Author bios

Malwina Andruczyk

Malwina Andruczyk, LCSW, SIFI (they/them) is a trauma therapist and adjunct professor of social work with a focus on gender and sexuality. Malwina identifies as a white, queer, non-binary, 1.5 generation immigrant originally from Poland. They graduated from Columbia School of Social Work with an MSW in 2015. They have a private practice called Iskra Psychotherapy focused on trauma, gender, sexuality, anti-racism and specialize in working with LGBTQ+, TGNCNB, and queer communities and their families. They are also currently a clinical supervisor at Ackerman Institute's Gender & Family Project with past experience at Safe Horizon Counseling Center and The Anti-Violence Project. They utilize anti-oppressive frameworks in their teaching, clinical and supervisory work and believe that deeply rooted within each of us are the tools and knowledge for growth and healing.

Johanna Creswell Báez

Dr. Báez is an Assistant Professor in social work at University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. She completed her Masters of Science in Social Work at the Columbia University in 2006 and then worked at several non-profits as a director of clinical and research programming and as a private practice clinician before completing her PhD in clinical social work at Smith College in 2016. She was then a Manager of Course Development and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work from fall of 2018 through summer of 2021. Dr. Báez’s research focuses on issues related to trauma, children and families, and immigration. She has a particular interest in mental health support for immigrant youth and their families, school-based mental health services, culturally responsive interventions, and qualitative research methods. Dr. Báez is a passionate social work educator who has taught social work practice classes along with coursework on social welfare policies, families and children, immigrants, trauma, financial management, and research methods. She recently published a book on how to do qualitative research with SAGE Publications, co-authored with John W. Creswell, 30 Essential Skills for the Qualitative Researcher (2nd ed.), and is an Associate Editor for the journal, Qualitative Health Research. She has published articles in journals such as Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, Children and Schools, Families in Society, Journal of Social Work Education, Journal of Teaching in Social Work, International Journal of School Social Work, Social Work in Mental Health, and Journal of Public Health. She recently completed a three-year fellowship as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar Fellow (2018-2021) bridging practice and research to support the mental health needs of unaccompanied immigrant minors. You can see more of her work in support of unaccompanied immigrant minors here: https://www.bbhouston.org/

Aparna Samuel Balasundaram

Dr. Aparna Samuel Balasundaram is an award-winning psychotherapist, author and TEDx speaker and is a passionate and results-driven mental health leader. She has 23+ years of global experience across operations, program, and people management, in large corporate and behavioral healthcare settings. She is currently the Global Head for Wellbeing and Resilience for an international organization and is responsible for the design and execution of an evidence based and culturally appropriate well-being and resilience framework, with a special focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, for 35,000+ employees, across APAC, EMEA and the AMERICAS. Her academic and professional interest includes the development of online curriculums and training programs to enhance an engaging and inclusive online learning environment. She has been a Teaching Associate and Guest Lecturer at Columbia University, NY and the University of Pennsylvania, PA. Her educational qualifications include national and international institutes. She is the recipient of New York University’s ‘Deans Award’ for academic excellence, the Press-Ganey Award for Clinical Expertise with Children and Adults, USA and a Special Recognition Award by NAMI, New Jersey (SAMHAJ) for her outstanding contribution to combating stigma and promoting public awareness and understanding about mental health in the South Asian community. Aparna lives in Austin but works remotely across the globe. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | NYU | TISS (INDIA) | NIMHANS (INDIA) | MCC (INDIA)

Sara Bartlett

Sara Bartlett is a licensed clinical social worker in California. Her background is in medical social work and social work with older adults. She has worked as a home health and hospice social worker, older adult case manager, medical social worker, hospice volunteer coordinator, and as Area Director of a local Alzheimer's Association chapter. She also teaches Sociology and Psychology courses at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and Social Work courses at Columbia's School of Social Work (online). Sara received her B.A. in Psychology and minor in Gerontology from UC Davis, her MSW with an aging concentration from UC Berkeley, and her DSW from Penn. Her research interests center around intergenerational service-learning as a tool for increasing interest among social workers to enter the field of aging, as well as intergenerational relationships, successful aging, and Alzheimer's disease/dementia and caregiving.

Hans Bernier

Hans Bernier is an Associate Director of Field for CSSW focusing on school and school based placements. As a youth development and education practitioner with over fifteen years of service in the field I am aiming to continue this commitment by drawing on my MPA, from The Metropolitan College of NY, and LCSW, from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Given my years of work experience coordinating school and community based programming I have acquired the skills needed to successfully collaborate with the range of stakeholders currently supporting social work and social justice practices. I have helped build programs from startup to established, specifically as Co-Founder of the Wediko NY School Based Program and Director of Harlem Grown, a NYC based food justice organization. I also serve as the NYC lead clinician for Black Men Heal a non-profit that focuses on connecting clinicians of color with Black men to combat issues of access in our communities. I am currently working at CSSW as an Associate Director of Field. In addition to my school based roles I have also provided direct clinical supports to children and adults through a number of NYC based community organizations and a private practice. I have also successfully completed the Online Pedagogy Institute, Institute on Technical Skills for Online Event Production, and have served as an online TA through the Columbia University School of Social Work Online Campus. I am always looking for interesting ways to connect to the work so feel free to contact me at: hb2653@columbia.edu.

Sahani Chandraratna

Sahani Chandraratna has nearly a decade of experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, and has published articles on community engagement and women’s rights in low- and middle-income countries. Sahani is passionate about health equity, effective altruism, and the social determinants of health. She worked as a Senior Project Officer in the New York City Department of Health, where she managed four programs in the Bureau of HIV, providing programmatic and technical support to over 30 clinics, hospitals, and nonprofits in the New York City area. In 2019, she moved to Sri Lanka to work as the Health Promotion and Communications Officer for the World Health Organization (WHO) Sri Lanka country office. During her tenure at this post, she served as the risk communication and community engagement focal point during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sahani was awarded the WHO Regional Director Team Award for Excellence as the communication team lead in 2021. Currently, Sahani works at a Sri Lankan women’s rights nonprofit and consults for the development sector. Sahani has a Bachelor of Art in Sociology from The George Washington University and a Master in Public Health, as well as a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Rebecca Yae-Eun Chung

Rebecca Y. Chung, LMSW, is the Program Manager for the Online Campus at the Columbia University, School of Social Work, and the Director of Management and Impact at STYRO Matters. She is also currently serving a 2-year appointment term with the National Unification Advisory Council, a presidential consultative body for South Korea. Her roles in different sectors and fields provide her with a unique perspective to contribute to a more socially equitable world.

Ms. Chung’s professional experience ranges across international development, administration and management, strategic planning and programming, policy analysis, and direct service. She has previously worked for the NYC Department of Education, UNICEF, UNDP, the United Nations, and a number of grassroots international organizations. In the past few years, Ms. Chung has also been internationally recognized as an emerging leader in the field of social work and nonprofit management. She was honored by the Network for Social Work Management as a Mark Moses Distinguished Fellow in 2018, the Workforce Magazine as a Top-40-Under-40 Game Changer in 2019, UPCEA as an inaugural Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholar in 2020, and City & State and NYN Media as a rising Nonprofit 40-Under-40 leader in 2021. She has also been recognized for numerous awards with her team each year.

Ms. Chung holds a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University, with a concentration in Social Enterprise Administration and a field of practice in International Social Welfare. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego, with a double minor concentration in Computer Science and Technology, and Music. Ms. Chung is proud to serve her many communities and finds great meaning in her commitment to social justice and equality.

Sarah Clem

Sarah Clem is a PhD student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and is an AGESW Pre-Dissertation Fellow. Previously, Sarah was an instructor for the Introduction to Statistics course at Columbia University School of Social Work. Sarah has also worked in multiple capacities serving immigrants and refugees in New York City. She served as a counselor and program director for a program supporting youth transitioning to the US, helped immigrants resolve visa issues while working in a congressional office, and supervised a team of case planners providing education and monitoring to recent immigrant families at risk of abuse and neglect. Sarah’s research is focused on funeral planning and death rituals among immigrant populations.

Elisabeth Counselman-Carpenter

Beth Counselman-Carpenter, PhD, LCSW, RPT-S is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Adelphi University. Her practice and research interests include understanding the role of post-traumatic growth in decreasing barriers to service provision in social work and medical settings, particularly with the LGBTQIA+ community; online learning pedagogy and mental health service provision for breast cancer survivors. She has co-authored two books: ‘Working with Grief, & Traumatic Loss: Theory, Practice, Personal Reflection’ & ‘Self-care for Clinicians and Decolonizing Human Behavior: An Anti-Oppressive Reader’ and frequently contributes to peer reviewed journals. In addition to teaching, she maintains a small private practice and community DEI consultancy practice. Beth has a BA in Sociology from the University of Richmond, an MSW from New York University and a PhD from Adelphi University.

Agata Dera

Agata Dera, MSW is bilingual educator, an activist, guest speaker and a technology expert working as a Live Support Specialist at Columbia University School of Social Work (CSSW). Since 2018, she has worked on over 42 courses assisting with several hundred live class sessions. In addition to utilizing technological advancements to create dynamic, engaging and innovative virtual classrooms, she specializes in coaching online educators on ways to improve webcam image. Prior to receiving her Master’s Degree from Columbia University, Agata served as a White House intern under the Obama Administration working in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. She was selected as one of the leaders of the intern class and led the LGBTQ Policy Professional Interest Group organizing weekly guest speaker events at the White House. She has also worked on the 2019 docu-series “Why We Hate” produced by Steven Spielberg and Alex Gibney “exploring the history of human hatred and ways to overcome it”. Athletic Achievements include: Drafted to the U-19 Polish Women’s National Soccer Team; Represented Poland in the UEFA European Championship Qualifiers in the Netherlands; Goalkeeper for the Maryland Capitols FC in the Women’s Premier League; Member of NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Team; Participant in the 2013 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship; Awarded Most Valuable Player by Landmark Conference for her performance in the Women’s Championship Final.

Mary B. Downs

Mary graduated from Columbia University School of Social Work in 2019. She also holds a Masters of Education from Long Island University and has over twenty-five years of experience as an educator. Her students included honors high school, at-risk, behaviorally and economically challenged teens, and adult learners in a rural community college setting. She worked tirelessly for several years advocating for men facing housing and employment bias. She currently collaborates with local and state leaders and stakeholders to approach traditional community solutions through a Power, Race, Oppression, and Privilege (PROP) lens. She also serves as a mitigation and resource consultant for a health care law firm. In her spare time, she enjoys engaging her Border Terriers and Dandie Dinmont Terriers in performance and conformation events throughout North America.

Taylor Alexandra Eutsey

Taylor (She/her/hers) earned her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. While attending Columbia University, she advocated remaining at her internship placement at the Federal Defenders of New York, Inc. for two years to full-heartedly immerse herself in forensic social work. As a social work intern at the Federal Defenders office, Taylor engaged in pre-sentencing and post-incarceration advocacy for individuals affected by the criminal justice system on a federal level. While working towards her degree, she had the opportunity to volunteer at Metropolitan Correctional Center to co-facilitate a brief cognitive-behavioral therapy group for men and developed a curriculum for a parenting group. Prior to rejoining the Bronx Defenders in her new role, Taylor worked as a Criminal Defense Practice Social Worker at the Bronx Defenders. She also worked at the Federal Community Defenders Office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the Capital Habeas Unit as a Mitigation Specialist/Investigator providing forensic social work services to death-sentenced clients, including supportive counseling and family support. While working at the Federal Community Defender Office, Taylor worked on a collaborative team to develop and present guilt, as well as penalty phase issues in federal habeas corpus proceedings. Originally from New Jersey, Taylor received her Bachelor of Arts dual degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Rutgers University-New Brunswick Campus.

Krystal Folk

Krystal Folk, LMSW, is a Founding Lead School Social Worker at a KIPP Purpose Academy middle school where she provides counseling and crisis intervention services to students while helping to create the founding social work and special education teams. Krystal reconnected with CSSW and works part-time as a Live Support Specialist for the school’s online Master of Social Work program. She has represented the CSSW’s Online Campus at various conferences. Krystal is also a Field Instructor at NYU Silver where she is also her DSW cohort’s class representative and the DSW program’s representative for the Social Justice Praxis Committee. She is also on the Board of Directors for us at Girls Leadership.

Kristin Garay

Kristin Garay has been the Manager of Online Campus Technology at Columbia University School of Social Work since 2017. She graduated from Columbia School of Social Work's (CSSW) 16-month program in 2016 with a clinic focus in the areas of health, mental health & disability. Her field placements were at the Ali Forney Center and New York- Presbyterian Hospital's School Based Health Centers. She became a Live Support Specialist (LSS) at CSSW's online program in 2016 before assuming her current role as Manager of Online Campus Technologies in 2017.

Helen Garcia

Helen Garcia (Gero), LMSW. Helen currently works as a Live Support Specialist for Columbia University School of Social Work. In this role, Helen provides technical assistance to the online campus, conducts trainings, and other administrative tasks. Helen also works as a Clinical Facilitator for the Clinical Technical Assistance Center (CTAC) at Healthfirst. In this role, Helen works closely with clinical teams and internal stakeholders to advance Healthfirst’s clinical practice through technical assistance, education, and innovation solutions by applying adult learning theory and clinical practice standards.  Helen received her Master of Science degree in Social Work from Columbia University in 2016 and her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and Social Work from Seton Hall University in 2015, Summa Cum Laude.

Bonnie Glass

Bonnie Glass is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) currently practicing in Vermont where she is Assistant Director, Clinical Supervisor, and Clinician at the Vermont Center for Resiliency. She is Senior Lecturer at Columbia University School of Social Work (CSSW) where she teaches courses on Advanced Clinical Practice, Trauma, and Spirituality. Bonnie's clinical practice, supervision, mentorship, and teaching style is rooted in an Integrative Mind-Body-Spirit Social Work approach balanced with strengths-based, empowerment, psychodynamic, and Narrative Medicine perspectives. She has over 20 years of experience serving New York City and Vermont individuals and communities as program coordinator, supervisor, grant-writer, clinical therapist, clinical forensic specialist, crisis counselor, advocate, researcher, and consultant at a variety of multi-disciplinary agencies and institutions. Bonnie was research faculty and psychedelic psychotherapist in the NYU Cancer Anxiety Psilocybin Research Study and studies Dreamwork in Clinical Practice. As a certified yoga instructor, Bonnie integrates mindfulness, yoga, and breathwork into aspects of her work. She received a MS in Social Work from CSSW and a BA from Miami University (Ohio) with a major in Psychology and a minor in Criminology. In addition to her role as social worker, Bonnie is also head coach of The University of Vermont Synchronized Skating Team.

Ana R. Grullón V.

Ana Raquel Grullón, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker currently working towards obtaining a second master’s in International Community Health from the University of Oslo. She completed her undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College and obtained her MSW degree from Rutgers University. She has been an associate at Columbia University’s School of Social Work since 2018. She has specialized in providing individual, dyadic, family, and group therapy with a focus on trauma informed developmental and behavioral services from birth throughout the lifespan. She is trained in TF-CBT, Parenting Journey, and GABI. While working at Montefiore Medical Center, she was actively engaged in child welfare and was the Program Coordinator for the Parent Infant Court Project, with a special focus on reunification for children in foster care. She was also on the Adoption for Safe Families Act Mental Health Subcommittee, where she helped coordinate mental health trainings for family court judges in NYC’s boroughs. She has worked in various settings, including medical and community mental health. Currently, she is in private practice focusing on supporting clients with a holistic and functional medicine approach. Her areas of interest include earning secure attachments, the correlation between physical and mental health in people with a high number of Adverse Childhood Experiences and how domestic violence impacts health outcomes. She is currently working on obtaining certification to better serve neurodivergent clients, clients who have faced toxic work environments, as well as clients who need perinatal mental health support. She focuses on supporting both children and adults through a number of experiences, including trauma, social/emotional issues, life transitions, and fostering secure attachments. Empowering clients, helping to strengthen family and community connections, as well as supporting clients to facilitate healthier interactions with those around them have been the main foci of her work.

Robert Paul Hartley

Robert Paul Hartley is an assistant professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work where he teaches economics and policy analysis. His research addresses the economics of social policy related to childhood poverty, food security, and family outcomes across generations. He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, an MDiv in Theology from Emmanuel School of Religion, and a PhD in Economics from the University of Kentucky.

Christine D. Holmes

Christine Holmes is an adjunct lecturer of the Columbia School of Social Work and has enjoyed working with the Online Campus since 2018. Her areas of interest bridge aging and international social work. Christine is the founder and counselor of Hand in Hand Caregiver Counseling, supporting long-distance caregivers through elder care and bereavement. She is also an ASA RISE Fellow for the American Society on Aging for leadership development with other BIPOC professionals in aging.

Christine has served internationally in various capacities, including her role as a course facilitator for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative in Jakarta, Indonesia. Previously, she was Visiting Faculty for The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health, an academic institution of The Banyan, a mental health and homelessness NGO in Chennai, India. She developed an operations manual and a diploma course for homeless shelter coordinators and led research on the history of colonial psychiatry in Kerala, India. Christine also worked in Cambodia as a Regional Teacher Trainer for the Peace Corps and an advisor to local NGOs and academic programs.

Christine’s clinical practice began at a diversion program of The New York Foundling where she delivered Functional Family Therapy in the South Bronx. Christine went on to support families as a case manager in D.C.’s juvenile justice system, the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. Christine discovered her passion for family caregiving while managing adult guardianship cases at the D.C. Superior Court’s Guardianship Assistance Program. Afterward, she provided distance-counseling to adult child and spousal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias for the NYU Caregiver Intervention study.

Christine earned her Doctor of Clinical Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania where she was honored with the Dr. Ram Cnaan Award for merit. Christine holds a Masters in Social Work from the Columbia School of Social Work, a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Arizona State University and an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies from Glendale Community College.

Carly E. D. King

Carly King, MSSW, LSW (she/her/hers) is a licensed social worker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Temple University and a Master of Science in Social Work with a concentration in policy practice from Columbia University. She has worked for over a decade in various child welfare roles, including foster care, adoption, prevention work, and training clinicians who provide mental health services for members of the adoption kinship network. Carly is currently serving as the Interim Director at the Widener University Center for Social Work Education for the Online MSW Program. She has also been a Live Support Specialist for Columbia University School of Social Work’s Online Campus since 2020. Outside of these roles, Carly is frequently found teaching or facilitating training and workshops, around topics of grief and loss, trauma, transracial adoption, attachment, LGBTQIA+ topics, physical and mental health care.

Edy Kupietzky

Edy Hanus Kupietzky, DrPH, MPH, LMSW is currently a clinical consultant assisting hospitals and other providers with strategies to impact employee retention, reduce burnout and improve overall employee health. Dr. Kupietzky has over twenty years of public health and medical research experience. Her focus areas include pediatric oncology, childhood cancer survivorship, asthma, and health education. She implemented interventions, research designs and assessed the psychosocial needs of patients throughout her various positions. Edy maintains her passion for public health by serving on advisory boards for health related non-for profits.

She earned her Doctor of Public Health and Master of Public Health from Columbia University, where she concentrated in sociomedical sciences, health promotion and disease prevention. She received a MS in Social Work from Columbia School of Social Work in Advanced Clinical Practice with a concentration in health, mental health, and disabilities. Edy earned her BA from Barnard College with a major in Urban Affairs and Public Health.

Joshua Levine

Joshua Levine, LCSW is a Mentor and Live Support Specialist (LSS) at Columbia University’s School of Social Work. He is also the Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System – Brooklyn campus. Mr. Levine’s research interests include suicide prevention and related issues, and more specifically with the military veteran population. Mr. Levine has published several research articles, including a textbook chapter, in this area. He received his Masters of Science in Social Work from Columbia University – School of Social Work, and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

M. Karen Lichlyter-Klein

M. Karen Lichlyter-Klein is an MSW student at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from Colorado Christian University and a Master's of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary. Her first career was as a pastor/theologian, public speaker, and religious writer, but then moved into the nonprofit sector working as a consultant in leadership development, organizational management, and conflict mediation, while also serving as the Chief Operating Officer of a county-wide nonprofit action agency. Her areas of research and interests include spiritual identity and its impacts on emotional health, health equity, burnout and resiliency, and organizational/systemic interventions for staff retention and health.

Elexia A. Gonzalez Lowe

Elexia A. Gonzalez Lowe, LCSW (she/they) is a diversity coach, psychotherapist, advocate, and program management professional. Elexia earned her MS in Social Work from Columbia University, her BA in Ethnic and Gender Studies and a BS in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin. Elexia is trained in EMDR and brainspotting and is intensively trained in generalized DBT and in Radically-Open DBT, a specialty of DBT treating disorders of overcontrol. Elexia has practiced social work in a variety of settings including psychiatric facilities, interpersonal violence services, and research. She currently provides both individual and group therapy at her private practice as well as provides DEI coaching and consultancy for organizations and individuals. Elexia also works as a Live Support Specialist for Columbia University School of Social Work's Online Campus. In addition, Elexia serves on the board for the Austin Asian Community Health Initiative. Elexia has an eclectic work history including research to adapt an evidence-based anti-retroviral adherence intervention for people living with HIV who use illicit drugs, community outreach, organizing, and direct practice work with refugees, asylees, immigrants, survivors of interpersonal violence, and the insecure housing/ unhoused communities, conference planning and speaking for women's empowerment, smart decarceration and post-secondary school resourcing and live theater performance in a troupe that utilized the theatrical forms of Paulo Freire and Dr. Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed. Previous to social work, Elexia worked in both corporate and social event production and planned and produced continuing legal education seminars for attorneys all over Texas, worked as a grassroots lobbyist consultant for the American Cancer Society on public health issues, owned a boutique management agency in the entertainment industry working with notable live music venues, world and ethnic musicians, and art performers including Grammy winners and sponsorship from international brands, and managed a brand in the fashion industry featured in Forbes as a western boot designer and producer.

Matthea Marquart

Matthea Marquart is a social worker, leader, educator, and online education expert. She is the Assistant Dean of Online Education at Columbia University’s School of Social Work (CSSW), a Senior Lecturer teaching innovative courses, and the creator and co-facilitator of CSSW’s Institute on Pedagogy and Technology for Online Courses. She began working with CSSW's Online Campus in 2014 during beta testing and launch preparation, helped launch the Online Campus in 2015, and has focused on collaborating on the online program's continuous improvement and growth since then. Her team’s work with CSSW’s Online Campus has won numerous awards, including from the International E-Learning Association, the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, the United States Distance Learning Association, and Chief Learning Officer Magazine. Matthea publishes and presents frequently, including over 125 invited and refereed talks, workshops, keynote speeches, and conference sessions about education, training, teaching with technology, and nonprofit management.

She is honored to have been recognized by the Council on Social Work Education’s Women’s Council as a Feminist Mentor, by the Network for Social Work Management with an Exemplar Award for exemplary performance and leadership as a social work executive leader, by the White House and Americorps with a President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award in recognition of volunteer service to community and country, and by the NYC chapter of the National Association of Social Workers with an Emerald Leadership Award for 16-25 years of exemplary leadership and contributions to the Social Work profession. Matthea began working in education in 1997, and in online education in 2008. She holds a BA in English from Emory University and an MS in Social Work from Columbia University. She is passionate about student-centered teaching and learning, and can be reached on Twitter, on LinkedIn, or on her website.

Lia W. Marshall

Dr. Marshall is currently the Manager of Course Development and Lecturer at Columbia University’s School of Social Work (CSSW) and co-facilitator of CSSW’s Institute on Pedagogy and Technology for Online Courses. She has 10 years of public health and medical research administration experience in immunology, oncology and chronic disease prevention and management where she developed an expertise in managing NIH grants, in clinical trial administration, and health policy. Her research interests include older adult well-being, and aging-well-in-place by investigating the interconnections between social isolation, mobility, and the built environment. Her academic interests are in distance learning in higher education and Social Work education as a whole.

Dr Marshall received a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a Masters of Social Work from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). She is passionate about social justice and health equity.

Vitina Monacello

Vitina Monacello, MSW, works as a live support specialist for Columbia University’s School of Social Work (CSSW) online program. Live support specialists enhance the synchronous online classroom experience and use social work skills while providing technical support to the instructional team and students. She also works as a therapist at Pace Center for Girls in Immokalee, Florida. Pace is a non-profit organization that provides academic classes, counseling, and social services to middle school and high school girls in a trauma-informed and gender-responsive environment. Ms. Monacello received a Masters of Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelors of Arts in Human Rights and Economics from the University of Dayton. She is passionate about human rights, education, and health equity.

Melissa Murphy Thompson

Melissa Murphy Thompson MSW, LCSW, OSW-C is an award winning online educator and professor of social work. Melissa utilizes models of accompaniment, trauma informed teaching and learning, and radical hope in her work with students, colleagues and clients. A board certified oncology social worker, she has worked in mental health, health care and community settings as a clinician and a leader. She is in private practice in the Chicagoland area. Her research, teaching and clinical practice focus on supporting those who have experienced trauma, the LGBTQQI+ and non-binary communities, military veterans and families, health and health disparities and the utilization of mindfulness in various settings. Melissa was a full time faculty member at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois where she was the Director of Online Learning and Development and the Coordinator of the Military Social Work Program. She is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at Salisbury University in Maryland and a member of the online faculty for the Columbia School of Social Work. Besides accompanying amazingly talented and passionate students, Melissa's contributions in higher education include curriculum design for both online and face to face learning communities, training for teaching excellence, student success, and professional development for faculty and administration. She is often found researching how to make a class, a content area or a program more effective, engaging and student centered. Melissa is a sought after keynote speaker and consultant in the areas of social work, higher education, health, business leadership and employee wellness. Melissa holds a Master in Social Work degree from Aurora University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human and Organizational Development from DePaul University in Chicago.

Murali Nair

Murali D. Nair is an Adjunct Professor, School of Social Work, Columbia University. Nair teaches on line courses on “Corporate Social Responsibility”, “Social Welfare Policy” and “Mindfulness”. Also on a weekly basis, provides students and alumni “mentoring” and “self-care” sessions. As an authority on engaged learning, Murali Nair combines traditional cross national value systems with evidence based knowledge in the classroom setting. Over his 45-year academic career, Murali Nair has served as a BSW, MSW, and DSW professor and administrator at five universities in the United States and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at three overseas universities. In his last positions, Nair was the Clinical Professor of Social Change and Innovation at University of Southern California (2012-2020) and a Professor and the Director of the School of Social Work at Cleveland State University (1992-2012). His areas of teaching expertise include macro practice, social enterprise, social responsibility, wellbeing innovation, harnessing technology for social good, advancing long and productive lives, and social responses to changing environments. Nair has published extensively in the area of social development, including 13 books, nine short documentaries, and over 100 journal articles and peer reviewed paper presentations at national and international conferences. His latest books include Engaged Learning, Leading and Managing Human Service Organizations (4tth edition), and Evidence Based Macro Social Work Practice (2nd edition). He is a CSWE member of the Special Commission to Advance Macro Practice and an Associate Editor of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Macro Social Work. Some of Nair’s recent teaching-service awards include: - Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, Service to the University, the School and the Community, University of Southern California (2019, 2015, 2014) - The Frances Feldman Excellence in Education Award, The California Social Welfare Archives (2017) - National Policy Fellow Lead Mentor Award: National Network for Social Work Management (2017) - Distinguished Mentoring Award: CSWE-APM conference in Denver (2018) - President’s (White House) Volunteer Action Award (2012) - Columbia University School of Social Work Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee (2011) - Distinguished Faculty Award for Service, Multi-culturalism and Teaching, Cleveland State University (2011, 2006, 2002) - Senior Fulbright Scholar Award (2010) - Certificate of Special United States Congressional Recognition for Outstanding Services to Community (2009) He holds an MSW from Loyola College of Social Sciences, an MS in Computer Science from the New York Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. from the Columbia University School of Social Work.

Amelia Ortega

Amelia Ortega, LCSW, currently works as a somatic psychotherapist, organizational consultant and professor of Social Work practice. As a non-binary, mixed Chicanx identified clinician, Amelia’s work focuses on healing from racial trauma and gender-based violence. Amelia specializes in trauma conscious facilitation and trauma informed classroom pedagogies through their role as a Senior Lecturer at the Columbia University School of Social Work and as an organizational consultant. Specifically Amelia supports and leads space for other mixed/multi-racial identified individuals and families to address the impacts of racism on selfhood and connection to un-doing systems of oppression. Amelia’s clinical and teaching practices engage healing generational trauma through use of feminist psychotherapy, EMDR and their training in the Trauma Conscious Yoga Method. In 2019 Amelia was named by Negocios Now as one of “NYC’s 40 Latinos under 40” for their trauma therapy work with LGBTQQ2S Latinx community.

Mary Piepmeier

Mary Piepmeier, MA is an adjunct lecturer at Columbia School of Social Work (CSSW) and the Program Manager for CSSW Office of Professional Excellence (OPE) & MI Training Program. As an adjunct lecturer, Mary is a certified lab instructor for the motivational interviewing (MI) lab, a highly intensive, skills-based training lab to help prepare first year MSW students for field education. Mary has been involved with the MI labs since its inception four years ago- she contributed to the curriculum development, training of certified lab instructors, and implementation as part of the CSSW Field Education. As the Program Manager for CSSW OPE & MI Training program, Mary is responsible for identifying and overseeing the event programming to support CSSW OPE’s vision to provide innovative, high quality professional development courses to social workers and related professions. In addition to administrative support in her management role, Mary also serves as an instructor for OPE-hosted MI Training Program workshops for community members. Mary has also co-authored publications on MI in brief intervention, medication adherence, and alcohol pharmacology treatment trials. Mary has also authored and presented on best practices and tools for skills-based training for online MSW students. Mary holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from New School for Social Research.

Sabeen Qureshi

Sabeen Qureshi graduated with her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work in 2016 where she specialized in Advanced Clinical Practice with an emphasis on Family, Youth and Children. She has worked with Assertive Community Treatment teams for adults with severe mental illnesses and Residential Treatment facilities for adolescents in Long Island, NY. She graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of Houston with a minor in Arabic Studies. During which she conducted research in Motivational Interviewing at Baylor College of Medicine. She has been a part of CSSW's Online Campus as a Live Support Specialist since 2017. Sabeen is passionate about advocating for Muslim Mental Health and battling cultural stigma.

Morgan B. Ritacco

Morgan Ritacco, LICSW, LCSW has been a school based social worker in Washington, DC since 2012 providing therapeutic services to students and families on an individual and group level. She earned her BSW and MSW from Florida State University with a focus in Child Welfare. Morgan has been an online instructor with Columbia School of Social Work since 2019 and has also taught online with Wilmington University since 2016. Throughout her clinical work Morgan has created spaces for individuals to dig into therapeutic work that embraces the whole person and allows for growth at all stages of life. Morgan specializes in working with students with learning differences and is passionate about advocating for students within school systems. Morgan has integrated her experience and expertise into direct practice with children and families, MSW students, and online instruction classes.

Allison R. Ross

Allison Ross, PhD, LCSW-R is the Deputy Clinical Director at Sanctuary for Families, a $24M organization that provides comprehensive services to adults and children survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking and other forms of gender violence. In this role, she supports the oversight of the Clinical Department, which has a staff of over 60 and a budget of over $4.5M, including overseeing the Non-Residential Program Services to survivors and children at multiple sites, the African Community Initiative, the South and East Asian Community Initiatives, the Hotline and the Clinical Administrative Program. Dr. Ross earned her MSW from Columbia and her PhD from Fordham. As an educator, she serves as a Field Instructor for MSW, MHC, and undergraduate interns. She has also been an Adjunct Instructor at Columbia University’s School of Social Work since 2011, teaching Domestic Violence and Social Work Practice including Field Education Seminar. Dr. Ross was one of the school’s first online instructors, piloting two online courses before the Online Campus launched and currently having taught more than 20 online courses. She serves on the school’s adjunct advisory committee. Dr. Ross is also an Adjunct Instructor at Silver School of Social Work, New York University since 2013, Teaching Research 1 and II. Dr. Ross is serving on a dissertation committee as an outside reader for a doctoral student completing her PhD. She presently serves on the Board of Directors for the New York State Coalition against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) and is a member of National Association of Social Workers (NASW- NYC Chapter) As a Clinical Practitioner, Dr Ross is certified and rostered in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behaviors Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) with additional trainings and certificates in other interventions such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Trauma Informed Care (TIC). She is honored to be recognized by The National Association of Social Workers- NYC Chapter (NASW-NYC), and the Board of Directors as a recipient of the EMERALD AWARD, representing 16-25 Years of exemplary leadership and contributions in the Social Work profession. Dr. Ross’ publications demonstrate her commitment to social justice, advocacy, and empowerment through the lens of race, diversity, and intersectionality. They include Working with Immigrants at Sanctuary for Families; Impact of Psychoeducational Advocacy Training as Compared to Psychoeducational Support Group as an Empowering Tool for Female Survivors of Domestic Violence; and Cell phones, clothing, and sex: First impressions of power using older African Americans as stimuli.

Roxanne Russell

Roxanne Russell, PhD has over 20 years of university-level teaching experience and over 15 years of professional experience with designing, developing, integrating and evaluating online learning environments in higher education. Before coming to the Mailman School, Dr. Russell worked with faculty to launch and sustain the first fully online doctoral program at Emory University, a program designed to prioritize student context, build community and scaffold real-world summative projects. Through her academic design studio, Dr. Russell worked with University of Virginia's Course Design Institute to create an award-winning faculty development forum and course mapping tool. She has also served as a mentor for the Center for Disease Control's E-Learning Institute for the past five years, working with public health practitioners to design and develop courses for the Public Health Foundation's TRAIN Learning Network. Dr. Russell has presented and published in the areas of digital learning and learning analytics in public, private, and non‐profit sectors in the US, India and China and was issued a patent for a machine learning reading comprehension tool.

Delia Ryan

Delia Ryan is a licensed social worker in New York. She currently works as a Forensic Social Worker at The Legal Aid Society of New York City and a Live Support Specialist at Columbia University’s School of Social Work (CSSW). At Legal Aid, Delia conducts psychosocial assessments with clients facing lengthy prison sentences and writes mitigation reports to the Court and Bronx DA's office advocating for non-incarceratory alternatives. She also supervises Master's-level student interns. At CSSW, Delia is a co-leader of the Institute on Pedagogy and Technology for Online Courses, Associate for the Institute on Technical Skills for Online Event Production, mentor to incoming Live Support Specialists, and member of the Quality Assurance administrative team. Delia holds a BA in English from Rutgers University and a Master's of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.

Jessica P. Satkunasingham

Jessica Satkunasingham is a licensed social worker in New York. She is currently working as a private clinician on Long Island. She has previously worked in education specializing in the special needs population. Ms. Satkunasingham's current focus is the mental heath and wellbeing of her clients. She also works as a live support specialist for Columbia University's School of Social Work' online program where she provides technical support to the instructional team and students. Ms. Satkunasingham received her Bachelors in Community and Human Services from SUNY Empire stated and a Masters of Social Work from Columbia University.

Ray Schroeder

Nationally respected and connected leader in higher education online learning, Ray Schroeder is Senior Fellow at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). Beginning as an Instructor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1971, he came as Assistant Professor to the university in Springfield 1977 where he became Emeritus Professor of Communication in 2001. During his tenure, he launched the online learning program at UIS in 1997. He founded the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service and later became Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning in 2013, a position held until 2021. The recipient of numerous national awards and citations for individual excellence and leadership from many associations and entities including the Sloan Consortium (OLC), US Distance Learning Association, American Journal of Distance Education, Illinois Council for Continuing Higher Education, University of Wisconsin and University of Illinois, Ray is the author of book chapters, articles, widely read curated reading lists, blogs and social media feeds on news and research in online learning / educational technology. Ray is a noted speaker, consultant, researcher, and author on topics related to online learning, emerging educational technologies, and technology-enhanced learning.

Katherine A. Segal

Katherine A. Segal, Ph.D., LCSW is an integrative social worker, graduate-level educator, qualitative researcher, and wellness coach. Dr. Segal earned an MSW from Columbia University and a Ph.D. specializing in Integrative Mental Health along with the Integrative Wellness Coaching certificate from Saybrook University. Dr. Segal has practiced social work in a variety of settings including school, medical, forensic, residential, and community mental health. Dr. Segal has utilized their knowledge and skills in the delivery of direct practice, clinical supervision, providing professional trainings, and teaching. They have taught at Columbia University, Saybrook University, and the University of New Hampshire.

Throughout clinical and academic work Dr. Segal has cultivated an integrative theoretical perspective that guides their assessment and treatment of clients as well as the education of colleagues, aspiring social workers, and integrative practitioners. In addition to teaching, Dr. Segal operates a remote coaching private practice specializing in provider burnout prevention, Integrative Mental Health, holistic wellness, life goal attainment, and dissertation completion.

Dawn E. Shedrick

Dawn Shedrick, LCSW-R, is the founder and CEO of JenTex Training & Consulting, a professional development company that offers continuing education training; leadership development training and coaching; and organization development consulting to the human services, healthcare, and social justice sectors. Over the course of her 25-year career, Dawn has gained experience in most aspects of social work practice including case management, community organizing, clinical mental health practice, supervision, organizational and program development, staff development training and coaching, and executive management. She fuses this experience with her advanced training in aromatherapy, herbalism, reiki, meditation, comparative spirituality, and emotional intelligence to create a holistic framework that undergirds all her work. Dawn has also designed and delivered mental and emotional wellness and LGBTQ inclusion seminars in corporate workplaces including Travelers Insurance, JP Morgan Chase, GE, The NY Mets, Office Depot, GlaxoSmithKline, National Grid, Columbia University, and Canon USA North American Headquarters. She has delivered trainings to in-person audiences throughout the United States and abroad in Canada, Puerto Rico, Tanzania, and China and has created interactive virtual learning events for global audiences. Dawn is a lecturer at the Columbia University School of Social Work where she was an inaugural recipient of the Steven P. Schinke Teaching Innovation Award. She is currently a doctoral candidate studying Adult Learning and Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Kelly Smith

Kelly Smith, DSW is the founder and director of the Institute for Social Work and Ecological Justice, developing programs that build social workers’ capacity to confront environmental and social justice challenges related to climate change. She is also a lecturer at Columbia’s School of Social Work and an adjunct professor at Adelphi University. Kelly earned her doctorate in social work from the University of Southern California, where she was honored with The Order of Arête. She is a member of the Grand Challenge for Creating Social Responses to a Changing Environment Advisory Council. Kelly holds a master’s degree in Gender and Social Policy from the London School of Economics.

Sierra M Spriggs

Sierra Spriggs, MSW, LSW is a Family Service Specialist with the New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families. Ms. Spriggs completed her associate degree at Essex County College (located in Newark, NJ) in 2014 before completing her B.S.W. at Seton Hall University (located in South Orange, NJ) in 2016. Ms. Spriggs continued her education at Columbia’s University’s School of Social Work graduating with her M.S.W in 2017. Ms. Spriggs worked for the Columbia University’s online campus from 2017 to 2022 as a Live Support Specialist. Since graduation, Ms. Spriggs has also worked as an administrative assistant for a non-profit, an Intensive In-Community Clinician (IIC), and a clinical case manager for a residential program.

Marianna Stayer

Marianna Stayer, LMSW (she/her) is a Mentor and Live Support Specialist (LSS) at Columbia University’s School of Social Work. Marianna is currently a Provider Relationship Manager at HealthMap Solutions. Marianna's interests include public and community health initiatives. Marianna previously worked as the Program Manager for HIV and Population Health at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital where she developed and implemented programs to close care gaps and increase patient well-being. Mariana is also passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work and has developed and trained curriculum across the NewYork-Presbyterian enterprise reaching nearly 40,000 employees. She received her Masters of Science in Social Work from Columbia University – School of Social Work, and a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Law from Binghamton University.

Sara E. Terrana

Sara E. Terrana is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Adelphi University. She is a passionate social work educator and loves teaching in the online environment. Recently she is the PI of a mixed-methods study evaluating the effects of teaching social work students about social action. Additionally, Dr. Terrana uses qualitative methods and critical theory to study leaders and leadership in organizations in the neoliberal context in order to fight for a more equitable and just society. Dr. Terrana was a 2020–2021 Teaching Fellow at Adelphi University and was nominated for the Excellence in Teaching award in the 2021–2022 academic year. She has several publications in peer-reviewed journals; she has presented her work at national and international conferences across academic disciplines. Dr. Terrana received her Ph.D. and M.S.W. from the University of California, Los Angeles, an M.A. from Teachers College – Columbia University, and a B.A. in communications and psychology from the University of Hawai’i Hilo.

Elise Verdooner

Elise Verdooner, a Fulbright Scholar and returned Peace Corps volunteer, has worked in international development for eight years. She is the former Executive Director of TEEEM, a global nonprofit organization focused on health, education, and economic empowerment in Ethiopia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cambodia, Mongolia, Slovakia, and Peru. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University with a focus on social enterprise administration and international social work and a master's degree in global affairs from the University of Notre Dame. As a Fulbright Scholar in India, she is researching international social welfare, corporate social responsibility, and culture. Elise started as a Teaching Associate at Columbia University School of Social Work in 2019 before transitioning to Adjunct Faculty in 2022. As a youth development volunteer with the Peace Corps in Botswana, Elise worked on organizational capacity building, HIV prevention and outreach, and gender equality initiatives. Elise is a member of National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW) New York City Chapter and the Immigration and Global Social Work Committee. She is a member of the Network for Social Work Management (NSWM) and was the 2019 recipient of the NSWM Mark Moses Distinguished Fellowship Award, which is presented annually to one exemplary practitioner or academic working in the field of social work management. She publishes and presents on topics of international development and teaching with technology.

C. Danette Wilson Gonzalez

Before receiving her MSW from New York University in 1997, C. Danette Wilson Gonzalez, LCSW-R, was active in grassroots efforts in the movement against sexual assault/abuse and domestic violence in Texas and NYC, which led her to enter the social work profession. Since then she has been a dedicated advocate for survivors of interpersonal violence and abuse. Her past professional experience includes working for Mt. Sinai’s SAVI program, St. Luke’s Crime Victim Treatment Center and Safe Horizon and she recently retired from her position as Director of Manhattan Non-Residential Services at Sanctuary for Families, where she coordinated the services provided to survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, FGM (female genital mutilation), forced/child marriage, and other forms of gender violence. Ms. Wilson Gonzalez has extensive experience in direct clinical work, clinical training, and has provided training and workshops to professionals and community groups on a local, national and international level on providing clinical services to survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, other forms of Gender Violence, and Sex Trafficking, as well as, Vicarious Trauma. Her past work included being part of an international team assessing the services being provided to survivors of domestic violence and childhood abuse in the state of Tabasco in Mexico and developing an extensive plan for reforming the services provided, from their shelters, clinical services, to the training of the staff.