The Crimson White Print Edition - September 21, 2023

4B
culture
UA welcomes new faculty members to the School of Social Work
Anna Hill
Leah Peacock
Contributing Writer
The University of Alabama’s
School of Social Work
welcomed 12 new faculty
members this fall. The new
members of the School of
Social Work include assistant
professors, instructors and
associate professors from
various research fields and
areas of expertise.
The School of Social Work,
established in 1965, is located
in Little Hall and offers four
degree programs in social
work.
The School of Social Work
aims to “lead the country in
community-engaged research
in health, behavioral health,
and social and economic
justice solutions for Alabama
and the nation,” according to
its website.
With new faculty, the
School of Social Work strives
to maintain its mission
of “ending adverse social
conditions and promoting
societal well-being through
teaching, research and
service.”
“I came to UA because
of the School of Social
Work’s mission and vision
to be active participants
in interdisciplinary and
community-engaged research
and practice,” Lindamarie
Olson, an assistant professor
in the School of Social Work,
said.
Olson specializes in
exploring how childhood and
trauma change the brain,
specifically with justiceinvolved
adolescents or
those in the child welfare
system. Olson explained
the importance of finding a
school that looks at the public
impact its work has, and how
the University fits the criteria.
“UA has the resources,
community partners and
infrastructure to make this
vision a reality,” Olson said. “I
am excited to join a diverse
group of scholars, researchers
and practitioners leading the
charge for change to happen!”
The School of Social Work’s
focus on community research
and impact has not gone
unnoticed. Hyunjune Lee, a
new assistant professor in
the School of Social Work,
shared how the University’s
community-engaged research
caught his eye during the job
search process.
“I learned that UA,
especially the School of Social
Work, has strong ties with
the local communities here,
which I very highly value,”
Lee said. “I thought that this
would be a place where I
could learn and grow in terms
of conducting research that
could actually benefit the
communities and people
we serve.”
Lee’s area of expertise
includes the behavioral health
of children and adolescents,
and he looks forward to
building his research agenda
over the next couple of years
at the University. Ultimately,
Lee’s goals for the school
year include settling into
Tuscaloosa and learning more
about the school, his students
and his fellow staff.
Dalila John, a clinical
assistant professor, was also
welcomed into the School
of Social Work this fall,
bringing with her a wealth
of knowledge and a tangible
passion for her profession.
Little Hall is the main building for the School of Social Work. CW / Natalie Teat
John was interested in
coming to the University to
advance her career because of
the opportunity to join such
an established university
with a multitude of resources,
services and support, as well
as the opportunity to conduct
research.
At the University, John
has taken advantage of the
opportunities to engage in
research by examining the
retention and recruitment of
racially diverse faculty.
“For me, I like that the
social work profession is
diverse,” said John. “It’s a field
in which you can pretty much
work just about anywhere,
and so it allows students
to really explore various
different areas.”
Currently she teaches
one class, SW 500, Social
Welfare Policy. The course is
designed to help students
understand the importance
of policy, policy development,
policy implementation and
policy analysis to ensure its
intended purpose is fulfilled.
“I entered this field because
I was really into recognizing
the issues related to equity
and justice,” John said. “So,
with this particular Social
Welfare Policy course, we can
look at some of the challenges
we face in this world and how
it’s connected to policy, so we
can think about things from a
much larger scale.”
Apart from her academic
responsibilities, John also
helps to better students and
their chances of success
after graduation with the
organizations she is involved
in. She serves as the advisor
of the Graduate Social Welfare
Organization, a student group
within the School of Social
Work for graduate students,
and the co-adviser for Phi
Alpha, an honor society for
students in the social work
program.
John shared that the
thing she was most excited
about this year was building
connections with students,
faculty and staff, and getting
to know the University better.
Transitioning into a new
area can be challenging,
and learning to navigate
a workplace can be
intimidating. New members
of the School of Social Work
highlight the welcoming
environment and reassuring
energy they have received
since arriving at the
University.
“I am feeling good about
the institutional and personal
support that I have,” said Lee.
“I feel good about the work
culture.”
Similarly, Olson expressed
her gratitude to her
colleagues as she navigates a
new school and city.
“The warm welcome
and southern hospitality I
have received has made the
transition to Alabama so
much easier than expected,”
she said.