Oct. 26, 2022
Remer, Mermelstein receive Social Work centennial impact awards
Aaron Thompson and Joanne Mermelstein Stanley Remer and Aaron Thompson The School of Social Work celebrated 100+ years of social work education at Mizzou with a special Homecoming tailgate Oct. 22. At the event, School of Social Work director Aaron Thompson, recognized two individuals for their significant contributions to the field of social work. Joanne Mermelstein Centennial Impact: Faculty Award Joanne Mermelstein, MS ’61, advocated for the MU School of Social Work in several ways as a professor, interim director (1988) and director of the Master of Social Work Program. Dr. Mermelstein was a champion and pioneer in rural social…
Oct. 19, 2022
Sybil Prost finds life’s work after graduate school at Mizzou
By Kate Lickert Sybil Prost, MSW ’92, was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, and grew up in Columbia. From the beginning, Mizzou had a strong influence on her life. “Some of our family traditions revolved around the University of Missouri-Columbia campus long before I knew what college I wanted to attend,” Prost said. “Our family had season tickets to Mizzou football, toured the house decorations during homecoming, and enjoyed listening to Marching Mizzou on Saturday mornings from our backyard.” Although Prost received her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice Administration and Corrections from Central Missouri State University, she decided to come…
Oct. 18, 2022
2022 alumni award recipients
Louis Davis, DPT ’17 Outstanding Young Alumni Louis Davis completed his DPT in 2017 and graduated from an orthopaedic physical therapy residency program in 2018. In 2021, he opened a private physical therapy clinic in Springfield, Missouri. His nominator, Teresa Briedwell, wrote that, since his graduation, “He has been a critical partner in clinical teaching and mentorship for our students, frequently returning to campus to provide guest lectures and teach lab content.” The Outstanding Young Alumni award goes to a graduate who is 35 years old or younger in recognition of their professional accomplishments and engagement with the School of…
Sep. 28, 2022
Fritz faculty scholar fund set to draw top-notch faculty
A gift from Dana and Scott Fritz will support Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences faculty.
Aug. 25, 2022
Matching needs and resources
Jane Williams photo by Sam O’Keefe In every community, people need help. Fortunately, a corresponding group typically exists with the desire and resources to provide that assistance. But what Jane Williams, BSW ’76, MSW ’77, found surprising was how out of sync the two sides of this equation often are. “There is a constant need for relational support and coordination,” she says. “We try to match the needs of the community with the times, talents and resources in the most effective way.” Communities’ needs change as the years go by. In 2005, Williams left her 20-year career as a…
Aug. 25, 2022
Social work pioneer
Col. Stan Remer The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest employer of master’s-level social workers in the United States — and Col. Stan Remer, MSW ’68, is a big reason why. Remer graduated from the MU School of Social Work during the height of the Vietnam War. As a medical social worker at a VA medical center in the 1970s, he saw many soldiers coming back with PTSD. “We were learning that we needed to treat mental health more forward into the battlefield,” he says. “It’s a lot better if they can deal with combat stress early on.”…
Aug. 25, 2022
A knowing advocate for people with disabilities
Caitlin Bartley Caitlin Bartley’s first foray into disability advocacy came in the second grade when her fellow students repeatedly asked about her wheelchair. In response, Bartley persuaded her teacher to let her speak to the class about muscular dystrophy. Years later, she was still at it. While earning undergraduate degrees, Bartley proposed that the school make two classroom buildings more accessible to individuals with wheelchairs. “It was really exciting to advocate for something like that and then to see it happen. And it’s not just something that benefited me. It will benefit students in wheelchairs for a long time,” she…
Aug. 25, 2022
Social Work alum banks his values
Orvin T. Kimbrough Three years ago, Orvin T. Kimbrough left the nonprofit sector for the corporate world of banking. But he didn’t leave his education or his values behind. He combines a banker’s pursuit of profits with a social worker’s focus on creating a more vibrant and inclusive community. Formerly the chair and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis, Kimbrough, BSW ’98, MSW ’00, now serves as chair and CEO at Midwest BankCentre, the city’s second-largest privately owned bank. “I am a social worker who happens to be a banker,” he says. Kimbrough also happens to be…
Aug. 25, 2022
Sower of Hope
Becky Beck. Portrait by Rob Hill. Becky Beck didn’t set out to become a social worker. Her original plan was to become a teacher. In her final semester in the MU College of Education, special education Professor Tim Lewis recognized Beck’s passion for social justice and desire to be a sower of hope for those in need of advocacy and support. After she graduated with her master’s from the MU School of Social Work, Beck, BS Ed ’99, MSW ’01, helped launch the Center Project in 2003, a nonprofit resource center for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and…
Aug. 24, 2022
Mizzou Social Work: Now and looking ahead
The School of Social Work plans reach out to ever broader bases of students and clients.