News Archive

Professor Carl Castro and other USC experts reflect on the reverberations of 9/11 and the end of the war in Afghanistan, including the impact on veterans and their mental health care.

Since America was shaken by terrorist attacks of 9/11, the U.S. military has fought in the longest conflict in the nation’s history. That has left multiple generations of veterans suffering from PTSD and other health issues.

Dorian Traube, associate professor, and other USC experts offer insight into the complications teachers and students may face upon returning to the classroom full time.

Are the kids alright?

The answer is complicated. The usual chaotic back-to-school period is now unusual — marked by a COVID-19 delta variant surge and continued vaccine hesitancy in some parts of the country.

About 40% of eligible Americans ages 12 and up remain unvaccinated for COVID-19, according to the CDC. Karen Lincoln, associate professor, and other USC researchers explain who the unvaccinated might be, as well as the challenges in persuading people to get their shots.

Michael Washington, MSW '19, is a retired Marine and firefighter. Now, as a social worker and therapist, he uses his personal story to help his fellow veterans and first responders address issues of stress, PTSD and suicide. 

During the week of April 15 - 21, 2021, five mobile dental clinics, containing 15 dental operatories, took over the parking lot of the Leo Baeck Temple near the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center (WLA VA) to provide free mobile dental care for veterans experiencing homelessness or at-risk for homelessness.

Each year, Drew Child Development Corporation (Drew CDC), a nonprofit in South Central Los Angeles dedicated to the education and well-being of at-risk children, recognizes leaders committed to advocacy, education, mental health and improved welfare for children and their families in the community.

For members of the military who have experienced sexual assault while serving, the trauma and life-changing impacts of the violence and retaliation for reporting are crushing. Winning the battle against what Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, III has called the “scourge of sexual assault” may not be easy, but there is a path forward, according to USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work researchers who specialize in military social work.

Many people fear the places Hector Jiminez needs to be. He relies on his battlefield experience — and his studies at USC, where he’s earned two graduate degrees — almost every day.

In environments where gang violence stalks communities, Army veteran Hector Jiminez is unafraid. He served eight years in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 1990s before returning to Southern California, where he followed a meandering path to a military social work degree at USC.

Each year, USC recognizes six current PhD students, and their primary advisor, with exceptional academic profiles. Tasha Perdue, graduating PhD student at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, and Alice Cepeda, associate professor, are 2021 recipients of the USC PhD Achievement Award for Perdue’s dissertation work focusing on the illicit drug market in Dayton, Ohio.

Each year, the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work honors students who have made significant achievements in their academic careers and contributions to the community. We are proud to recognize the following students for their outstanding accomplishments.

Social Work Alumni Association Award

Recognizes great potential to contribute to the social work profession and the USC alumni community.