowski | Jeff McNaught | | Carolyn Kata | Rachel Reardon | | Mallory Niemiec | Maggie Thomas | | Hannah Nordwall | Stephanie White | | Grace Thompson | | | Danielle Zavala | |
The School of Social Work's Fund for Field supports students during their field experience so they can have the opportunity to focus on supporting vulnerable families. Students work full-time in their placements, often eliminating the opportunity to hold paid employment. Fewer and fewer placements offer financial support for students during their internship. The School launched the initiative to create opportunities for agency partners and individual investments to provide students with a partial or full scholarship during their internship.
Learn more about the Fund for Field here.
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| Campus Honors Sandie Kopels
Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching
|  On Wednesday, April 23, the University recognized School of Social Work Professor Sandie Kopels as one of two faculty members from the entire campus in academic units with graduate or professional instructional programs who excel in teaching. Professor Kopels was recognized for her innovation in the classroom and the positive impact she has on her students.
Professor Kopels has taught Social Work and the Law a total of 91 times, reaching over 2,450 MSW students. She has made the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent all 91 times. A student was quoted saying, "she teaches from the heart, using humor as a vehicle through which she is able to teach and inspire."
Congratulations Sandie! |
| Focal Point Research Symposium
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Research Symposium
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8:30 am - 4:30 pm
I-Hotel and Conference Center
1900 South First Street
Champaign, IL 61820
Attendance is free of charge and food and beverages will be provided.
To get more information and to register, click here.
This national conference is the culmination of a year-long interdisciplinary research seminar bringing together graduate students and faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and across North America. During the 2012-2013 academic year, researchers have met in small groups and panels to discuss the complexities inherent in LGBT research including ethical issues, sampling and recruitment, methodologies, diversity and intersectionality, connecting research to practice, and technological advances in LGBT research. This final symposium aims to provide a broader range of researchers an opportunity to present their own challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned in conducting social science research with LGBT populations.
The LGBT Focal Point Project is led by Megan Paceley (MSW '09 and PhD student in Social Work) and Elizabeth Holman (MSW '10 and PhD student in Human and Community Development).
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Social Work Celebrates Diversity
2013 Annual Diversity Celebration | 
The School of Social Work hosted the Annual Diversity Celebration on Wednesday, April 24th. The Celebration featured a day of food, performances, and visual displays that represented the diversity of our students, staff, faculty, school, and community.
Presentations included:
- Singing
- Dancing
- Reading poetry
- Art displays
- Sharing cultural artifacts and food
- Storytelling
- Performances
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| March Match
Results Are In!
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The results for the March Match Challenge are in!
As part of the annual March Match Challenge, the members of the School of Social Work Alumni Association made a pledge to match all gifts made to the School up to $2,500 during the month of March.
Thanks to your support, we more than doubled this goal!
Challenge Match: $2,500
Total Gifts to the School during March: $5460
Total March Match: $7960!
Congratulations to all who supported this effort.
If you haven't made your gift this school year, there is still time! Did you know that by making a gift online you have the option of breaking up your single gift into multiple payments through a recurring credit card payment?
For more information about making a gift to the School call 217-244-4854, email maolson@illinois.edu, or click here to make your gift online now. |
| Rockford Alumni Event
Social Work on the Road
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Rockford Alumni Happy Hour Wednesday, May 15, 2013 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Granite City Food & Brewery
7140 Harrison Ave.
Suite 108
Rockford, IL 61112
The University of Illinois School of Social Work is coming to see you! Join Dean Korr and your fellow Rockford area alumni for happy hour. This event is free for alumni and friends. Email bconnoll@illinois.edu or call 217-244-1064 to register for this event.
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Women in Business Roundtable
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The business behind operating and sustaining a successful non-profit organization is tremendously complex. Join them as Rita Canning, Chairman, and Rebecca Darr, Executive Director of WINGS, a suburban Chicago-based non-profit business share their organization's story of re-creation and growth to expand services for victims of domestic violence and their children. Lunch and CPE credit are being provided.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Illini Center, 200 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606
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Donate to the School of Social Work!
Visit www.giving.illinois.edu or call 217-244-4854
so we can help you make your gift.
Thank you for your support!
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