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. 25, 2022
Health care for newcomers
Gashaye Tefera and his family — wife Mackda and daughters Melos, left, and Barckot — were recently reunited in Columbia after being separated for nearly two years due to the pandemic. Photo by Sam O’Keefe. Gashaye Tefera knows firsthand how difficult it is for international students to deal with unfamiliar health care systems. In 2018, he was a fellow at the world’s largest nonprofit, United Way Worldwide, in Alexandria, Virginia, when he started having gastrointestinal issues. But he struggled to understand the care and the cost of coverage, so he delayed seeking treatment. “I’m used to health services that…
Aug. 25, 2022
Location matters: Neighborhood shapes youth exposure to firearm violence and substance use
Illustration by Blake Dinsdale A youngster’s neighborhood often shapes their exposure to firearm violence or substance use — situations that raise their risk of becoming homeless, says Hsun-Ta Hsu, associate professor of social work. For earlier studies on suicide and HIV prevention among people experiencing homelessness, Hsu walked block by block identifying signs of blight — broken windows, sidewalks in disrepair, piles of garbage — because neighborhood-level data are difficult to find. The scarcity of information prevented him from conducting research on a larger scale. To help remedy the problem, Hsu and Jianlin Cheng of the College of Engineering developed…
Aug. 24, 2022
An innovative model of social work
At the Integrative Behavioral Health Clinic, graduate students get real-world experience working with clients.
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.
Aug. 24, 2022
Not just in case
Over the past century, social work has expanded to be about much more than casework.
Aug. 12, 2022
Jo Britt-Rankin wins national Priester Award for Health Leadership
MU Extension and Health Sciences professor Jo Britt-Rankin was awarded the Jeanne M. Priester Award for Health Leadership during the National Health Outreach Conference. This award recognizes exemplary, impactful leadership in health and wellness, which Dr. Britt-Rankin exemplified during her tenure in the U.S. Department of Agriculture advancing health education within the Cooperative Extension System. Congratulations, Dr. Britt-Rankin!…
Aug. 3, 2022
FACE the Community
FACE’s multileveled approach to social services has earned widespread recognition.
July 25, 2022
MU researchers reveal historical impact on vaccine hesitancy among African-Americans
July 22, 2022
Historical mistrust in government, health care industry contributes to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy for African Americans
Wilson Majee studies social, structural determinants of health that feed vaccine hesitancy, worsen health disparities for African Americans.