The USC School of Social Work handed out 265 diplomas at this year's commencement ceremony on May 11, including four doctorates in social work and the school's first dual degree in social work and business administration. Eleven students graduated with dual degrees, one of the highest numbers in the school's history.

John Bryant, founder and chief executive officer of Operation Hope, which works to empower under-served communities with economic tools and services, was the keynote speaker.

"We don't do business with governments or companies – we do business with people," Bryant said. "You have undertaken the profession where it is not about you. That is an honored profession. You're not doing a job, you're not going through the motions – you are passionate about what you do."

"One person can change the world. You are that one person."

Awards were given to outstanding students and faculty members for notable achievements in scholarship, leadership, service and teaching. Almease Davis, a mental health student with an interest in school social work, and Gregory Pleasants, a dual-degree candidate in social work and law, received Gladys M. Salit awards. The award recognizes students who have demonstrated academic excellence, outstanding field work performance, and exceptional leadership and creativity.

"To strengthen someone's life is much more than just using your clinical skills," Davis said in a speech as the student speaker. "Rather, it is about acknowledging the power and capacity one has as a person to recover and overcome life challenges. Let us be leaders as we step forward and leave the nurturing comfort of this magnificent institution and go out into the world to motivate others to create change. Make your voices heard."

Jennifer Battaglia, a student who interned at Harbor-UCLA's adult outpatient clinic, received the California Society for Clinical Social Work Alexis Selwood Award for demonstrating stellar aptitude, scholarship and desire to work in the field of mental health.

Associate Professor Ferol Mennen was honored with the Sterling C. Franklin Award for Distinguished USC School of Social Work Faculty, which recognizes a faculty member who has achieved recognition in the scientific community and addressed solutions to important social problems. Mennen has contributed extensively to the literature on the psychological effects of child abuse and neglect. She has been a consulting editor for Families in Society, the oldest and one of the most respected journals in North America on social work. Mennen is also affiliated with the Child/Family Health Initiatives and Leadership Development Center as an evaluator for Project ABC, which is working on a framework for providing mental health services in early education.

Clinical Associate Professor Gary Wood received the Hutto Patterson Foundation Award for Distinguished USC School of Social Work Faculty for excellence in teaching and demonstrated outstanding service to the university, school and community. Wood, who holds a joint appointment in the School of Social Work and the School of Dentistry, created a distance learning course, "Psychopathology and Diagnosis of Mental Illness," which won a best practices award from the United States Distance Learning Association and was featured in USC's Innovation Showcase.

Valerie Richards, a clinical assistant professor, was honored with the Jane Addams Faculty Award, which recognizes a faculty member whom the graduating students have nominated for his or her academic, administrative and moral support. Richards has been called "passionate" and "actively engaged" by students, and she approaches teaching with a sense of responsibility and conviction that her students can make a difference.