News Archive
Alumni
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The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is excited to welcome veteran, leadership strategist, best-selling author and USC alumna Kristen Kavanaugh as keynote speaker for its 2026 Commencement Ceremony on May 15. Her career journey has taken her from the U.S. Naval Academy to the frontlines of military service, from grassroots community leadership to executive roles at the highest levels of the private sector.
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Kimiko Vang, DSW '20, has spent the last two decades working to reduce gaps in health equity for youth and their families in Merced County, California. As director of Merced County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Vang leads the effort to serve medical-eligible clients with severe mental illnesses and substance use disorders through mental health services at the county’s clinics, outpatient services and inpatient facility.
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In 2024, Jessie Shay, DSW '24, founded Chronically Informed, a nonprofit that serves chronically ill patients and their caregivers. Her organization works to expand health care access and empower patients navigating the medical system through shared experiences.
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Maria Ruelas, EdD ‘18, MSW ‘13, has been named the 2025 School Social Worker of the Year by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) for her outstanding leadership and dedication as District Social Worker for the Lawndale Elementary School District (LESD).
“I am so humbled by this recognition,” Ruelas said. “There are over 80 school districts and 1.3 million students across LA County and so many incredible social workers working to serve their needs. It is truly special to be honored with this award.”
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Like many rural areas across the U.S., South Carolina has a shortage of medical facilities and providers that serve its rural population. This problem is particularly acute when it comes to prenatal care, labor and delivery. Ann Lefebvre, DSW ‘24, wanted to address this disparity for the rural residents of her adopted home state. She already had an exceptional 25-year career as director of a $17 million statewide health care workforce development agency and the associate dean for a medical school. However, she felt a calling to do something more in her career, something personal.
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When Henrick Karoliszyn began the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, his intention was to explore juvenile solitary confinement. However, as he progressed in his studies, he realized there was a more pressing issue of social isolation for which he was uniquely qualified to investigate: secondary trauma among journalists. Karoliszyn is an award-winning journalist who covered crime as a national correspondent for major publications, including The Wall Street Journal and New York Daily News.
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In May 2025, Lisa Whealy receives her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) from the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Her path to completing this degree, however, was a journey of discovery.
At the beginning of 2020, Lisa Whealy was in her final semester to complete a master’s degree in communication management from USC Annenberg, and self-employed as a music journalist and publicist. Then, the pandemic hit.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercedes Tiggs, MSW ’12, was living in a one-room apartment with her dog, experiencing significant anxiety and depression.
“I was very fortunate to bring myself out of that rut by coming up with weekly activities in the kitchen,” Tiggs said.
She found planning meals and cooking to be therapeutic, and reasoned that if it helped her it may also help others. So, Tiggs fused her passion for mental health with her passion for cooking to create a nontraditional therapy intervention.
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At the tender age of six, Shobana Powell, DSW ’20, decided to be a light amidst the darkness in the world, and to build community. Nestled in her grandmother’s lap, she heard countless inspiring stories of how her mother, grandparents and many others in her family and the Tamil community survived the Sri Lankan civil war in the 1980s. Her family later emigrated to the United States, where Powell was born.
At age 12, while learning about human rights around the world and civil rights across the U.S., she suddenly realized something about herself.
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The San Diego Business Journal recently recognized Kiley Dunne Lizama, DSW '20, for her inclusive, innovative therapeutic work and advocacy.