100 Distinguished Alumni
GSSWSR graduates nominated their peers and colleagues for inclusion in a list of our 100 Distinguished Alumni. We are pleased to list them below and recognize their accomplishments and their dedication to the service of others.
Ann A. Abbott
MSS ā69, PhD ā77
Former chair, Graduate Department of Social Work, West Chester University and Associate Dean, Rutgers University School of Social Work
Faith Angell
MSS ā65
U.S. Magistrate Judge, Eastern District, PA
Khary M. Atif
MSS ā97, MLSP ā98
Program Administrator for Staff Development Support, Philadelphia DHS
Beth I. Barol
MSS ā86, PhD ā98
Associate Professor, Director of the MSW program, Widener University Center for Social Work Education
Linda R. Barth
MSS ā73
Clinician working with children, families and individuals
Joyce O. Beckett
MSS ā69, PhD ā77
Professor Emerita, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work
L. Diane Bernard
PhD ā67
Retired social work educator and CDWE leader; advocate bringing womenās and LGBTQ issues to the forefront of social work education
Sharon Bishop
MSS ā71
Co-founder of Calibre Associates, consulting organization on human services and human resource issues
Joretha Bourjolly
PhD ā96
Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Penn School of Social Policy and Practice
Yvette Bradford
MSS ā90, MLSP ā90
Former senior administrator with Liberty Lutheran Services and Philadelphia Corporation for Aging; community volunteer
Lynette M. Brown-Sow
MSS ā81
Vice President, Marketing and Government Relations, Community College of Philadelphia
Page Walker Buck
MSS ā04, PhD ā08
Associate Professor, Director of MSW program, West Chester State University
Patricia Millar Burland
MSS ā56
Retired GSSWSR professor of clinical social work; leader, PA Society for Clinical Social Work
Jean Campbell
MSS ā13
Outpatient therapist, behavioral specialist consultant and mobile therapist
Patricia L. Chapman
MSS ā81
Philanthropist supporting women balancing education and family
Lewis C. Chartock
PhD ā74
President and CEO, Metropolitan Employment and Rehabilitation Services/Missouri Goodwill
Darla Spence Coffey
PhD ā99
President, Council on Social Work Education
Soraya Davis Coley
MSS ā74, PhD ā81
President, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Sandra S. Cornelius
MSS ā68, PhD ā76
President, Elwyn
Adelaide Cromwell
CERT ā43
Professor Emeritus, Boston University
Philip W. Damiani
MSS ā76
Executive Director, Delaware County Court System (Retired)
Joan K. Davitt
MSS ā93, MLSP ā94, PhD ā03
Associate Professor and Hartford Geriatric Social Work Scholar, University of Maryland School of Social Work
Merle M. Drake
MSS ā82
Founder, CEO of Supportive Older Women's Network (SOWN) 1983āpresent
Fanita Blumberg
English MA ā42, CERT ā42
Transactional Analysis theorist, training analyst and practitioner
JoAnne Fischer
MSS ā73
Executive Director of Maternity Care Coalition (1989-present)
Anna S. Forbes
MSS ā92
Global women's health activist and policy analyst
Ellen W. Freeman
MSS ā73, PhD ā76
Research Professor, Co-director of the Human Behavior Reproduction Unit, University of Pennsylvania Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Mariah Fenton Gladis
MSS ā72
Founder and Director, Pennsylvania Gestalt Center
Judith Green
MSS ā90, MLSP ā90
Coordinator, Family to Family program, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Main Line
Laura Cohen Groves
MSS ā95, PhD ā06
Associate Professor and Chair, Social Work Department, Cabrini College
Gloria M. Guard
MSS ā78, MLSP ā80
Executive Director of People's Emergency Center (1983-2010)
Anne B. Hagele
MSS ā75
Executive Director, Philadelphia Senior Center, Retired
Raheemah Shamsid-Deen Hampton
MSS ā02
Southeast Regional Director, Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniaās Office of Children, Youth and Families
Lina Hartocollis
MSS ā89, PhD ā99
Dean of Students and Director of the Doctorate in Clinical Social Work Program, Penn School of Social Policy and Practice
Julius A. Hayes
MSS ā87, MLSP ā88
National Officer/Local leader, National Association of Black Social Workers; supervisor, Philadelphia DHS
Ethel B. Hill
MSS ā65
Social Security Administration Federal Women's Program Manager (Retired); Howard County, MD, civic leader
Stephen M. Holden
MSS ā67, PhD ā75
New Jersey Superior Court Judge
Linda Denise Houser
PhD ā10
Associate Professor, PHD Program Director, Widener University Center for Social Work Education
Demetrius S. Iatridis
PhD ā55
Professor Emeritus, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work (1966-2012)
Roberta R. Iversen
MSS ā82, PhD ā91
Associate Professor, Director, Master of Science in Social Policy Program, Penn School of Social Policy and Practice
Carrie Jacobs
MSS ā83
Executive Director and co-founder of The Attic Youth Center for LGBTQ youth
Celeste M. Johnson
MSS ā78, PhD ā06
Associate Professor, Widener University Center for Social Work Education; research focus on urban adolescents and trauma
Aulikki Kananoja
MSS ā71
Awarded the first Finnish presidential honorary title for social workāthe highest honor for a profession (2012)
Stephen E. Kauffman
PhD ā92
Associate Professor, Widener University Center for Social Work Education; Teagle Assessment Scholar of Center for the Inquiry of Liberal Arts based at Wabash College
Nancy J. Kirby
MSS ā65
Coordinator of Alumni Connections, GSSWSR, former Assistant Dean and Director of Admission, GSSWSR (1983-2010)
Carole Landis
MSS ā95
Chairwoman, Landis Foundation for Social Action
John G. Loeb
MSS ā69
Senior Vice President, Public Health Management Corporation, retired (1971-2011); Chairperson GSSWSR Board of Advisors
Robin S. Mama
MSS ā84, MLSP ā84, PhD ā90
Dean and Professor, Monmouth University School of Social Work; Representative of the International Federation of Social Workers at the United Nations
Marcia L. Martin
PhD ā82
Co-Dean (2002-2009); Associate Dean, Director of Field Instruction, adjunct faculty, GSSWSR
Thaddeus P. Mathis
MSS ā68
Professor Emeritus, Temple University School of Social Administration; Founder, Institute for Africana Social Work
Ruth W. Mayden
MSS ā70
Dean, GSSWSR (1987-2002); NASW President (1999-2001); Annie E. Casey Fellow (2002-2013)
Patrick T. McCarthy
PhD ā81
President and CEO, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Judith L. M. McCoyd
PhD ā03
Associate Professor, Rutgers University School of Social Work; research focus on trauma and bereavement
Suzanne M. McMurphy
MSS ā84, MLSP ā85, PhD ā93
Associate Professor, Social Work, University of Windsor; focus on community research
Justine McNamara
PhD ā04
Senior Research Fellow, NATSEM, University of Canberra
Susan A. Messina
AB ā86, MSS ā91, MLSP ā92
Social justice advocate and activist for LGBTQ issues and childbirth education
Honora Rose Miller
MSS ā99, MLSP ā99
Director,Commission on the Status of Women and the LGBTQ Commission, San Mateo County, CA
Judith Dabney Miller
MSS ā85, MLSP ā86
Associate Director, Women's Law Project
Tselane Mokuena
MSS ā94, MLSP ā94
Deputy Executive Director, Tripartite Secretariat-South Africa, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo; former South Africa Consul to Canada and to Germany
Jean Campbell Moore
MSS ā49
Associate Professor Emerita, Temple University School of Social Administration; founder, Career Ladders Program; program host, WRTI
Anthony Morelli
MSS ā12
Director of Off-Site Programming, Peter's Placeāa Center for Grieving Children
Alice Muludiang
MSS ā05, MLSP ā06
Advocate for Sudanese refugees in the US and for capacity building in South Sudan; board member, Global Education Motivators
Sabina N. Neem
MSS ā07, MLSP ā07
Associate Director, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Seattle University; Co-Chair, Seattle LGBT Commission
Sheila Nielsen, MSS ā73
President, Nielsen Career Counselingāexecutive coaching firm
Dolores G. Norton
MSS ā60, PhD ā69
Professor Emerita, University of Chicago School of Social Administration; first African American tenured professor at 51¶ĢŹÓʵ
Ann OāBrien
MSS ā03, MLSP ā03
CEO, Montgomery Early Learning Centers; former Senior Vice President, United Way of Southeastern PA
Catherine Ormerod
MSS ā99, MLSP ā99
Founding director, Non-Profit Executive Leadership Institute (NELI), GSSWSR; Vice President Programs and Partnerships, Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC)
Cheryl Ann Parks
PhD ā97
Dean and Professor, Simmons College School of Social Work
Belle B. Parmet
MA ā40, CERT ā40
Former Director of Psychiatric Social Worker at Carrier Foundation; early pioneer in family therapy practice
Joan T. Pennell
PhD ā90
Professor of Social Work and Director of Center for Family and Community Engagement, North Carolina State University
Felice Perlmutter
PhD ā69
Professor Emeritus, Temple University School of Social Administration; pioneer in social work administration
Linda Cherrey Reeser
MSS ā60, PhD ā69
Professor, Director of BSW Program, Western Michigan University
Lawrence S. Root
MSS ā71
Professor and Director of Office of Global Activities, University of Michigan School of Social Work
Tawana Ford Sabbath
MSS ā71, PhD ā86
Community elder, clinician and mentor; local and national NABSW leader
Allyson Y. Schwartz
MSS ā72
Former PA US Representative and PA State Senator; President and CEO, Better Medicare Alliance
Deena Schwartz
MSS ā65
Social worker and advocate for persons and families dealing with longer-term intellectual disabilities
Nicholas C. Scull
MSS ā02
Clinical Director, Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute; Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean, American University of Kuwait
Carol Shapiro
MSS ā78
Founder and President of Family Justice, community centered re-entry program; Ashoka Fellow
Valerie Shapiro
MSS ā05
Assistant Professor, co-director of Center for Prevention Research, UC-Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Corey Shdaimah
PhD ā05
Associate Professor, Academic coordinator of MSW/JD program, University of Maryland School of Social Work
Edmund A. Sherman
PhD ā67
Professor Emeritus, SUNY-Albany School of Social Welfare
James H. Sills
PhD ā81
Former state representative, city councilman and two term mayor of Wilmington, DE
Paula T. Silver
PhD ā92
Dean and Professor, School of Professional Studies, Widener University
Basha A. Silverman
MSS ā12
Vice President for Strategic Planning, Jewish Family and Children's Services of Greater Philadelphia
Barbara L. Simon
MSS ā76, PhD ā81
Associate Professor, Columbia University School of Social Work
Rosa Lee Smith
MSS ā51
Retired counselor, LaSalle University, mentor to countless social workers; collaborator with Dr. Warren E. Smith, community psychiatrist
Deborah Spungen
MSS ā89, MLSP ā90
Founding Director of Families of Murder Victims and Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia
Harold E.Stafford
MSS ā73
Former Secretary of Labor, State of Delaware; more than 30 years of management of Delaware state agencies
Gail S. Steketee
MSS ā73, PhD ā87
Dean and Professor, Boston University School of Social Work
Patricia A. Stewart
MSS ā81
Advocate and national consultant on HIV/AIDS issues in the African American community; clinician and social work mentor
Jennifer Stotter
MSS ā99, PhD ā10
Director of EEO/AA, University of Hawaii at Hilo; former Director of AA/EEO, CVS Caremark Corporation
Emiko Anne Tajima
PhD ā99
Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University of Washington School of Social Work
Tony Thurmond
MSS ā95, MLSP ā96
Representative, 15th Assembly District, California; former Richmond, CA, council member; youth services advocate
Niambi Robinson-Tillman
AB ā92, MSS ā94, MLSP ā95
Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dallas, TX
Theresa Peaches Valdes
AB ā99, MSS ā03, MLSP ā03
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, 51¶ĢŹÓʵ
Shirley Waites-Howard
MSS ā77
Social work educator, bereavement counselor and longtime community activist
Nina Wall-Cote
MSS ā00
Director, Bureau of Autism Services of the PA Department of Public Welfare
Bertha S. Waters
MSS ā79
Community advocate and activist for social justice and social change
Elizabeth Werthan
MSS ā73
Dedicated advocate for women's health and rights; former Executive Director of CHOICE and Board Chair of Womenās Way
Henry L. Westray
MSS ā74
Former State Coordinator and Chair, Maryland Governor's Commission on Suicide Prevention
Scott M. Wilson
MSS ā65, PhD ā76
Social work education consultant, Senior Educational Specialist, Division of Standards and Accreditation, Council on Social Work Education
Robert E. Young
MSS ā57
Retired Clinical Social Worker and Researcher, Eastern Virginia Medical School