From Keith Kobland with SU News Given the violent incidents that have dominated the news lately, these can be trying times for parents who are trying to make sense of it all for their children. Much of it can be hard enough to process as an adult, but it can make youngsters question their safety and the safety of their loved ones. Ellen deLara, associate professor of social work at Falk College, has studied the issue and offers her thoughts on approaching difficult subject material. Q: If my child asks about news coverage, how best to respond? A: First, find a spot…
A story by Kathleen Haley with SU News Refugee families risk their lives to escape war and violence. Their first priority is their safety. But what happens when they settle in new homes in different countries free from conflict? Everything has changed—they’re separated from family, they’ve lost their homes and livelihoods—and their past struggles still live in them. Assistant Professor Rashmi Gangamma wanted to understand the family experience for refugees in the midst of loss, upheaval and resettlement, and has undertaken research to explore how they make meaning of their relationships. The work could ultimately inform therapy interventions. “I was…
Falk College Endowed Professor of Sport Management Rick Burton took 14 students to Australia from June 1-18 as part of a three-credit course titled SPM 300 – Australia: Sport, History and Culture. The course was also cross-listed as SOC 300 and much of the focus of this year’s trip was focused on the narrative of race in sports. It was the fourth time the course was offered. The students stay in each city about five days and along with classroom work, mix in cultural studies with trips to the rainforest and in-depth study of indigenous communities. The group visited Melbourne,…
In March 2016, the UN Human Rights Council was in session in Geneva. It was International Women’s Day, and Anne C. Bellows took advantage of the occasion to co-host a side event focused on both issues, human rights and women. The parallel event—“No Right to Food without Women’s Rights: Women Exposing Violations from around the Globe”—was designed to shed light on structural barriers that women find in their everyday lives. “Despite calls for the inclusion of women and a gender perspective in food and nutrition security, the status of hunger and malnutrition of women and girls is still not improving,”…
For social workers in Central New York and surrounding communities, continuing education programming through Falk College offers an opportunity to fulfill New York State Education Law requirements. Effective January 2015, licensed master and clinical social workers are required to complete 36 hours of approved formal continuing education every three years. Syracuse University’s School of Social Work has been an approved New York State Department of Education provider of this training for more than four decades. “For participants, some of who are alumni of our social work programs, it gives them a chance to reconnect with Syracuse University,” says Xenia Becher, internship…
“The African proverb, ‘I am because we are, and because we are, therefore I am,’ celebrates the interconnectedness we all share,” explains Keith A. Alford, associate professor of social work. Alford firmly believes actively understanding another person’s life journey is not only enlightening and rewarding, but is an essential mindset professional social workers must embrace. In speaking of his own life journey, Alford recalls the positive influence of his parents and extended family, which ultimately drew him to the profession of social work. Alford was born in Columbia, SC, and attributes his tireless work ethic to his parents. His father…
by Rachel Linsner During my first year of graduate school, I became interested in the experiences of military personnel and their families. In the summer of 2014, I worked as an intern at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS), a part of the Department of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress responds to the psychological outcomes of traumatic events, including war, natural disasters, and terrorism. While at CSTS, I worked closely with Dr. James McCarroll, a retired Army psychologist. McCarroll conducts research on mortuary affairs…
Sixteen students enrolled in SPM 300 spent May 16-23, 2016, in the Boston area touring sport-related facilities, venues and organizations. The New England Immersion course compares and contrasts business practices, marketing strategies, branding initiatives, social media outreach and the organizational culture of competing sports franchises and entities in the greater New England market. Students conduct professional networking and meet and interact with over 30 industry executives and practitioners from the sporting industry. This year’s trip included meetings with professionals from the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, TD Garden, New England Revolution, New England Patriots, ESPN, Team Epic, Athletic Evolution, state6,…
Big ideas beget new pedagogy. In this case the idea is mindfulness, and the course is Mindfulness in Children and Youth, taught by Rachel Razza, associate professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies. In the course description, Razza offers this portrayal of mindfulness from Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of The Mindful Child: “Mindfulness is a refined process of attention that allows children to see the world through a lens of attention, balance and compassion. When children learn to look at the world with attention, balance and compassion, they soon learn to be in the world with attention, balance…
Humans domesticated the dog thousands of years ago, and the bond is as strong as ever. That’s the rationale behind Dogs2Vets, which provides emotional support to veterans with post-traumatic stress, military sexual trauma, or physical impairments by establishing a reliable relationship between them and a canine companion. “There are three areas of focus— service dog training, emotional support training, and community training,” says Melissa Spicer, executive director and co-founder of Clear Path for Veterans, the Chittenango, New York-based organization that runs the program. “All options require the veterans, paired with professional trainers, to train their own dogs.” Dogs are selected…
