08/31/2026
Welcome to our new faculty members!
The Pitt School of Social Work is happy to welcome four new faculty members this fall:
Dr. Cathy Breneman, Director of Practicum Education and Assistant Professor. She earned her PhD in Social Work and BS in Psychology from University of Pittsburgh and MSW from West Virginia University. She also completed a Post-Master’s Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh and continues advanced study in Bowen Theory through Bowen Center for the Study of the Family.
Dr. Amy Herschell, Principal Investigator, Child Welfare Education and Research Programs. She is also a Clinical Professor in the School of Social Work where her clinical interests focus on collaboratively developing high quality, community-based care for children and their families. She has served as the Principal or Co-Principal Investigator for several federally funded grants (e.g., NIMH, CDC, SAMHSA, HRSA) and has published extensively on topics related to child welfare, workforce development, children’s behavioral health, implementation science, and evidence-based practices.
Dr. Sarah Porter, Assistant Professor. She is a community-engaged behavioral health services researcher and critical suicidologist. Her research examines how community-led models of behavioral crisis services, such as peer support, provide essential alternatives for communities disproportionately harmed by systems meant to serve them.
Dr. Shannon Power, Assistant Professor. She earned her BSW, MSW, and PhD from the University of Georgia. Eradicating health disparities is at the heart of her research into dementia care navigation, focusing on barriers in rural and medically under-served communities.
