News Archive
Giving
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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.”
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Festus Webley, MSW ’71, former director of staff development at the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services and longtime supporter of USC and the School of Social Work, died Feb. 29, a couple of weeks shy of his 90th birthday.
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USC Trustee Daniel M. Tsai and his wife, Irene Chen, MA ’83, were concerned about the growing aging society in Taiwan, a country that has faced challenges with low fertility rates in recent decades. Both have aging parents themselves and wanted to find a way to empower older adults through technology.
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A writer who shined a bright light on challenging social issues throughout Southern California, a longtime advocate for vulnerable children and families, and an innovative social work education program received laudatory recognition from the California Social Welfare Archives during its annual awards reception.
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An open hand gives in abundance, even as it receives.
It’s a saying that has been passed down in Robynn Cox’s family for generations. It’s also a maxim that has guided her research on the societal and economic consequences of mass incarceration, particularly in the black community.
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The University of Southern California partnered with a nonprofit organization and donors to unveil what’s billed as the world’s largest mobile dental clinic in Pasadena on Feb. 6, offering free dental care to more than 100 area children.
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On any given day at USC Telehealth, the phone will ring and a desperate parent of a child with special needs will reach out for help. They are trying to be the best caregivers they can to their son or daughter, but their resilience and resources have been stretched thin. They know they need someone to talk to, but publicly funded mental health care is geared toward the individual with special needs, leaving no supportive services for the overburdened caregiver.
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A $500,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will support a new program of research at the USC School of Social Work to identify community assets that support pathways to resilience for young children and their families.
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Ivy Hammond graduated from the USC School of Social Work in May 2015, becoming the first recipient of the Matthew Holland Scholarship in Social Work to receive a master’s in social work. Established in 2012 by Board of Councilors member Mark Spratt, MSW/MPA ’03, the Matthew Holland Scholarship in Social Work, named in honor of Spratt’s partner, is awarded to students who have demonstrated a commitment to LGBTQ matters through academic work, community involvement and other personal contributions.
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When Margaux Helvey began her search for a master’s program, she was looking for an opportunity to combine her strengths in business strategy and management with social impact. She found it at the University of Southern California, one of the few institutions at the time that offered a dual degree in social work and business administration.