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Stony Brook School of Social Welfare SSW Update

Summer 2026 Edition

Barbecue grill with miscellaneous symbols around it like a fish, chicken drumstick, garlic, herbs, spatula, oven mitt, and utensils.

You're Invited:

Health Sciences Office of Student Life Welcome Back BBQ

Thursday, August 27

12 to 3 pm

Health Sciences Level 2 Patio

Free food, activities, clubs, program resources, and networking.

Eat, connect, and kick off the semester together!

Prof. Brock-Petroshius Attends Training at MIT

SSW Assistant Professor Kristen Brock-Petroshius, PhD, MSW, (far left, second row from top), attended the J-PAL North America's Advanced Research Training in Evaluation, Methods, and Impact Studies (J-PAL ARTEMIS) program at MIT in June — an intensive training focused on designing rigorous randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Dr. Brock-Petroshius will apply these advanced methodologies to an upcoming project that will evaluate how public safety-net agencies can be leveraged to close the democratic engagement gap in system-impacted communities.

Faculty Published in Health Affairs

Assistant Professor Meredith Slopen, PhD, MSW, and colleagues from other universities, Kess Balentine, Daniel Schneider, and Kristen Harknett, recently published a new paper in Health Affairs examining how attendance-based points affect presenteeism and whether paid sick leave laws affect the relationship.

Click here to read the full article

Courtney Kidd Publishes First Paper

Congratulations to SSW PhD student, adjunct instructor, and SSW alumna Courtney Kidd, LCSW ’12, MSc, on publishing her first academic article in the June 2026 edition of the Journal of Consumer Affairs.

Her paper explores the inadequacies of traditional adoption models in addressing the ethical dynamics of AI-consumer interactions and introduces a framework that integrates insights from consumer-based theories to specify trust as a multidimensional construct, using "feedback-driven co-production" as the central mechanism to link user participation and the evolution of trust.

Click here to read the full article

ACTION REQUIRED:

Campus Wi-Fi Update: Connect to eduroam

As of July 22, eduroam became Stony Brook University's primary wireless network, replacing WolfieNet-Secure. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to transition your devices.

To connect:

Forget both WolfieNet-Secure and eduroam on your device.
Connect to SBU-GetConnected.
Visit eduroam.stonybrook.edu and follow the SecureW2 setup instructions for your device.

Once configured, you'll enjoy secure Wi-Fi at Stony Brook and at more than 4,000 participating institutions nationwide.

Need help? Visit the Service Desk or help.stonybrook.edu for assistance.

MSW Student Appears in Newsday

MSW student Diane Kideris was featured in a Newsday article published on June 7 highlighting the growing role of death doulas on Long Island.

This fall, Diane will begin her second practicum placement at Good Shepherd Hospice in Port Jefferson, where she will continue to develop her expertise in end-of-life care. Following completion of the MSW program in May 2027, Diane plans to pursue a career supporting individuals and families navigating death, dying, and bereavement.

SSW Students Featured in NASW’s Currents Magazine

Congratulations to Alyssa Merz, Jessica Zambri ’26, and Blessing Mariano, whose work was featured in the June issue of NASW’s Currents.

Their articles highlight the power of student scholarship, reflective practice, and a shared commitment to addressing important issues facing our communities and the social work profession.

Alyssa Merz's article, "Left to Their Own Devices: Older Adults and the Digital Divide Within the Public Libraries," is on page 55;
Jessica Zambri’s article, "The Library as Liberation Space: Narrative Writing as Radical Practice Across Professions," is on page 66;
Blessing Mariano’s article, "If We Are Lucky Enough To Age," is on page 77.

Read all articles here

Celebrating the Next Generation of Addiction Care Professionals

Congratulations to the 58 MSW graduates who earned CASAC awards while pursuing their MSW degree.

This distinction marks an important milestone in their professional journey and reflects their commitment to advancing their knowledge and skills in substance use treatment.

Preparing Future Leaders in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Celebrating LEND Graduates

The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program celebrated the accomplishments of more than 450 trainees at its graduation ceremony held in May at Stony Brook University’s Bauman Center.

LEND is an interdisciplinary training program designed to enhance the lives of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families by preparing future leaders across multiple fields. Federally funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) via the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the program provides training opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students, as well as practicing professionals. The program is directed by Michelle S. Ballan, PhD, MSW, Associate Dean for Research and Professor in the School of Social Welfare.

This year’s graduating cohort represented nine of LEND’s 12 disciplines including social work, disability studies, adult medicine, child medicine, public health, dentistry, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing and psychology, self-advocacy, and family leadership.

After completing more than 4,200 cumulative hours of training, the program celebrated 14 long-term trainees, 17 advanced medium-term trainees, 33 medium-term trainees, and more than 400 short-term trainees who completed up to 39 hours of interdisciplinary education.

Congratulations to all of this year’s LEND graduates!

SSW Hosts Third School Social Work Conference

The School of Social Welfare welcomed more than 140 school social workers from schools across Nassau and Suffolk counties for the third annual Long Island School Social Work Conference on June 2.

Organized by Clinical Associate Professor Robin DeLuca-Acconi, PhD, LCSW and held in Stony Brook’s Charles B. Wang Center, the annual event provided a unique opportunity for social workers at LI schools to convene, network, and learn.

This year’s theme was Collective and Community Care Systems for Schools, featuring workshops and presentations that centered around collective trauma and community healing.

Click here to read more

Graduates Selected for Prestigious NYS Excelsior Service Fellowship

Three 2026 MSW graduates have been selected for the highly competitive New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship's 2026–2028 cohort.

Hayden Gallagher, Cherae Moore-Drew, and

Sarah Nasr (not pictured) were accepted into the program, which is designed to recruit outstanding graduate and professional school graduates into careers in public service, providing them with valuable leadership and policy experience within NYS government.