Faculty: Department of Social Work | Department of Social Work | The University of Vermont(title)

We share your passion for social justice and human rights. Our faculty are dedicated instructors, researchers, and active community members who make an impact in across Vermont, throughout the nation, and around the world.

Faculty Profiles

Linda Chimwemwe G. Banda

Assistant Professor of Social Work

  • Child Marriage
  • Gender-Based Violence and Intimate Partner Violence
  • Implementation Science Frameworks
  • Human Rights Frameworks
  • Feminist Approaches
  • Policy analysis

Linda.Banda@uvm.edu

Simon Chan

Associate Professor of Social Work

  • Families of Children with Special Education Needs
  • Men-in-Trauma
  • Psychotherapy

Simon.Chan@uvm.edu

Seungmi L. Cho

Assistant Professor of Social Work

  • Power, privilege, and oppression
  • Macro social work
  • Developmental perspectives on racial difference and adoption status
  • Critical qualitative inquiry
  • Social justice pedagogy

slcho@uvm.edu

Susan Comerford

Associate Professor of Social Work

  • Adult learning
  • Diversity, access and equity
  • Human rights
  • Immigrant issues
  • Leadership
  • Organizational development

Susan.Comerford@uvm.edu

Cassie Gillespie

Lecturer of Social Work

  • Organizational and Workforce Development
  • Trauma Informed Practices
  • Child Welfare

cassie.gillespie@uvm.edu

Bonnie Glass

Lecturer of Social Work • Head Coach of UVM Synchronized Skating Team

  • Trauma, Violence, Victimization
  • Grief, Loss, Death, and Dying
  • Spirituality and Dreamwork
  • Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration
  • Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Compassion Fatigue
  • Compassion Satisfaction, Self Care, and Collective Care

bonnie.glass@uvm.edu

Danielle Jatlow

Lecturer of Social Work • BSW Program Coordinator

  • Adolescents, Young Adults, and Families
  • Mental Health and Wellness
  • Anti-Oppressive Practice
  • Community Health Practice
  • Clinical Training and Consultation

Danielle.Jatlow@uvm.edu

Kelly Melekis

Associate Professor of Social Work • MSW Program Coordinator

  • Gerontology
  • Hospice and Palliative Care
  • Interprofessional Practice
  • Anti-Oppressive Practice
  • Transformative Research and Evaluation
  • Transformative Pedagogy

kelly.melekis@uvm.edu

Jennifer Putney

Associate Professor of Social Work • Interim Chair, Department of Social Work

  • Substance use and social work practice
  • Harm reduction
  • Interprofessional practice
  • Qualitative research methods
  • Social work education

Jennifer.Putney@uvm.edu

Jean Sienkewicz

Field Education Coordinator and Senior Lecturer of Social Work

  • Generalist social work practice
  • Social work field education
  • LGBTQHIA+ inclusivity

jsienkew@uvm.edu

Brenda Solomon

Associate Professor of Social Work

  • Child welfare
  • Qualitative research methods
  • Social work education

bsolomon@uvm.edu

Christine Marie Velez

Assistant Professor of Social Work

Social work education and curriculum

  • Social work research methods
  • Sexuality, reproductive & environmental justice, racial equity
  • Health equity
  • Underrepresented and underserved populations
  • Critical and feminist theories

cvelez@uvm.edu

Kate Van Wagner

Lecturer of Social Work

  • Generalist social work practice
  • Transformative social work practice
  • Interprofessional practice
  • Reproductive choice, access, and justice
  • Grief and ambiguous loss

kate.van-wagner@uvm.edu