NYU Silver scholars showcased the many ways in which they advance social work research while centering equity and leveraging advanced technologies during this month’s annual Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Conference in Seattle, WA. Our scholars garnered awards and contributed to more than five dozen symposia, presentations, posters, and other events. Topics addressed by our Silver faculty, PhD students and researchers included youth and young adults, serious mental illness, artificial intelligence-driven tools, gun violence, racial and ethnic disparities, HIV testing and care and more.
During the conference, SSWR also recognized two of our exceptional doctoral scholars for the quality and impact of their research. Dr. Sabrina Cluesman, PhD ’24, received the Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award and PhD candidate Aaron Rodwin received the Doctoral Fellows Award.
“These honors show that research excellence continues to thrive at Silver,” said Dean Michael A. Lindsey during remarks at the School’s SSWR reception. He made special note of Silver’s Office for Research, led by Associate Dean for Research Marya Gwadz. Thanks to their robust support, last year our school received more individual grants and total dollars awarded than any other time this decade. Moreover, our research proposal success rate was 52%, which is well above the national average of between 10% and 30%.
Among the highlights of our contributions to the conference was the “Intersectionality Matters,” symposium. Organized by Assistant Professor Dale Maglalang, it focused on studies addressing stress, health and mental health in racial, sexual and gender minorities. The presentations by Assistant Professor Kiara Moore as well as Drs. Cluesman and Malalang generated considerable audience engagement in their findings for improving outcomes for people in these populations.
Our Constance and Martin Silver Center on Data Science and Social Equity held its third annual SSWR symposium, with a capacity crowd gathering to learn about Computational Approaches to Utilizing Text as ‘Big Data’. In introductory remarks, Center Director Ruopeng An, our Constance and Martin Silver Endowed Professor in Data Science and Prevention, acknowledged the perils of artificial intelligence and data science. However, he emphasized the promise these technologies hold for identifying risks to wellbeing, aiding clinicians in delivering better care, analyzing complex data sets and even shaping social policy to ensure social equity. This promise was illustrated in the innovative work presented by Paulette Goddard and Dean Emeritus Neil Guterman, Professor Victoria Stanhope, Associate Professor Doris Chang and PhD candidate Nari Yoo.
This is only a brief snapshot of the research excellence that was on display from Silver faculty and students. Access our full SSWR presentation schedule for abstracts from all the studies and thought leadership that we shared.
We are pleased that many of our colleagues were able to see our impactful and transformative scholars in action at SSWR. Please stay connected with us through our website, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads to learn about our future events and how NYU Silver continues to shape the field.