Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare

03/18/2026

One week till ! Early giving is live now.

Your support helps us fund critical research, provide educational opportunities, and implement programs that drive positive societal change.

By investing in the Stony Brook School of Social Welfare, you help create a more just and equitable society.

Together, we can make a lasting impact on the well-being of communities and individuals.

Give today: https://www.givecampus.com/schools/StonyBrookUniversity/giving-day-2026/pages/school-of-social-welfare

03/17/2026

The 2nd Annual Brooke Ellison LEND Memorial Lecture will take place on Monday, March 23, via Zoom.

The lecture, titled "A Practical Approach to Serving Neurodiverse Individuals Well: Clinical Dietary and Nutritional Strategies, Research Updates, and Case Reviews," will be given by Kelly McCracken Barnhill, MBA, CN, CCN, director of clinical care at the Johnson Center for Child Health and Development.

Join us as we discuss the emerging field of diet and nutrition for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Supplements, medical considerations, and interventions will be the focus of practical strategies for an interdisciplinary care team.

Click the link to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1T9DRwh-K3Skgrmn1JBrF3CTxqfDvt7lotSavA1c2OI11Qw/viewform

03/10/2026

Clinical Associate Professor Robin DeLuca-Acconi, SSW alumna Rosanna Cuttone, and MSW student Jake Stone attended SBU's Women's History Month Celebration in the Student Activities Center last week.

The event centered around the 2026 Women's History Month theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” and featured keynote speaker Chanel Lopez, deputy director of LGBTQ+ affairs for the NYS Executive Chamber (second from left).

03/09/2026

Three of our PhD students presented research at the second-annual Stony Brook BRIDGES Conference in February.

Epiphany Adams, Courtney Kidd, and Xiao Liang were among the 90-plus research poster presenters representing more than 40 SBU academic departments. Associate Professor R. Anna Hayward served as a poster presentation judge.

“This was my second year attending BRIDGES, and I think the conference really speaks to the culture of SBU and how students want to come together in their work,” said Kidd.

“As someone whose research is interdisciplinary, it is a great way to meet students from different areas who could be future collaborators,” she added.

Read more here: https://socialwelfare.stonybrookmedicine.edu/bridges-conference-2026

03/06/2026

Spotlight: MSW student Emelin Romero speaks on the unique nature of and how impactful it can be!

03/04/2026

In the spirit of School Social Work Week, SSW Clinical Associate Professor Robin DeLuca-Acconi shares why school social work is more important than ever.

03/03/2026

A big congrats to our BSW students Kamilah Pasha '26 and Nicholas Novellino '27, who WON the poster presentation contest at the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Annual Conference last week!

Judges said their poster, "Seeing the Whole Picture: Using the Liberation Health Model in Times of Transformation,” displayed a profound understanding of the unique perspective that the social work profession lends to understanding individuals, communities, and how to enact change.

Clinical Associate Professor Leah Topek-Walker, who joined Kamilah and Nicholas at the conference in New Orleans, said both are "professional and approachable, and demonstrate how to work collaboratively to make meaningful contributions to our school, profession, and to our communities.

"Watching them showcase their scholarship and then win was the highlight of this conference for me!"

03/02/2026

Happy and National School Social Work Week (March 1-7)! Here’s to everyone who uplifts, defends, and transforms lives every day!

02/25/2026

We're looking for a commencement speaker! Got what it takes? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/aquokNNWYdYa9yzCA

02/24/2026

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Sarah Michelle Smith, JD, LMSW '22, BSW '21

"My time at Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare shaped how I understand systems, power, and responsibility. The macro specialization helped me recognize how challenges in housing, education, and family life are often produced and intensified by policy choices and institutional design.

"During my time as a student, I worked full-time in homeless shelters across Long Island, then directly with unhoused or at-risk veterans, and finally with a Suffolk County Legislator.

"These experiences, coupled with my education, ultimately led me to pursue law alongside social work so I could engage those systems more directly and help shape them with intention."

Read more about Sarah's time at SSW and her sparkling career in social advocacy here: https://socialwelfare.stonybrookmedicine.edu/alumni-spotlight-2026-sarah-michelle-smith

02/23/2026

This event will take place exclusively on Zoom due to Tuesday's campus cancellation.

Zoom link here: https://stonybrook.zoom.us/j/7472230529?omn=96143535855

The SSW Research Seminar Series returns on Feb. 24, from 1 to 2 pm, with a presentation by Associate Professor Amy Hammock, PhD, MSW.

Dr. Hammock's presentation, titled "Practice Experience and Positionality in Social Work Research: How Findings From Two of My Recent Studies Have Me Questioning What I Thought I Knew About Intimate Partner Violence," is open to the entire Stony Brook University community and will be held in the Health Sciences Center, Level 2, Room 2AB.

Optional Zoom link here: https://stonybrook.zoom.us/j/98541316442?pwd=gPeBt0ranQsphihaXB8BnLYyNQgk84.1

02/04/2026

SAVE THE DATE!

The School of Social Welfare will host the 3rd Annual Long Island School Social Workers' Conference on Tuesday, June 2, 2026!

This year's theme is "Collective and Community Care Systems for Schools." CEUs for NYS licensed social workers will be available.

Last year, we welcomed more than 120 school social workers from public and private schools across Nassau and Suffolk counties. The conference created a dynamic space for school social workers to connect, collaborate, and share practical strategies that support their day-to-day work.

More information and registration links will be available soon!