Social Work News
Exploring human rights issues through international social work internship
During orientation for Syracuse University’s master of social work (MSW) program, Jennifer LoPiccolo G’18 recalls circling international social work on a survey asking about her primary career interests. “When I learned about the comparative social work program that Professor Nancy Mudrick leads in Strasbourg, she and I began to plan a really unique whole semester in Strasbourg,” recalls LoPiccolo.
Mudrick, who was LoPiccolo’s academic advisor, received a Fulbright/Alsace Regional Award in France where she spent the Spring 2016 semester teaching and doing research. The Fulbright Award resulted from relationships built during the eleven years that Mudrick has led MSW students to the RECOS seminar in Europe as part of the Topics in Advanced Social Work Practice and Policy course. In this twelve-day abroad experience, Mudrick immerses Syracuse University students in comparative social work services across France, Germany and Switzerland in conjunction with social work students from these countries through a seminar organized by the Confédération des Ecoles Supérieures en Travail Social de la Regio.
“Jennifer was a student who wanted to experience all she could while in her graduate program. She became exposed to refugee resettlement work through her foundation-level internship, which led to an interest in immersing herself in another culture,” says Tracy T. Walker, director of field instruction, School of Social Work. “Although the field education program does not regularly provide internships in other countries, we pride ourselves on developing unique and innovative opportunities for students. Jennifer’s motivation and focus were the main reasons why this endeavor was so successful.”
While LoPiccolo was counseling refugee youth in Syracuse through an internship placement at Catholic Charities, Northside CYO and Nottingham High School, she attended a campus event on migration and substance use in Europe. There she met Thomas Kattau and Elena Hedoux from the Council of Europe’s Pompidou Group, which is located in Strasbourg. In working closely with Professor Mudrick, who connected her with Dr. Raymond Bach, director of Syracuse University’s Strasbourg Center, as well as Walker, LoPiccolo applied for an internship with the Pompidou Group.
The Pompidou Group’s core mission is to contribute to developing multidisciplinary, innovative, effective and evidence-based drug policies in its Member States. Earlier this spring, a four-year collaborative partnership between the Falk College and the Pompidou Group was announced to support rigorous curricular development and training for drug policy administrators. This collaboration is an outgrowth of Falk College’s on-going partnerships with the Pompidou Group led by associate professor of public health Dessa Bergen-Cico.
For her MSW field placement during Spring 2018, LoPiccolo had the unique opportunity to work as a graduate trainee with the Council’s drug policy group, researching the relationship between refugees and drugs, effective treatment methods, transcultural challenges, and prevention. She lived in Strasbourg, France for the semester and took some political science course electives to complement her macro-focused concentration.
Says LoPiccolo, “one of the most attractive things was the chance to contribute to an international organization and bridge my practical work experience counseling refugee students with policy action research.”
“When you are immersed in another culture and country looking at their social systems, you see your home country-and the assumptions you’ve made about it-much differently,” notes Mudrick.
“Every day was a new opportunity to discuss human rights issues through various backgrounds,” says LoPiccolo. She immersed herself in research exploring the challenges Mediterranean countries faced with refugees, substance use, drug networks, and preventing coercion. She was invited to present her findings at the International Conference on Refugees and Drugs in Athens, Greece hosted by the Pompidou Group. With support from Falk College, she travelled to the conference, spoke about current research on this topic, and facilitated a workshop.
Says Kattau, “because of her practical experience on the topic, participants had the opportunity to have a deeper understanding of the situation in other European countries and the U.S.”
“I could not have had this academic and professional experience without the support of Falk Dean Diane Lyden Murphy, director of the School of Social Work, Professor Keith Alford, my advisor, Professor Nancy Mudrick, director of the Syracuse University Strasbourg Center, Dr. Raymond Bach, and director of field relations, Tracy Walker,” concludes LoPiccolo.
“We were thrilled to have Jennifer spend a semester with us in Strasbourg. Before her arrival, I worked closely with the School of Social Work to make sure that Jennifer would be able to take courses that would fulfil her graduate requirements, and also that she would have an internship in English that was closely linked to her interests,” says Bach. “At the end of the semester I could see that she had truly benefited from her opportunity to compare the European and American systems of social support, especially in the area of refugees and drug use. We now look forward to welcoming other graduate students in social work who would like to expand their horizons.”
While her internship was very research focused, she often drew on her practical experiences. “Research and direct service must inform one another, and their close relationship is essential to all types of social progression. The internship at the Council of Europe really helped me think about the marriage between macro and micro social work practice. This is crucial to the evaluation work I am now developing because we use a culturally responsive theoretical framework to position a community’s values and beliefs at the center of program evaluation,” adds LoPiccolo.
“Jennifer has impressed me as an innovator who takes advantage of opportunities that enhance her social work acumen. She is proactive in her thinking and her actions,” says Keith A. Alford, director and associate professor, School of Social Work, and interim chief diversity officer, Syracuse University.
In July LoPiccolo began a new role as an evaluation specialist with Become: Center for Community Engagement and Social Change in Chicago where she leads culturally responsive program evaluations, facilitates community trainings, and manages projects that help organizations bring community to the center of their work.
“My internship with the Pompidou Group ultimately left me feeling more committed to making a social impact in the country I call home,” concludes LoPiccolo.
Brown leads collaboration benefitting older adults with cognitive decline
A recently launched pilot project to screen for cognitive decline as part of routine community health services currently offered to older adults is expected to demonstrate the benefits of early detection of Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias (AD/D). One major benefit is the potential of keeping Syracuse-area adults aged 65 and older healthy and safe in their homes for as long as possible.
A $51,110 grant was awarded by the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York for the project, “Early Identification of Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults Living at Home.” The study focuses on adults aged 65+ who are served by select community programs in Syracuse neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty and high proportions of older adults. Led by Dr. Maria T. Brown, assistant research professor in Falk College’s School of Social Work and faculty associate in Syracuse University’s Aging Studies Institute (ASI), project partners include ASI, the Onondaga County Office for Aging, SUNY Upstate’s Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, Syracuse Community Connections, and the Central New York Citizens Aging Research and Action Network (CNY-CAN).
“We are very excited about this project since it will give us the opportunity to identify those who may have an early dementia before they are in a crisis situation. We know that older African Americans often do not seek medical care until their health problems are more advanced, and at that point, they may be tougher to treat. Early identification of a serious memory problem will allow us to develop a care plan to help the older adult remain independent and enjoy a high quality of life for as long as possible,” says Dr. Sharon Brangman, Distinguished Service Professor, Inaugural Chair, Department of Geriatrics, Director, Nappi Longevity Institute, and Director, Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Early detection of AD/D often provides opportunities for earlier interventions and treatments, clinical trial participation, improved access to medical care and support services, opportunities for still-capable older adults experiencing cognitive decline to make financial, legal, and care plans consistent with their preferences, and potentially delayed need for nursing home placement.
Through a collaboration of service providers, the pilot will integrate the evidence-based and publicly available Mini-Cog™ screening tool, a simple, five-minute assessment validated to increase the detection of cognitive issues. This new project builds on Dr. Brown’s earlier work with the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York. The work included recommendations that policy makers and practitioners use the model to improve data collection about at-risk populations, as well as to guide development and measurement of strategies to address those risks and delay the onset of frailty.
The pilot will be evaluated to determine its effectiveness in increasing early detection and access for comprehensive cognitive evaluation while minimizing the burden to the service providers conducting in-home screenings. Results will determine the effectiveness of the program for a more geographically and demographically diverse population regionally and contribute to the evidence base about the effectiveness of home-based cognition screening.
“We are thrilled that the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York has chosen to fund this pilot project, which enables us to reach older adults who might not otherwise be diagnosed or receive needed supports,” says Dr. Brown. “We are fortunate to be partnering with agencies that are embedded in the local community and familiar with the issues faced by older African Americans in that community, and to have members of the community whose lives have been touched by dementia or dementia caregiving on our project team.”
The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York is an independent private foundation whose mission is to improve the health and health care of the people of western and central New York. It invests in, and partners with, organizations and communities to spark lasting positive change in health and health care for underserved populations, including older adults and children ages birth to five impacted by poverty. To learn more about the Health Foundation, its work, and the many other ways it is involved in the communities it serves, visit the Health Foundation’s website at www.hfwcny.org.
Syracuse University’s Aging Studies Institute is a collaborative initiative of the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs and the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Its mission is to coordinate and promote aging-related research, training, and outreach at Syracuse University. To learn more about ASI, visit the Institute’s website.
Students, community leaders, policy makers discuss homelessness at Legislative Policy Forum
Addressing homelessness, including the implications for public policy, was the focus of the 20th Annual James L. Stone Legislative Policy Symposium held Friday, October 26, 2018 at the Onondaga County Legislative Chambers. Syracuse University students in Falk College’s School of Social Work met with community leaders and activists, legislative representatives, and mental health experts, to discuss pressing issues involving the state of homelessness in Central New York and beyond, the health and well-being of people who are homeless, and the implications for public policy and social work practice interventions.
“The James L. Stone Legislative Policy Day is a dynamic learning experience for all,” says Keith Alford, director of the School of Social Work. “Students, faculty, government officials, local and national presenters, and concerned community members all come together to problem solve with a goal of proposing policy change through the lens of social and economic justice.”
A signature event in the School of Social Work, the annual symposium has focused on a wide range of topics, such as gun violence, the opioid epidemic, corrections and mental health systems, poverty, foster care, among others. The symposium is made possible by the generosity of the former Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health and former Chair of the Falk College Advisory Board, alumnus James Stone, MSW ’64, who attended this year’s event.
Dr. Robert Okin, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, delivered the keynote address, “Tackling the Complex Problem of Homelessness,” which explored homelessness and what it reveals about social justice in the United States, among other topics. Dr. Okin previously served as the former Chief of Psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital and former Commissioner of Mental Health in Vermont and Massachusetts. He is the recipient of the American Psychiatric Association’s Human Rights Award and author of the book, Silent Voices: People with Mental Disorders on the Street.
Dr. Okin also joined the panel discussion, “The Lived Experience: Fears, Resilience, and Action,” with fellow panelists Mark Horvath, Founder of Invisible People and Invisible People.TV, Jawanza James Williams, Statewide Organizer for VOCAL-NY, and Al-Amin Muhammad, Founder of We Rise Above the Streets Recovery Outreach, Inc. and recipient of the School of Social Work’s 2018 Dan and Mary Lou Rubenstein Social Justice Award. The discussion was moderated by Falk College School of Social Work Assistant Professor Yvonne Smith.
During the day-long event, there were a series of three other panel discussions. Falk College School of Social Work Assistant Professor Ryan Heath moderated the panel, “State & County Legislatures: How they Work & How You Can Work with Legislators” with incoming Onondaga County Executive, Hon. Ryan McMahon II, Chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature, as well as Hon. Al Stirpe, Assembly Member of New York State Assembly District 127 and member of the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
Hon. Andrew Hevesi, Assembly Member, District 28, New York State Assembly & Chair of Assembly Social Services Committee, Amanda Aykanian, Research and Project Lead, National Center for Excellence in Homeless Services, SUNY Albany School of Social Work, Jamie Powlovich, Executive Director of the New York State Coalition for Homeless Youth, and Shelly Nortz, the Coalition for the Homeless’ Deputy Executive Director for Policy, were panelists on “Homelessness in New York State: Dimensions, Legislative Interventions & Advocacy,” moderated by Keith Alford, Director and Associate Professor in the School of Social Work, Falk College.
The discussion “Ending Homelessness in Central New York: What’s Being Done and What More Needs to Be Done?” was moderated by Alejandro Garcia, Jocelyn Falk Endowed Professor of Social Work with panelists Dr. Sunny Aslam, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Andrew Lunetta, Executive Director of A Tiny Home for Good, Daniel J. Sieburg, Executive Director of the Rescue Mission, and Megan Stuart, Executive Director of the Housing and Homelessness Coalition of Central New York.
“It was an honor to be a part of the James L. Stone Legislative Policy Symposium, especially during this milestone event,” says Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy, alumna of the School of Social Work. “This year’s symposium allowed social work students to gain a better understanding of the serious issue of homelessness and why knowledge social welfare policies is critical to their future practice. It also provided an opportunity for each of them to reaffirm their personal and professional commitments to social responsibility and social justice.”
The 20th Annual James L. Stone Legislative Policy Symposium was organized by Falk College School of Social Work Professor Eric Kingson, in collaboration with Alford and other social work faculty, and MSW graduate assistant and conference coordinator Alexandra Leigh Kerr. Falk College and the School of Social Work also acknowledge the Onondaga County Legislature for its hospitality in making the Legislative Chambers available for the symposium.
For additional information and to view videos of the event, read an article about the symposium from the The National Center for Excellence in Homeless Services.
Falk researchers measure effect of dog ownership, training on PTSD symptoms among veterans
Falk College faculty in public health and social work are researchers in a new integrative health study that measures the effects of owning and training a therapy dog on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans. Published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, “Dog Ownership and Training Reduces Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Increases Self-Compassion Among Veterans: Results of a Longitudinal Control Study” is coauthored by Dessa Bergen-Cico, Ph.D., Yvonne Smith, Ph.D., Collin Gooley, and Brooks Gump, Ph.D. at Syracuse University; Karen Wolford, Ph.D. at SUNY Oswego, and; Kathleen Hannon, Ryan Woodruff, and Melissa Spicer, Clear Path for Veterans.
Researchers reported significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, as well as reductions in perceived stress, isolation, and self-judgement, and significant increases in self-compassion when comparing the veterans that participated in the Dogs2Vets program over a 12-month period to veterans that were on the waiting list to receive a dog during that time period.
“The short story here is that dogs may be the best friend for a veteran with PTSD who engages in this training program,” says JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks. “It is remarkable when research suggests that the best medicine for such a gnawing condition may be as close at hand and simple as this.”
Social Work seniors collecting donations for Huntington Family Centers food pantry
Seniors in the Falk College School of Social Work are hosting a food drive through Tuesday, November 13, 2018 to benefit Huntington Family Centers food pantry. Members of the University community are invited to contribute nonperishable food items and hygiene products. Donation boxes are available in each of the academic department suites located in the Falk Complex, as well as the student lounge located on the second floor across from the Falk Café on 2.
The following nonperishable food items are needed: canned fruit, vegetables, tuna, and chicken; soup; spaghetti sauce; 100% fruit juice; rice, pasta, macaroni and cheese; jelly; cereal.
The following hygiene products are needed: toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper, and feminine hygiene products.
The food drive is organized in collaboration with Huntington Family Centers, Inc. For more information, contact the School of Social Work at ljmarra@syr.edu or call 315.443.5562.
College Of Law, Falk College provide legal support to local community
“Advance planning for medical decisions and preferences is never an easy conversation to have with loved ones, but it is a necessary and responsible thing to do,” explains Cowart. “The students from the College of Law, under Professor McNeal’s leadership, filled a significant void within our community.”
Research estimates that only one in three Americans has an advance directive, a number that is substantially lower among communities of color, those of lower socio-economic status, and lower levels of education. This semester, College of Law students in McNeal’s Advance Directives in the Community course and Elder and Health Law Clinic (EHLC) gained hands-on experience educating local residents about the importance of planning for end-of-life care while helping them prepare advance directives in partnership with Falk College.
“Advance directives enable people to appoint a proxy to make decisions when they are no longer able to, and they lay out a person’s preferences for the care they want,” says McNeal. Providing general practice legal assistance for those aged 60 and over with low or moderate incomes, the EHLC offers students the opportunity to represent clients with faculty guidance and oversight.
Social work professor receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation leadership grant
Matthew Spitzmueller, assistant professor in the School of Social Work in Falk College, has been selected to participate in one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) leadership development programs designed to equip leaders across the country—in every sector and field—to collaborate, break down silos, and use their influence to make communities healthier and more equitable.
Spitzmueller’s study is titled, “Upstate New York – Unfamiliar Territory: Evaluating the Impact of Health Care Reforms on Behavioral Health Care Providers in Rural Upstate New York.” This project will explore the opportunities and barriers rural behavioral health organizations experience as they implement health care payment and delivery reform.
According to Spitzmueller, “rural behavioral health services target a population that is uniquely vulnerable, costly to serve, and difficult to reach. When behavioral health systems do not effectively engage this population, health disparities worsen and untreated illnesses put added pressure on high-cost systems, such as hospitals.” This study will focus on ensuring that rural behavioral health providers can survive and flourish in a changing health care system, which is critical to building equitable and sustainable systems of care. “The findings from this project will be used by behavioral health and social service organization leaders in rural areas of New York as well as county and state government officials to continuously improve the behavioral health service system,” says Spitzmueller.
Specifically, Spitzmueller was selected for the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program. Designed for teams of two researchers and one community leader, Interdisciplinary Research Leaders supports engaged research, crafted and conducted by innovative teams to explore a problem and apply a solution in real time, making an immediate positive impact in their home communities. The three-year program provides participants with annual support of up to $25,000 and a one-time research grant of up to $125,000 per team.
This study fits Spitzmueller’s background and trajectory as an ethnographic researcher of mental health policy and organizational practice. Spitzmueller earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. His research examines direct service provision to adults with severe and persistent mental illness, the strategies behavioral health workers adopt as they negotiate changing work conditions under Medicaid reform, and the impact of policy reform on socially and economically vulnerable people.
As a participant in the RWJF leadership program, Spitzmueller will benefit from high-caliber curricula and coaching from national leaders, collaborate with other cutting-edge thinkers to create greater impact, and accelerate his ability to build healthy communities, inform public opinion and policy, and contribute significantly to building a Culture of Health.
To learn more about Interdisciplinary Research Leaders and RWJF’s other leadership development programs, visit the IRL website.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. Since 1972, it has supported research and programs targeting some of the nation’s most pressing health issues, from substance abuse to improving access to quality care.
Alford Appointed Syracuse University Interim Chief Diversity Officer
Chancellor Kent Syverud has appointed Professor Keith A. Alford to the newly created post of interim chief diversity officer (CDO), effective July 1. Alford is an associate professor, chair of the Falk College’s School of Social Work and graduate program director. The Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion recommended that a CDO position be created to strengthen the University’s diversity initiatives.
Read the full story at SU News
Explore Falk Graduate Programs at November 2 Info Session
Syracuse University’s Falk College will host a Graduate Information Session on Friday, November 2 in Falk Complex, White Hall, Room 335 across from the Falk College Admissions Suite. Faculty, staff, and current students will welcome potential graduate students interested in helping professions in counseling, therapy, public policy, and advocacy; health professions such as public health, epidemiology, nutrition, and wellness; as well as careers in sport and sporting events management. The two-hour event will start at 4 p.m. and will include a brief overview presentation, a question and answer session, and time to meet with faculty and students. Light refreshments will be served.
Detailed information will be provided on graduate programs in human development and family science (M.A., M.S., Ph.D.), food studies (M.S.), global health (M.S.), public health (M.S.), marriage and family therapy (M.A., Ph.D.), social work (M.S.W.) as well as the dual degree program (M.A./M.S.W.) in marriage and family therapy and social work, nutrition science (M.A., M.S.), and sport venue and event management (M.S.).
Details on Falk College Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs in addiction studies, child therapy, dietetic internship, global health, food studies, and trauma-informed practice will also be provided.
Admissions staff will be available at the information session to meet with students and provide information on academic programs, housing, and scholarships, including the new Falk College Scholarship Merit Award program for high achieving Syracuse University undergraduate students applying to a Falk College master’s degree program in 2019.
For more information about this event, and to register for it, contact Falk College Admissions at 315.443.5555, email falk@syr.edu.
Falk College welcomes new faculty and staff
Syracuse University’s Falk College is pleased to announce the appointment of new staff members who have joined Falk College in the past academic year, including Nikki Beckwith, director of dietetic internship program, Trinity Benton, kitchen technician, and Deana Hansen-Danis, procurement coordinator in the Department of Public Health, Food Studies, and Nutrition; Bradford Ducre, computer consultant in information technology, and; Lisa Liparulo, internship placement coordinator in the Department of Sport Management.
It also welcomes ten new faculty members, Chaya Charles, Jennifer Genovese, Ryan Heath, Bryce Hruska, Kenneth Marfilius, David Meluni, Jessica L. Garay, Sara Vasilenko, Bhavneet Walia, and Najah Zaaeed.
Chaya Lee Charles, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.G., C.D.N.
Nutrition & Food Studies
Chaya Charles joins the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies as an assistant teaching professor in the nutrition program.
Prior to her appointment as assistant teaching professor, Charles has worked as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies at Falk College since 2014. In addition, she is currently a consultant dietitian for Sodexo at Menorah Park and senior nutrition consultant for Oswego County Opportunities. She has previously held titles such as outpatient dietitian, clinical dietitian, and nutrition services manager at various health care facilities.
Charles completed both her B.S. degree in nutrition, and her M.S. degree in nutrition science at Syracuse University. Her master’s thesis is titled “Comparing Vegan and Vegetarian Attitudes, Beliefs and Perceptions with Risk for Disordered Eating Behavior.” She is also published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Charles is a board-certified specialist in gerontological nutrition, a registered instructor for the National Restaurant Association’s ManageFirst Program courses, ServSafe certified, and certified in food and beverage cost control. She is the recipient of the 2014 Sodexo Clinical Innovation Award, 2011 Sodexo Northeast Regional Dietitian of the Year, and winner of the 2010 National Sodexo Nutrition Outcomes Study.
Areas of specialization: Vegetarianism and disordered eating behaviors, malnutrition prevention in the elderly, cardiovascular and diabetic nutrition counseling, nutritional intervention for wound healing, weight loss counseling, meal planning guidance and the provision of nutritious menus in institutional and home settings.
Jennifer Cornish Genovese, A.C.S.W., Ph.D.
School of Social Work
Jennifer Cornish Genovese joins Syracuse University’s Falk College as an assistant teaching professor in the School of Social Work. She has previously taught in the College’s Department of Human Development and Family Science and in the School of Social Work, including courses such as Power, Conflict, & Violence in the Family; Interpersonal Competence; Family Systems Theory; Advanced Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups; and Practice with Children, Adolescents, and Families.
Genovese is a NYS Licensed Certified Social Worker and has worked in private practice as a psychotherapist for 30 years. She specializes in the treatment of abused children and adolescents. She is a clinical consultant for the NYS Department of Social Services and facilitates monthly support groups on secondary traumatic stress of child welfare workers in multiple Central New York counties. She is also a program and ministry consultant for the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Upstate NY Synod.
Genovese has presented for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Professional Symposium in Chicago, IL and for NASW’s Annual Meeting. She was previously employed by St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center as the outpatient clinic manager of the Mental Health Services Department. Genovese formerly served on the board of directors for Girls Inc. and the Mohawk Valley Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. She was the co-host of two long-running radio programs in Syracuse, NY: Teen Talk on 93Q FM and Parenting Matters on 570 AM and 88 WAER FM.
Genovese completed a Ph.D. in child and family studies and M.S.W. at Syracuse University’s Falk College, as well as a B.A. in sociology from the State University of New York College at Cortland.
Areas of specialization: Assessment and treatment of physically and sexually abused children and adolescents, treatment of bereavement, loss and trauma in children, adolescents, and identification and intervention of secondary traumatic stress of child welfare workers.
Ryan D. Heath, M.A, L.C.S.W., Ph.D.
School of Social Work
Ryan Heath joins the School of Social Work as an assistant professor. Heath’s research seeks to understand how out-of-school programs (e.g., extracurricular, afterschool and summer programs) promote the social-emotional development of low-income youth, students of color, and other historically marginalized youth. To improve the reach, quality, and impact of these programs, his work aims to elucidate how extracurricular programs interface with other social-ecological contexts that affect youth, such as schools, peers and families, and to identify the potential mechanisms through which extracurricular programs influence youth’s social-emotional development and educational attainment. He has been involved in several research projects, most recently as a collaborator on the “Becoming Effective Learners—Out-of-School Time Study” with The Consortium for School Research at the University of Chicago. Heath has published in Youth & Society, Urban Review, Urban Education, LGBT Health, and Pediatric Research. He is also co-author of the research report, Foundations of Young Adult Success: A Developmental Framework.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Heath taught classes on research methods and cognitive-behavioral therapy at the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. As a clinical social worker, Heath has implemented cognitive-behavioral interventions with adolescents and youth groups in both school-based and community settings. He previously worked as a clinical director for Chicago Adventure Therapy, as a school-based therapist at UCAN, as a therapeutic learning coach for Project EDGE of OMNI Youth Services, and as a teen outreach program coordinator at Health Quarters.
Heath earned a master’s degree in clinical social work and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. As a doctoral student, Heath received a pre-doctoral fellowship from the Institute of Education Sciences and the University of Chicago Committee on Education, and completed a graduate certificate in interdisciplinary education sciences. He completed a bachelor’s degree in science with honors from Brown University.
Areas of specialization: Adolescent development, extracurricular and out-of-school programs, social-emotional learning, educational attainment, youth social services, school and community partnerships.
Bryce Hruska, Ph.D.
Public Health
Bryce Hruska is an assistant professor in the Falk College public health program where he has served as a research assistant professor, postdoctoral researcher, and project manager for the public health program. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow at the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health.
Hruska’s research focuses on better understanding how psychological stress “gets under the skin” to impact physical health. Since coming to Falk College, his work has primarily consisted of overseeing the operations of two research projects: “Environmental Toxicants, Race, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children” and “The Psychosocial and Physiological Consequences of Taking and Not Taking Time Off from Work.”
He has most recently published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, as well as Environmental Research, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, and Social Science and Medicine, among others. He has published book chapters in the Handbook of Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine and in Trauma and Substance Abuse: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment of Comorbid Disorders, Second Edition.
Hruska has presented his research at conferences including the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the American Psychosomatic Society, and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. He has made multiple media appearances promoting the research that he and his collaborators are performing, and he serves as an invited reviewer for a number of peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Traumatic Stress, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Stress and Health, Addictive Behaviors, and Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
Hruska earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology, with concentrations in health psychology and quantitative methods, both from Kent State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Akron.
Areas of specialization: Traumatic events, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress and health, occupational stress, recovery experiences, quantitative methods.
Kenneth James Marfilius III, L.C.S.W., D.S.W.
School of Social Work
Kenneth Marfilius joins Falk College as a visiting teaching professor in the School of Social Work.
While active duty, Marfilius served in the U.S. Air Force Biomedical Science Corps in multiple roles: active duty clinical social worker, mental health therapist, family advocacy officer in charge, and as manager of the alcohol and drug prevention and treatment program. He was commissioned in 2013 and was discharged in 2016 having obtained the rank of captain. At the Barksdale Air Force Base, Marfilius served in a variety of mental health roles related to sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention, and traumatic stress. Marfilius has also worked for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program, and as a disruptive behavior committee member.
Marfilius previously taught courses such as Social Work Practice in Mental Health and Introduction to Military Culture and Social Work Practice, as well as guest and continuing education lectures at Falk College, and has presented for the Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF) and at the Association for Humanistic Counseling National Conference. He recently guest lectured at the University of Pennsylvania on “Trauma— Informed Care, Housing First, and Critical Time Intervention for Veteran Homelessness.”
Marfilius is honored with a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal. He is a recipient of the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship and the U.S. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and has twice been awarded the Barksdale Air Force Base Medical Operations Squadron Company Grade Officer of the Quarter.
Marfilius earned a doctorate in clinical social work (D.S.W.) and master of social work (M.S.W.) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in public health from Syracuse University.
Areas of specialization: Military mental health, military families, veteran social work, homelessness, domestic violence, suicide prevention, substance use prevention and treatment, and military culture and social work practice.
David Meluni, M.S.
Sport Management
David Meluni is a teaching professor in the Department of Sport Management, where he served as an adjunct over the past four years.
Meluni has over 18 years of experience in the sport industry, including two years as vice president of sales and business development for both 805 Stats and Infinity Sports and Entertainment. He also spent five years as the vice president of sales at SIDEARM Sports. In his tenure at SIDEARM, he negotiated and signed agreements with the University of Texas, University of Kansas, the Heisman Trophy, and the Maui Invitational as well as with several Division I, II and III institutions.
He has also worked with the New York Collegiate Baseball League as a member of its executive team. Prior to working in the digital space, the Syracuse native spent 10 years with IMG College, the multi-media rights holder at Syracuse University, where he maintained a client base of over $1.1 million per year.
Meluni serves on the board for the Camillus Softball and Baseball Association, coaches multiple travel teams for the Camillus Wildcats, and is a volunteer assistant coach for the West Genesee varsity baseball team.
Meluni earned a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in sport management, where he also acted as captain and NCAA All-Region Infielder for the Bombers’ baseball team. In 1999, he was selected to attend the prestigious NCAA Leadership Conference. He then attended Florida State University as a graduate assistant in the Seminoles’ ticket office and earned a master’s degree in sport administration. He worked as a marketing assistant at FSU, assisting with football, women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, baseball, and softball.
Areas of specialization: Sport sponsorship sales, ticket sales, technology in sport and sports marketing and promotion.
Jessica L. Garay, M.S., R.D.N., F.A.N.D.
Nutrition & Food Studies
Jessica Garay joins the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies as an instructor in the nutrition program.
Previously, Garay worked at Utica College as an assistant professor of biology: physiology & nutrition since 2016. From 2010-2016, she was an adjunct instructor at Syracuse University and has held positions at Onondaga Community College and George Washington University, as well as the Washington Cancer Institute and Food Bank of Central New York.
Garay is published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, the American Journal of Human Biology, and Current Biomarker Findings, among others. She has presented at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference and the NYS Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NYSAND) Annual Meeting.
Garay is the recipient of a 2016 Emerging Dietetic Leader Award from the NYSAND and currently serves as its public policy coordinator. Garay has held several roles with the Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine Dietetic Practice Group and is currently the research chair. Her other volunteer work includes serving as an evidence analyst for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics’ Evidence Analysis Library, and as a member of the American Dairy Association North East’s Sports Nutrition Advisory Panel.
Garay is completing a Ph.D. in science education, specializing in exercise science, from Syracuse University. She earned an M.S. in exercise science, specializing in nutrition and eating behaviors, from George Washington University. She completed her dietetic internship at the Yavapai County Health Department in Prescott, AZ. She completed a B.S. in nutritional sciences and a B.S. in human development at Cornell University.
Areas of Specialization: Fetal programming, nutrition and athletic performance, dietary supplements.
Sara A. Vasilenko, M.S., Ph.D.
Human Development and Family Science
Sara Vasilenko joins the Department of Human Development and Family Science as an assistant professor.
Prior to joining Falk College, Vasilenko served as a research assistant professor in Health and Human Development and as a research associate in the Methodology Center at Pennsylvania State University. There, Vasilenko was a postdoctoral fellow in the Prevention Research Center and Methodology Center after working as a graduate assistant in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Prior to her time at Penn State, Vasilenko held a research apprentice fellowship in the Department of Epidemiology and worked as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University.
Vasilenko’s research spans topics related to adolescence and young adult health, sexual behavior, and drug use. She is currently a subcontract PI on a grant from the Office of Adolescent Health, which focuses on how multidimensional risk factors moderate effects of teen pregnancy prevention programs, and co-investigator on a National Institute on Drug Abuse grant focusing on how substance use and its predictors vary by age. Vasilenko is published in journals such as the Journal of Adolescence, Journal of Adolescent Health, Journal of Early Adolescence, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Journal of Sex Research, and Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Vasilenko is the recipient of a 2006 Graham Endowed Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University College of Health and Human Development. She currently is a consulting editor of the Journal of Research on Adolescence and a member of the Society for Research in Child Development, among others.
Vasilenko earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University and a B.A. in English from Kalamazoo College.
Areas of specialization: Adolescent and young adult development, sexual behavior, developmental methodology, substance use.
Bhavneet Walia, Ph.D.
Public Health
Bhavneet Walia is an assistant professor in Falk College’s public health program. Walia joined Syracuse University in 2015 from Western Illinois University where she was an associate professor of decision sciences and founding director of the business analytics post-baccalaureate certificate program.
Her fields of specialization include health economics and health econometrics. Her research and scholarship include 14 peer-reviewed journal articles that have appeared in leading journals of applied economics, health policy, and environmental policy: the American Journal of Economics & Sociology, the Journal of Economic Education, and the Southern Economic Journal, and two in Renewable Agriculture & Food Systems, Economics Letters.
The recipient of numerous awards and distinctions that include the Provost’s Award for Excellence at Western Illinois University and the WIU College of Business and Technology Award, both for excellence in campus internationalization, Walia is presently associate editor of the Academy of Economics and Finance Journal. Her professional affiliations include the Academy of Economics and Finance and the American Economic Association.
Walia’s present research efforts are focused in three areas: early child health interventions and cognitive development; mortality and behavioral effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and related neurodegenerative diseases; and markets for health care in the United States.
Walia holds a Ph.D. in economics with an econometrics specialization from Kansas State University, where her dissertation was entitled, “Three Essays in Health and Labor Economics.” Her master’s and bachelor’s degrees, both in economics, are from Punjab University in India.
Areas of specialization: Health care markets and policy, early childhood development, environmental health, labor market policy, statistical expertise in applied statistical programming and methodology, health statistics, biostatistics, health information systems, labor statistics, analysis of National Longitudinal Surveys, and other social and behavioral statistical analyses.
Najah Zaaeed, E.M.P.A., M.S.W., Dr.PH.
Public Health
Najah Zaaeed joins the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies as an assistant teaching professor in the public health program.
Since 2016, Zaaeed has taught as an adjunct professor in public health at Syracuse University and at SUNY Oswego. Zaaeed previously served as a mental health specialist for Interfaith Works of Central New York and as a social worker for the Islamic Society of Central New York.
Zaaeed’s research interests are in aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities, maternal and child health, effectiveness of ecological models for health awareness at global levels, and refugee health. Zaaeed authored a chapter in the book Refugee Education: International Perspectives from Higher Education and NGOs. She is also published in the International Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Journal of Refugee and Global Health and has presented at the North American Refugees Health Conference.
Zaaeed is the recipient of the 2017 Selma Andrews Award from Loma Linda University, 2013 Global Health Institute, Loma Linda Research Funding, the 2013 Fadel Education Foundation Scholarship, and the 2008-2010 Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Fellowship from the Islamic Society of North America. She is also a board member of the Society of North American Refugee Healthcare Providers.
Zaaeed earned a Dr.PH. in public health, specializing in health promotion and education, and global health, from Loma Linda University. She earned a M.S.W. and executive master of public administration from the School of Social Work and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, respectively, at Syracuse University. She also earned two graduate certificates in gerontology and international leadership and non-governmental organizations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse. She earned a B.S. in paralegal education from Chancellor University.
Areas of specialization: Global health and mental health, health education and promotion, social media and health outcomes, addiction and wellness, gerontology, disability studies, maternal and child health, refugee health and social service needs
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