Fall 2009 - Columbia University School of Social Work

Spectrum 17Alumni Class NotesAwards and HonorsFrances L. Lucas ’50 is the recipientof the 2009 Sojourner Truth Awardfrom the New York chapter of the NationalAssociation of Negro Women’sClubs, Inc.Majorie B. Tiven ’69, commissionerof the New York City Commission forthe United Nations, Consular Corpsand Protocol, was honored by the GirlScout Council of Greater New Yorkat their 34th Annual Tribute Dinnerfor her leadership and service to thecommunity.Terry Hokenstad ’62 was selectedas the 2009 Educator of the Yearby the Ohio Association of Gerontologyand Education for significantlyadvancing gerontological educationand fostering greater understandingabout aging.Dr. Arlene Goldsmith ‘61MS,Tony Tripodi, ‘63DSW, and NancyWackstein, ‘79 were inducted intothe Columbia University School ofSocial Work Hall of Fame, which honorsdistinguished alumni who havemade outstanding contributions tothe practice of social work and haveadded distinction to the profession.Jo Rosenberg Hariton ’73, a facultymember in the Department of Psychiatryat Weill Cornell Medical College,was honored by the WestchesterNASW for Distinguished Service tothe Profession.Philip A. Berry ’75, of Philip BerryAssociates LLC, was appointed byMayor Bloomberg to the Panel forEducational Policy for New York Cityschools.Yvette Rolon ‘82, program administratorfor the Department of SocialWork at the New York PresbyterianHospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center,was honored at the 5th AnnualLatino Social Task Force ScholarshipFundraising Dinner.Susan Nayowith ‘84 is presidentelectof the NYC Chapter of NASW.Reverend Dr. Gregory G. Groover, Sr.’87 was elected chair of the BostonSchool Committee, which governs andsets policy for Boston Public Schools.Andrea Vaghy Benyola ’98, Qin Gao‘05PhD, Julie Kim Richards ‘96,and Alison Snow ’04 were named the2008 Emerging Social Work Leadersby the National Association of SocialWorkers (NASW) New York Chapter.Eric Leventhal ’02, psychotherapistat Park West Associates, was electedto the Board of Directors of the NationalAlliance on Mental Illness-NewYork City Metro Chapter.Ana Lopez ‘02,executive directorof CommunityBridges, is arecipient of the2009 Eugeneand AgnesE. MeyerFoundationExponentAward foroutstandingnonprofit leadership in theGreater Washington, D.C. region. Herorganization will receive $100,000.Christina (Dooyeon) Kang ‘08PhDwas awarded the Social Research,Policy, and Practice Award for OutstandingDoctoral Student ResearchPaper at the Gerontological Society ofAmerica Conference. Her dissertationwas entitled, “The Impact of StaffingResources, Nurse Aide Training, andMedicaid Census on Quality of Careand Quality of Life at New York StateNursing Homes.”Lauren Hersch Nicholas ‘08PhD isthe winner of the 2008 John A. HeinzDissertation Award by the NationalAcademy of Social Insurance for herdissertation entitled, “Medicare Advantage?The Effect of Managed Care onMedicare Quality, Cost and Enrollment.”Anna Wong ‘08 was chosen into theWhite House Internship program. Shewill be working in the Office of theVice President.JuliannaGwiszcz‘09 was therecipient ofthe city-wideGeorgia L.McMurrayAward givenby the National Association of SocialWorkers-New York City Chapter. Givento only one student out of all six graduateschools of social work in New YorkCity, the award recognizes outstandingaccomplishments and contributionsmade to services to children and familiesby a graduating student. This is thefifth consecutive year that a ColumbiaUniversity student has won the GeorgiaL. McMurray Award.Three students have accepted positionsas 2009 Presidential ManagementFellows. Joanna Han ’09 isworking at the U.S. Department ofEducation, Office of Elementary andSecondary Education. Marisa Kirk-Epstein ’09 is a policy and programanalyst at the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Office of Food and Nutrition,Division on Child Nutrition inAlexandria, VA. Amy Palilonis ’09 isworking at U.S. Housing and UrbanDevelopment, Office of CommunityPlanning & Development in the Officeof HIV/Aids Housing.Judith Simon Bloch ’51 has retired asCEO from the Variety Child LearningCenter which she founded in 1966. TheBoard of Trustees has named The JudithS. Bloch School at the Center in her honor.Tony Tripodi, ’63DSW co-authored thesecond edition of Single-case Designfor Clinical Social Workers: Love andHope by the Sea, and My Cane and I:A Memoir of a Disability.Mimi Abramovitz ‘67, ‘81DSW isa correspondent for WomensEnews.She presented at the Brooklyn CollegeSymposium on Women, Welfare Reformand Access to Higher Educationand was a keynote speaker on a panelhosted by the New York University’sWagner School of Public Policy andSilver School of Social Work.Elaine Congress ‘69, professor andassociate dean at Fordham UniversityGraduate School of Social Service, coeditedthe book Social Work with Immigrantsand Refugees: Legal Issues,Clinical Skills, and Advocacy.Carole A. Winston ‘71 was featuredon National Association of Social Work(NASW) consumer Web site www.helpstartshere.orgfor Black History MonthCelebration.Susan Schulherr ‘74 wrote EatingDisorders for Dummies (Wiley, 2008).Mary Gundlach Ross ‘75 is director ofeducation for the Long Beach DistrictParent Teacher Association.Darlyne Bailey ‘76 was appointeddean and professor of the GraduateSchool of Social Work and SocialResearch and special assistant to thepresident for community partnershipsat Bryn Mawr College.Diana Aviv ‘77, president and CEOof Independent Sector, was the 2009commencement speaker for ColumbiaUniversity School of Social Work.