Welcome Aboard

Andrew Eaton and Emily Pasman have joined the faculty at the Jane Addams College of Social Work.

Eaton, BSW, MSW, PhD, RSW, arrived at the University of Illinois Chicago after serving as associate professor at the University of Regina’s Saskatoon campus. In addition to teaching clinical interventions, social policy and critical practice courses, Eaton will continue conducting research on the development, testing, and implementation of interventions regarding aging, sexuality, mental health, and addictions.

Utilizing community-based participatory research, Eaton’s work is focused on addressing complexities of living and aging with HIV/AIDS. His work has also involved LGBTQ+ youth and pedagogical social work research.

Eaton was drawn to the JACSW by its “focus on the development and implementation of policies and services on behalf of at-risk urban populations and priority towards people in poverty, those experiencing oppression, and racial and ethnic minorities.

“JACSW’s priority for real-world solutions and community impact resonates strongly with me,” he said. “I was familiar with numerous JACSW faculty members addressing critical issues in syndemics, HIV/STBBIs, harm reduction, and crisis response. I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues.”

Eaton’s interest in social work initially surfaced in high school while completing courses in sociology and global issues. Volunteering with a homeless outreach program provided him with practical assistance and social support, the experiences expanding his worldview that led him to the pursuit of social justice.

As an undergraduate student at Toronto Metropolitan University, Eaton’s career goal was to work for community-based HIV/AIDS and harm reduction agencies operating community capacity-building and community care programs. One year after completing his degree, he joined a community-based research team to design a support group for magnetic couples (one partner is HIV positive, the other is HIV negative). It was then that he began writing his own research grant proposals for funds made available to community-based HIV staff seeking to research real-world solutions.

“I saw a huge benefit to community-based research, that a local community could develop their own solution, and that the solution could be disseminated in a manner that may interest a broader audience,” said Eaton, who is an associate professor. “While I had early success with some pilot HIV research projects, it was evident that my lack of graduate training would only let me progress so far as a researcher.” Eaton returned to school, receiving both his MSW and doctoral degrees at the University of Toronto.

Eaton’s research is influenced by his relationships with people who have had personal experiences. His interest in the development of Cognitive Remediation Group Therapy (CRGT), which helps individuals improve their mental skills such as attention and memory through group-based exercises and activities, emerged from his practice with people aging with HIV who were experiencing cognitive concerns. At the time there were no evidence-based, nonpharmacological interventions for the population.

Following the completion of his doctorate in 2021, Eaton was appointed to the faculty of the University of Regina. He has been awarded grants totaling more than $1 million (Canadian).

First Foray into Academia

The 2025-2026 academic year is Pasman’s first as a faculty member. Prior to joining the JACSW as an assistant professor, she worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, and Health, aiding on federally funded projects examining trajectories of prescription stimulant use. Her work focused on the protective effect of stimulant therapy among adolescents and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who are at increased risk for substance use-related harm.

“During my time at the University of Michigan, I learned so much about secondary data analysis, longitudinal methods, and NIH grant writing that will serve me well throughout my career,” she said.

Academia was not a career goal of Pasman’s. Obtaining a degree in family and community services from Michigan State University, she began working in peer recovery support services. Wanting to learn more about assisting people with addictions, Pasman intended to return to school to pursue a counseling degree. Her supervisor possessed a master’s degree in social work, and she encouraged her to research the field. She did so and was eager to change her course of study.

Returning to Michigan State, Pasman “fell in love with learning and never wanted to stop. I became involved in one of my professor’s research projects, and that’s when I knew I had found my calling.”

Pasman entered Wayne State University’s doctoral program after receiving her master’s in social work, intending to study recovery support services. One of her initial research projects, however, involved onsite data collection at a methadone treatment program. The experience, Pasman said, was transformative, as she was confronted with some of her own biases and misconceptions.

“I realized the incredible impact of stigma on methadone treatment,” she said. “This became a turning point in my research. I became interested in stigma toward medications for opioid use disorder and harm reduction, particularly stigma within mainstream treatment and recovery support services.”

Attitudes toward harm reduction among the peer workforce, part of her doctoral dissertation, is a primary interest of Pasman’s. The front-line service providers who have overcome addiction are a rapidly growing sector of the substance use workforce whose professional beliefs and responsibilities are intertwined with their own path to recovery. Pasman recently completed a pilot project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (one of the National Institutes of Health) that developed the framework for a training program to improve peer workers’ attitudes toward harm reduction.

Pasman is also interested in supporting families affected by addiction. More than two-thirds of U.S. adults have been impacted by a loved one’s dependence, but little is known about the needs of affected family members and the most effective ways to support them. Pasman’s research has explored the experiences of families affected by addiction with a goal of uncovering areas and potential mechanisms for intervention.

Pasman was attracted to Wayne State’s doctoral program due to its urban mission, with the school located in Detroit. The same is true of her decision to begin her career at the JACSW, where she will teach courses in social welfare policy, mental health policy, and research methods.

“I value community-engaged, translational research, and high-quality education that is accessible to people of diverse backgrounds, identities, and abilities,” she said. “I am also impressed by the robust portfolio of substance use research within the college and the broader university. I’m really looking forward to beginning my career at the JACSW.”