News Archive
Alumni
-
Robert Winston Roberts, dean emeritus of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, died Nov. 8, 2016, in San Diego. He was 84.
-
To most Americans, a social worker among politicians in Washington, D.C., may be an unfamiliar sight. But U.S. Army Battalion Sgt. Maj. Eric Chastain is not like most Americans.
A graduate of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Chastain, MSW ‘15, was selected earlier this year as one of 30 finalists -- from a pool of about 4,000 -- to be part of the White House Fellows program, working alongside the president’s cabinet.
-
Modern social work and nursing as professions were borne under conditions of profound social and political upheaval in the 19th century. We have been committed ever since to the struggle for social change, social justice, healing and protection of vulnerable populations. We increasingly recognize the impact of social determinants on health and positive outcomes for all.
As dean, I want to reaffirm this dedication to social justice and our determination to support a fair, democratic and open nation.
-
Suzanne Dworak-Peck Names the School of Social Work at USC
“Endowing the school of social work is my expression of how much my USC education and the profession of social work mean to me, and I am grateful that my education has made it possible for me to give back.” Minutes after Suzanne Dworak-Peck spoke these words in front of the Social Work Center on September 14, her name became forever intertwined with social work at USC.
-
Three USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work alumni who spent decades advancing social work education, countering the negative effects of divorce on children and families, and advocating for the Latino community and other underserved populations have been inducted into the California Social Work Hall of Distinction.
-
The time-honored tradition of cooking and sharing a meal with others is at the center of a new program called Nourished that seeks to create community between student volunteers and people who have experienced homelessness in Los Angeles.
The concept is simple enough. USC students gather with residents at a permanent supportive housing facility on the edge of Koreatown once a week to cook healthy recipes and eat together. They share stories and chat about current events.
-
Social work pioneer Suzanne Dworak-Peck ’65, MSW ’67, has donated a historic $60 million to endow and name the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, cementing its standing as one of the world’s most innovative institutions within the discipline and strengthening its renowned educational and research programs. The gift is one of the largest contributions from an individual to a school of its kind.
-
Barbara Jury, ’50, has seen some radical changes in nursing since she started working in the profession in the 1950s.
Glass syringes are now plastic and disposable. Measuring a patient’s vitals is now done by computer.
“Who knows where nursing will go in time,” Jury said. “But you still have to remember it’s going to come down to a nurse reinforcing the care every day.”
-
Thirteen years ago, Nils de Mol van Otterloo never could have imagined that he’d have the title of “Fulbright scholar” on his resume, let alone a career in social work. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, he had just moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music production and recording. Then something unexpected happened. He had a stroke at the age of 27.
-
For J. Scott Watt, his sister Sally Oxley and his daughter Nadine Watt, building homes has been their family’s business since 1947. To understand their devotion to resolving the homelessness crisis, simply look to the man who founded that business – Scott Watt and Oxley’s late father, Raymond Watt.
“My father was always philanthropic,” Scott Watt said. “It was his philosophy to give back.”