Jane Addams College of Social Work

Faculty Spotlight

New faculty member Assistant Professor Shih-Ying Cheng focuses on gender-based and intimate partner violence, and recent immigrants. She has worked with survivors of gender-based violence and admires their strength and resourcefulness. “But, I also see how vulnerable they can be. I had a client who was almost killed by her husband, and when I visited her in the hospital, I told myself that I didn’t want to see that happen again,” she says. Dr. Cheng was drawn to Jane Addams by the work being done with and on behalf of marginalized populations. “That is exactly what I want to pursue in my life and my career,” she says. “I want to be useful, and I want my research to be meaningful and have impact in the real world.”  Read more about Dr. Cheng »

Student Spotlight

Doctoral student Hyun-Seok (Edward) Cheon has practice experience that includes clinical therapy and coordinating a university-community partnership at the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development. He also conducted preliminary research regarding the implementation of character-based education in K-12 at a public policy organization in South Korea. His research interest is the improvement of organizational management and institutional collaboration to optimize delivery of services. He is assisting Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra in her ongoing research into the well-being of street intervention workers.  Read more about Edward »

Alumnus Spotlight

Growing up in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, Jerry Watson, MSW ’97, spent a significant part of his youth at the Sears YMCA. While he was having fun with his friends, Watson was also learning from elders – many of whom were social workers – that would help shape his life. For the past five years, Watson has served as assistant professor at the University of Memphis School of Social Work. A teacher since the age of 16, when he taught swimming lessons at the ‘Y’, Watson can’t picture himself outside of the classroom. Read more about Dr. Jerry Watson.