Pimpare to Receive Harrington Award for Latest Book

Stephen Pimpare, who teaches political science at Wurzweiler School of Social Work and Yeshiva College, will receive the Michael Harrington Book Award given by the New Political Science section of the American Political Science Association for his latest book, A People's History of Poverty in America. The Awards Committee wrote:

The future of the American welfare state has been an important topic for decades. Pimpare's work is an outstanding addition to the literature. The committee was impressed by the author's historically-grounded scholarship, the novelty of his approach and use of sources, and the eloquence of his exposition. Driven by deep commitments to social equality and justice, Pimpare's book contributes to the Michael Harrington tradition in powerful ways.

Dr. Pimpare will be presented the award on the evening of Saturday, September 5, in Toronto as part of the APSA conference.

Watch Dr. Pimpare being interviewed by Amy Goodman on the current state of poverty in America (a transcript is also provided.)

14 WSSW Students Graduate With Certificate in Jewish Communal Service

This spring 14 graduating students (May, 2009) completed the Certificate in Jewish Communal Services. Professors Saul Andron (program director) and Lynn Levy stand at the left and right of the group. Click here to learn more about this exciting program (pdf file).

WSSW Doctoral Student, Strauss, Honored by NY Academy of Medicine

The New York Academy of Medicine Section on Social Work held its first annual Student Night in April. The event honored students from 5 NYC schools of social work for their work in community health care. Wurzweiler’s doctoral student, Judy Strauss, was recognized for her research on Baby Boomers’ roles and attitudes towards menopause.

Judy Strauss, who successfully defended her dissertation this spring, joined students from NYU, Columbia, Fordham, and Lehman College in displaying posters of their work at a reception preceding the awards. The reception was followed by formal presentations by the honorees of their work to a crowd of deans, faculty, students, families and friends, and presentation of certificates. The students were also given a year’s free membership in the Social Work Fellows’ section of the Academy.

Two Wurzweiler Students are Children of the World Fellows

Two graduating Wurzweiler students, Erwich Cherry and Courtney Adams, are fellows with the Children of the World Community Program funded by the NYS Social Work Education Consortium and the New York Community Trust. The program provides services to densely populated immigrant communities in NYC. Six of the New York schools of social work participate in this program, sponsering 12 fellows in all.

The internships are provided in partnership with New York City's Administration for Children' s Service (ACS) in an attempt to decrease the number of new immigrants referred to NYC's Administration for Children's Services by increasing preventive services. An integral part of the fellowship includes a trip to Ghana. This "capstone" project was organized by the 12 fellows. Deans, directors, faculty, and administrators from ACS and the participating social work schools were all in attendance for the event. The presentation included a documentary about cultural awareness that the fellows created and a panel discussion describing their educational experience.

Wurzweiler 1 of 15 Schools Selected for Hartford Foundation Grant!

Wurzweiler has received notification from the Council on Social Work Education Gero-Ed Center that it has been selected for participation in the Specialized Gerontology Program, funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation. Wurzweiler was one of 15 programs funded from a national pool of 46 proposals. The award, the third grant WSSW has received from the Hartford Foundation, is for $10,000 to be spent over two yearsto enhance gerontological studies at Wurzweiler. Dr Rozetta Wilmore–Schaffer is the lead faculty on this award.

Learn more about the John A. Hartford geriatric social work initiative...

Wurzweiler Conference Tackles Crisis in Elder Health Care

Human service and legal professionals gathered in Weisberg Commons on May 1 to advocate for much needed changes in the delivery of health care on the local, state and national levels. “Navigating the Health Care Maze: At the Cusp of Change,” sponsored by Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Bronx Regional Interagency Council on Aging and Washington Heights/Inwood Interagency Council on Aging, was the seventh in a series of annual conferences on issues in aging organized by Wurzweiler and its planning partners.

The program began with a PowerPoint presentation by Evelyn Laureano ’05, PhD, executive director, Neighborhood Self-Help by Older Persons Project, Inc., highlighting comments and recurring experiences of older persons frustrated by the current health care system. After greetings from Wurzweiler Dean Sheldon R. Gelman, PhD, and alumnae Fern Hertzberg ‘87, MSW, executive director, ARC XVI, Washington Heights/Inwood Council on Aging, and Phyllis Erlbaum-Zur ‘03, PhD, director of admissions and discharge services, Jewish Home and Hospital Life Care System, the gathering was addressed by the panel of featured experts: Cardozo alumnus Martin Petroff, JD, Martin Petroff and Associates; Michealle Carpenter, JD, deputy policy director and counsel, Medicare Rights Center; Amy Bernstein, The LTC Insurance Resource Center, New York City Department for the Aging; Valerie Bogart, JD, director, Evelyn Frank Legal Resource Program at Self-Help Community Services, Inc.; and Michael Olender, associate state director, AARP.

Oleander stated:

We have a real opportunity to move ahead on health care reform with the White House following through on campaign promises regarding the ‘Divided We Fail’ platform and Congressional activity on such issues as Medicare/doctor reimbursement and funding for research.

The panel discussion was followed by workshops focusing on Medicare Part D, Medicaid Eligibility and Trusts, Medicaid and Long Term Care, Long Term Care Insurance, Mental Health Care System, and Managed Care and Communication. Joining panelists as workshop leaders were Betty Duggan, director of volunteer and community programs, Medicare Rights Center; Menahem Dimant, MD, Beth Abraham Family of Health Services; and Martha Sullivan, DSW, executive director, Fordham-Tremont Community Mental Health Center. Post-workshop speaker Mark Hannay of the Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign reported on city-wide efforts on behalf of universal health care reform in anticipation of the Congressional vote this fall. The presentations closed with Rosa Perla Resnick ‘76, PhD, of the United Nation’s NGO Committee on Ageing, who reported that the worldwide elderly population will approach two billion by 2050.

“I thought the conference was great. The workshops were extensive and well put-together,” said attendee Jose Lopez of the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged.

PBS NewsHour Features WSSW Grad, Cruz Rodriguez

On May 1, 2009, PBS NewsHour aired a segment about the new wave of not-for-profit agencies that provide loans and credit training for those with low incomes. Among the credit counselors interviewed: Cruz Rodriguez, MSW, who graduated Wurzweiler School of Social Work in July 2008. Cruz is currently employed by a not-for-profit called Credit Where Credit is Due. He made a mid-life change to professional social work aided by Wurzweiler's flexible class schedule (courses are offered on Sundays, and Tuesday and Thursday evenings) and a scholarship from the Latino Social Work Task Force.

To see Cruz in action, fast-forward to the 5.00 minute mark.