News Archive
Students
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Elizabeth Dawn Jacobs-Ware, DSW ’26, whose experiences as a Black female sandwich generation (BFSG) caregiver inspired her capstone for her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, has received national attention for her capstone, “Planted in the ‘Middle’: Developing an On-Demand Support Mechanism for Black Female Sandwich Generation Caregivers."
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Christian Gudiel's journey to receiving a Master of Social Work (MSW) in May 2026 from the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work has been a full circle back to his roots. Dedicated to being a role model for youth in the same community he came from, he now works as a case manager for the Coalition for Engaged Education — the organization that offered him a helping hand when he was incarcerated — demonstrating to his own young children that their lives can be different.
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PhD candidate Maiya Hotchkiss (they/them), and advisor John Blosnich, associate professor and director of the Center for LGBTQ+ Health Equity, have received the prestigious USC PhD Achievement Award for their work on suicide prevention with LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness.
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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.
Gladys M. Salit Award
Recognizes outstanding potential to contribute to the profession of social work. This award honors the professional life of distinguished alumna Gladys M. Salit.
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Current Doctor of Social Work (DSW) student Devon Hernandez oversaw the expansion of the Trojan Food Pantry on the University Park Campus, which serves a growing number of USC students facing food insecurity. Now, he has been selected as one of just 20 fellows nationwide for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Doctoral Student Policy Fellowship.
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Three years ago, Maiya Hotchkiss (they/them) arrived in Los Angeles to pursue joint Master of Social Work (MSW) and PhD degrees at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Upon beginning their studies, Hotchkiss investigated and volunteered with a few organizations in Los Angeles that served the transgender community. They felt it was important to develop collaborative relationships with L.A. organizations before conceptualizing a focus for potential research.
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USC is one of the first universities in the nation to offer a criminal justice concentration specifically focused on youth.
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Two years ago, Allison Chapman decided she was no longer going to put off earning an advanced degree. The daughter of a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and granddaughter of a clinical psychologist, she grew up in a family who volunteered together in the community.
“I was always at a shelter or other service organization, always raised to do something for someone else,” Chapman said. “I feel like I’ve been a social worker my whole life.”
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In March of 2023, Nicole Carson found herself driving across the island of Guam in a total blackout at two o’clock in the morning. Electricity across most of the island was out following a super typhoon that had hit the previous week. A mere three weeks earlier she had arrived on the island with her husband and four-year-old daughter. It was an unexpected change of assignment for her husband, a chief navy diver in the U.S. Navy.
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The USC PhD Achievement Awards recognize six doctoral candidates, and their primary faculty advisor, from across the university, with exceptional academic profiles. Among the recipients for 2025 are PhD candidate Lucinda Adjesiwor and Associate Professor Julie Cederbaum of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.