Jane Addams College of Social Work

Faculty

Associate Professor Henrika McCoy is principal investigator on a three-year national study funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to increase what we know about young Black males ages 18 to 24, and their violent victimization experiences. Named SURVIVE (Suburban, Urban, Rural Violence: Investigating Victim Experiences), the aim of the project is to better inform policy and practice regarding how the criminal justice system responds to young Black men who have been victimized by violence.

Student

A former U.S. Marine, PhD student Christine Barber has a research interest in suicide prevention among high-risk populations. She says she chose Jane Addams because “so many of faculty use their research at a policy level. They are actually advocating for the populations they care about, and I wanted to work with faculty who have that kind of expertise.” Christine currently has a research assistantship with the Jane Addams Center for Social Policy and Research.

Alumnus

Rick Velasquez, MSW ’84, is Executive Director of Youth Outreach Services, Inc., which serves approximately 4,000 youth and families annually. About his experience at Jane Addams, Rick says, “What I got out of the experience was a greater appreciation of the roles of policy as it affects practice, as it affects everyday life. And I developed an appreciation of evaluation and research which today still informs my work.”