University of Georgia School of Social Work

08/27/2026

At our annual faculty/staff retreat last week, we honored Constance Wooden-Smith, LCSW, who will be retiring on August 31. For the past 9 years, Constance has been an Academic Professional and Coordinator of our MSW programs at the Gwinnett Campus and Online.

As an educator, Constance has been deeply committed to preparing the next generation of social workers through high-quality teaching, and has taught across the MSW curriculum, including courses in generalist social work practice, child abuse and neglect, foster care and adoption, social welfare policy, and integrative capstone practice.

Constance is widely recognized for her student-centered leadership and unwavering commitment to student success. She provides comprehensive academic advising, career coaching, and professional mentoring while leading recruitment, curriculum development, and program improvement initiatives. Her contributions have been recognized with the UGA School of Social Work Gwinnett Campus Full-Time Teacher of the Year Award and multiple Career Success Influencer Awards from the University of Georgia Career Center.

We congratulate Constance on her retirement and celebrate her extraordinary career of compassion, leadership, mentorship, and service. We will miss you, Constance.

08/27/2026

08/26/2026

The decision to crack open a beer on a hot summer day may be about more than refreshment, according to a new University of Georgia School of Social Work study.

The new research found that adverse childhood experiences, particularly negative relationships between a child and parent, were linked to more frequent drinking during periods of extreme heat.

08/26/2026

We are excited to announce that Clinical Assistant Professor Naynette Kennett is starting as our new Online MSW Program Coordinator. Kennett brings a wealth of clinical and academic experience to this role, and we are confident that her expertise will greatly benefit our program and students.

Kennett is a licensed clinical social worker and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia School of Social Work. Her research interests include cultural competence, trauma, racial trauma as it relates to clinical practice, infant mental health, sports performance and mental health, and perinatal mental health. Her commitment to applying her clinical, research, and instructional expertise to lead our Online MSW Program aligns closely with our school’s mission and will further strengthen our efforts to support students and the broader community.

08/25/2026

We'd like to welcome Catherine (Cady) Carlson to our faculty as Associate Professor, as part of the Presidential Hiring Initiative in Digital Health and Mental Health.

Carlson brings nationally recognized expertise in global mental health, implementation science, and violence prevention. Her research examines the intersection of violence and mental health, with a particular focus on implementing evidence-based interventions in low-resource settings. Drawing on community-engaged research and implementation science, her work advances innovative approaches to improving access to mental health services, including the use of digital technologies and other scalable interventions for underserved populations.

08/24/2026

We're pleased to announce that Assistant Professor Gaurav Sinha will serve as our Director of Global Engagement starting this academic year. At the same time, we recognize and thank Associate Professor Jane McPherson for her extensive contributions in this role over the past ten years.

Sinha's research and teaching are informed by 16 years of post-MSW experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating organizational and systems-level change initiatives that aimed at building economic resilience among women, indigenous communities, and underrepresented populations in India, Tanzania, and the United States.

Sinha’s research agenda focuses on leveraging emerging technologies and strengths-based approaches to advance financial and mental health equity. Currently, he is leading two global research projects examining mental health among emerging adults in low-resource settings. In parallel, he is investigating how AI-driven chatbots and LLMs can serve as adjuncts/peers to traditional interventions to expand access to financial and mental health care and address gaps in service delivery.

08/19/2026

If we had a nickel for every time a turtle got stuck in our courtyard, and we called in one of our colleagues from Odum School of Ecology to save it, we would have two nickels... which isn't much, but it's weird that it happened twice! You might remember that back in April, a snapping turtle needed our help returning to the nearby river. This time, a soft-shelled turtle decided to show up for the first day of classes. Fortunately, Marta Valldeperes, a Postdoctoral Associate in the Odum School of Ecology's Carver Research Group, came to help out. She carried our new friend down to the water and gently placed it on a rock. The turtle immediately crawled back into the river. Another inter-disciplinary rescue mission complete!

08/19/2026

We kicked off the fall semester this week with a Student Welcome Event on our Athens campus. Faculty and staff were on hand to meet with new and returning students and hand out popcorn, snow cones, and SSW swag. Thanks to everyone who showed up and helped out! Everyone have a safe, healthy, and productive year, and . University of Georgia

08/17/2026

Ready for my closeup 🎥🎬🐶

08/17/2026

Welcome to UGA! It's the first day of the new academic year, and we're happy to have all of our Social Work Dawgs, both new and returning, with us. Whether you're in Athens, in Gwinett, or online, we're glad to have you as part of our community. University of Georgia