Joint Program in Social Work

Universities of NCA&T and UNCG

Michelle Chambers

MSW from UNC-Chapel Hill

Research Interests: Substance abuse, African American women, child welfare involvement

Matriculated Fall 2019

Click for Michelle’s Biography

Michelle Chambers obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and completed her Master’s degree in Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Michelle is currently employed at the University of NC at Chapel Hill. She works in the Family and Children’s Resource Program training social workers that are currently employed in NC Social Services agencies in child welfare. Ms. Chambers is also the project manager for the NC Child Welfare Education Collaborative Program. Michelle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS) and currently owns a mental health group practice where she and her colleagues provide outpatient therapy to those with mental health and substance use issues.

Michelle is interested in African American women with substance use disorders and/or are dually diagnosed and the impact of culturally sensitive treatment. Michelle wishes to explore this phenomenon as there appears to be a dearth of research. Michelle would like to explore the intersectionality of the issue and begin to develop a culturally competent intervention that can be implemented across
disciplines.

Keya Glover

MSW from University of South Carolina, Columbia

Research Interests: African American mental health and culturally relevant practices, mental health and African American college students, meditation and mindfulness

Matriculated Fall 2019

Click for Keya’s Biography

Keya Glover received a Master of Social Work degree at the University of South Carolina – Columbia and a Bachelor degree of Social Work from Bennett College. She joined the JPh.D. program after nearly twenty years of direct care social work practice in the areas of child welfare, hematology social work and community mental health. She currently provides psychotherapy to college students within a local HBCU counseling center.

Keya’s research interests include identifying culturally relevant mental health practices within the African American college student population, specifically but not limited to mindful meditation. On a broader scale, she is also interested in exploring issues related to the experiences of the African American population and their mental well- being. Keya returned to school to further learn about these experiences and to identify culturally relevant practices that effectively address the unique challenges she encountered in her years of serving this underserved population.

Aalih Hussein

MSW from Marywood University

Research Interests: Muslim American women and mental health; Millennial and first generation Muslim American women.

Matriculated Fall 2019

Click for Aalih’s Biography

Aalih Hussein received an accredited Master of Social Work degree at the Marywood University and a Bachelor of Social Work degree from East Stroudsburg University. Upon completion of her Bachelor’s degree, she practiced Oncology Social Work for 3 years in East Stroudsburg, PA.

Aalih’s research interests include the intersecting identities of Muslim American women and their mental health. More specifically, she hopes to focus on Millennial and first generation Muslim American women. She hopes to provide insight about a misunderstood population in America.

Aalih’s professional goals include giving voice to the voiceless through research and teaching. She hopes to engage in a sustained dialogue to create a transformative classroom and body of research.

Click for Aalih’s Selected Accomplishments

Fall 2020

Guest Lecture:
Guest Lecture, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill September 2020
Theresa Palmer, MSW. Master of Social Work Program.
Discussed navigating the identity of a Muslim American woman by providing
personal and professional examples in the Confronting Oppression & Institutional Discrimination class

Independent Research:
Barriers to Diabetic Care management for Muslim Americans (In progress)
Role: Co-Investigator
Georgia State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
No Salary Support

Accepted Conference Presentations:

  1. Hussein, A & Vance, M. Brave Classrooms for Diverse Bodies: Employing Fanonian Theory to Understand Muslim American Women. Council of Social Work Education 2020 Annual Program Meeting. Denver, Colorado. 12 November 2020.
  2. Parker, Gharbi, Glover, & Hussein. PrEP at an HBCU: A Male’s Perspective. Council of Social Work Education 2020 Annual Program Meeting. Denver, Colorado. 12 November 2020.
  3. Varker, Hussein, Gonzalez, Simmons, & Arias Orozco. Within Our Skin: Multicultural Reflections of Passionate Pedagogy. American Educational Studies Association 2020 Annual Program. San Antonio Texas. 28 October 2020.

Spring & Summer 2020

Guest Lectures

  1. Guest Lecture, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
    June 2020
    Dr. Sharon Parker, Joint Master Social Work Program
    Discussed navigating the identity of a Muslim American woman by providing
    personal and professional examples in the Social Work and Human Diversity class
  2. Guest Lecture, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
    February 2020
    Theresa Palmer, MSW. Master of Social Work Program
    Discussed navigating the identity of a Muslim American woman by providing personal and professional examples in the Confronting Oppression & Institutional Discrimination class

Research:

  1. African Americans Living with Sickle Cell Disease: Patient Perception of their Provider Experiences Post New Guidelines for Prescribing Opioid Medications
    February 2020
    Role: Project Coordinator, Co-Primary Investigator
    No Salary Support
  2. Perspectives of HIV Prevention Among Incarcerated Women: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis as a Potential Biomedical HIV Intervention
    April 2018 – present
    University of North Carolina Center for AIDS Research Developmental Award Funder: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, National Institutes of Health
    Role: Graduate Research Assistant
    Amount: $30,000
  3. PrEP at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Subaward)
    April 2017- present
    Duke University Subcontract- National Institutes of Health
    Role: Graduate Research Assistant
    Amount: $1,400
  4. Self-care Perceptions of Muslim American Women
    Summer 2020
    University of North Carolina Greensboro, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Role: Primary Investigator
    Amount: $2,000

Misc:
Council of Social Work Education Abstract Reviewer 2020 for the following tracks:

  • Islam and Muslims track
  • Feminist Track
  • Cultural Competence track

Lashaunda Lucas

MSW from East Carolina University

Research Interests: self-worth development for women of color and how it hinders or enhances performance in relationships, the workplace and academic settings.

Matriculated Fall 2019

Click for Lashaunda’s Biography

Lashaunda Lucas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her Master’s of Social Work from East Carolina University. Lashaunda’s experience includes serving as
an Outpatient Therapist for youth and families involved with the Department of Juvenile Justice, persons with mental health diagnosis, and in Foster care and Adoption.
Lashaunda is currently an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Shaw University.

Lashaunda’s research interests include evaluating factors and life experiences that influence self-worth in women. More specifically, her intention is to explore self-worth development for women of color and how it hinders or enhances performance in relationships, the workplace and academic settings.

Theresa Palmer

MSW from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research Interests: diversity, oppression, microaggression, and effective pedagogy in the context of social work education

Matriculated Fall 2019

Click for Theresa’s Biography

M. Theresa Palmer received a Master of Social Work degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Field Education for UNC-Chapel Hill’s Winston-Salem Program.

Her research interests are in the areas of diversity, oppression, microaggression, and effective pedagogy in the context of social work education as well as issues related to the health and well-being of children, adolescents, and families.

Kathryn Roosevelt

MSW from Florida Gulf Coast University

Research Interests: Older adults associated with pre-retirement planning and post-retirement wellness

Matriculated Fall 2019

Click for Kathryn’s Biography

Kathryn Roosevelt received her Mater of Social Work degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and a Bachelor of Social Work from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She became part of the first Ph.D. cohort with the Social Work joint program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Kathryn did this after ten years in the field post MSW, working in a variety of settings but always with the focus on aging.

Kathryn’s research interest continues to focus on aging, most specifically in understanding the retirement process. Kathryn’s hope with her research is to identify the most valuable resources post-retirement, and how to implement this understanding in more thorough pre-retirement planning programs.

Click for Kathryn’s Selected Accomplishments

Published and In Press Refereed Article:

    • -Thomas, K.H., Albright, D.L., Phillips, D., Roosevelt, K., Crawley, R., Taylor, S.P. (2018). Mental Health Status in Service Member and Veteran Students at Four-Year Postsecondary Institutions: A Pilot Needs Assessment. Best Practices in Mental Health, 14(1), 1-14.

CSWE Presenter 2021 APM Meeting:
-“Implementation of Community-Based Experiential Training Programs to Address Opioid Use Disorder and Other Substance Use Disorders in High Need Areas in the South”
Danielle Swick, PhD, Yarneccia Dyson, Ph.D., MSW, Kathryn Roosevelt, MSW, Melissa Floyd-Pickard, PhD and Jay Poole, PhD.

Presentations:

    1. Roosevelt, K., & Eifert, E. (March 26, 2021). Gerontology – The Future of Social Work. UNCG Department of Social Work Lecture Series – Online.
    2. Roosevelt, K. (October 14, 2020). Ageism in the Workplace and Aging in times of COVID. National Association of Social Workers – NC Chapter CEU, Online.
    3. Roosevelt, K. (March 10, 2020). Ageism in the Workplace. University of North Carolina Greensboro, SWK 315, Greensboro, NC.