When Dina’s* son was three, she had a gut feeling that something was wrong with her child’s behavior, but her pediatrician encouraged her to be patient and try different parenting techniques. When her child was four, he threatened to kill both his parents and himself. At that point, Dina called the pediatrician in tears and asked, […]
Spring 2015 issue
An all-around approach for mental health
Liz,* a 14-year-old high-school student in Edinburg, Texas, is passing all her classes and enjoying going to school every day. She is thinking about college and professions where she can help other people. Three years ago, however, these seemingly typical behaviors were very far from Liz’s reality. She was diagnosed at an early age with […]
Living on the edge
Have you ever tasted Tostilocos (recipe here)? Or danced to Nortec (listen to a sample)? They are just two examples of the richly hybrid culture of the United Sates-Mexico border. The border, conceived not as a line but as a space of mixtures and exchanges of all types (of goods, people, customs, languages), has attracted […]
Restorative Discipline can reduce dropout rates
By Marilyn Armour As another school year goes by, it seems teachers are becoming more and more of an endangered species. Many teachers-in-training find themselves struggling to master teaching demands with fewer resources, more students, and ever-increasing high-stakes testing and accountability. They also find they are ill-equipped to manage the classroom and student behaviors that […]
Keeping children in school
Communities In Schools of Central Texas brings resources and relationships to school campuses, surrounding students with a community of support, and empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. This organization was recently recognized by Greenlights as one of Austin’s non-profits of the year. We talked with Chief Program Officer Eric Metcalf, MSSW […]
Small but powerful
The School of Social Work may be one of the smaller units at UT Austin but it is pretty powerful when it comes to bring money to advance research. During fiscal year 2013-2014, social work faculty and researchers brought $10 million in grants, which places our school in seventh place on the UT Austin campus, […]
Business for social change
TOM’S shoes and Food Recovery Network are well known examples of social entrepreneurship, or the use of business skills and strategies to address social problems. Social work professor Dorie Gilbert has built upon this trend for her new signature course, Social entrepreneurship: Starting a business for social change, where students design, pitch, and launch an […]
Spring 2015 Class Notes
‘82 Gary E. Bachman, MSSW ’82, is an associate professor and the director of field education in the Department of Social Work at Park University in Parkville, MO. Gary was the 2012 recipient of the J.L. Zwingle Student Voice Award, a university-wide award that recognizes a member of the faculty for outstanding teaching, as chosen […]
Class of ’80
Members of the MSSW class of ‘80 gathered in Austin this past November, when they joined the School of Social Work for the presentation of “Wild & Precious,” a one-man show written and performed by class member Steve Cadwell. “At this time in my life, I could return to the supportive, engaged cohort who helped […]
Fresh off the press
Julia Aziz (Glick) (MSSW ’99) has just published the book Lessons of labor: One woman’s self-discovery through birth and motherhood, with MSI Press. Rather than giving advice on how to labor or how to parent, Julia consistently offers the message that a woman can grow through the challenges that life presents her and learn to […]
