Our Faculty
DSW Program Committee and Core Faculty
The NYU Silver DSW program has an outstanding faculty renowned for their clinical, theoretical, policy, and research expertise. The faculty serves in leadership roles in professional organizations, for scholarly journals, on national research committees, and on task forces.
Linda Lausell Bryant, PhD, MSW
Dr. Linda Lausell Bryant is a Clinical Associate Professor, Director of the DSW Program in Clinical Social Work, Master Teacher, and Katherine and Howard Aibel Executive-in-Residence. Her areas of expertise include: nonprofit management and leadership for social work professionals; macro social work practice for systems change; child welfare and youth development; college-going among foster care youth; teen pregnancy prevention and development of parenting competencies in teen parents; conflict resolution and mediation; clinical practice with Latino youth and families; diversity and inclusion.
Theresa Aiello, PhD, MSW, MS
Dr. Theresa Aiello is Retired Associate Professor of Social Work. She teaches Social Theory and Clinical Practice for the DSW Program and is Director of the Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Advanced Clinical Practice at NYU Silver. She received the New York University Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000 and was elected to the National Academies of Practice in Social Work as a distinguished practitioner.
Susan Gerbino, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Susan Gerbino is Clinical Professor of Social Work at NYU Silver and Director of NYU Silver’s Zelda Foster Studies Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care and Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care. She was elected to the National Academies of Practice in Social Work as a distinguished practitioner.
Robert Hawkins, PhD, MA, MPA
Dr. Robert Hawkins is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and McSilver Associate Professor in Poverty Studies at NYU Silver. He conducted research with low-income families in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, engaged in in-depth studies with single mother-led households, and led international work in poor communities in the Philippines. He received the New York University Distinguished Teaching Award in 2015–2016.
Kirk “Jae” James, DSW, MSW
Dr. Kirk "Jae" James is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work and Director of the Evolving Justice initiative at NYU Silver. He is a recipient of the 2019-2020 NYU Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Faculty Award.
Jennifer Manuel, PhD, LMSW
Dr. Jennifer Manuel is an Associate Professor of Social Work at NYU Silver and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research. She was recently awarded a NIDA Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) to adapt and pilot test an assertive outreach and linkage program, Critical Time Intervention, for individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs following residential substance abuse treatment.
Peggy Morton, DSW, LCSW
Dr. Peggy Morton is Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work and Course Developer and Instructor of the Service Learning Program at NYU Silver. She is Chair of the NY Metropolitan Area Field Directors Consortium, and a recipient of the NYU Curriculum Development Challenge Grant.
Victoria Stanhope, PhD, MSW, MA
Dr. Victoria Stanhope is an Associate Professor of Social Work at NYU Silver and Director of the School’s PhD program. Her area of interest is mental health services and her research—which is funded by the National Institute for Mental Health—focuses on client and provider relationships, person-centered care, and implementation.
S. Lala Straussner, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Lala Straussner is a Retired Professor of Social Work at NYU Silver and former Director of the Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Clinical Approaches to the Addictions. She is the founding editor of the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions and was the 2013–2014 Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic.
Carol Tosone, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Carol Tosone is a Professor of Social Work and a recipient of the NYU Distinguished Teaching Award. She is the editor-in-chief of the Clinical Social Work Journal, a distinguished scholar in the National Academy of Practice in Social Work, and the recipient of the Postgraduate Center Memorial Award in recognition of clinical excellence.
Jerome Wakefield, PhD, DSW
Dr. Jerome Wakefield is a Professor at NYU Silver as well as an NYU University Professor with multidisciplinary appointments. His clinical training and experience have been within the mental health field and were integrative, including psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, and family training, with work in agencies as well as private practice. He was for many years a licensed clinical social worker in New Jersey.