THE SOCIAL WORKER
CREATING PATHWAYS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CAREER GROWTH
Embedded Files
SPRING/SUMMER 2025
FROM THE OFFICE
OF THE DEAN
CELEBRATING NEW PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE REMOVING BARRIERS FOR FUTURE SOCIAL WORKERS TO MAKE CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
Dear GSS Community,
As we mark the end of the 2025 academic year, I could not be more proud of our students and their accomplishments. In May, GSS graduated over 300 world-changers who are well prepared to meet society’s needs with skill and compassion. I know you, our dedicated alumni, working tirelessly on the frontlines, will guide and support them as they begin their professional careers. That is what the Fordham Ramily is all about.
While graduation is a time for celebration and reflection, I also want to share some exciting news for the year ahead.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Social Worker | Spring/Summer 2025
| THE HEADLINE
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A NO-COST M.S.W. DEGREE
Through a partnership with the Audacia Foundation, GSS will supply a no-cost Master of Social Work education to 100 students in Fall 2025.
| WHAT ELSE?
ALUMNI IN ACTION
A transition from Google to school social work, lessons on resilience from a nonprofit CEO, and one alumna's story on why she gives back.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
An Army veteran continues a Fordham family tradition, a Queens resident follows in his mother's footsteps, and this year's #Classof2025Changemakers.
DOING THE WORK
Celebrating Dr. Anita Lightburn's retirement, navigating the new realities of artificial intelligence and social work, and looking back on four years of Her Migrant Hub's work with immigration services.
THE SOCIAL WORKER | SPRING/SUMMER 2025
Have a story you'd like to tell?
Email us: gssalumni@fordham.edu
Does Fordham have your correct contact information? If not, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 800-314-ALUM or alumnioffice@fordham.edu. Or update your profile at forever.fordham.edu.
Support future social workers!
| FOR STARTERS...
GLOBAL IMPACT
GSS COHOSTS ANNUAL SOCIAL WORK DAY AT THE UNITED NATIONS
On Friday, April 4, 2025, social workers, students, educators, and international delegates gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York City to celebrate the Annual Social Work Day at the UN. Under the theme “Looking Back to Move Forward,” this year’s program reflected on the profession’s global legacy while exploring pathways to a just and sustainable future.
Co-hosting with the Graduate School of Social Service were the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), and International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW). The event brought together thought leaders and advocates from across the world for a dynamic morning of reflection, dialogue, and inspiration.
INTERDISCIPLINARY INNOVATION
GSS COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTES CRUCIAL INSIGHTS TO FORDHAM MENTAL HEALTH & CRIME CONFERENCE
What exactly happens after someone calls 9-1-1 following a mental-health-related incident? What infrastructure do we have to ensure the criminal justice and mental health systems can collaborate for the situation’s best outcome? How do we know what we’re doing is working, and what can we do to improve?
Read more about what GSS Community members had to say concerning social workers' roles in mental health and crime situations.
CELEBRATING CAREERS
GSS PROFESSOR ANITA LIGHTBURN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
After 22 years of dedication to Fordham, Professor Anita Lightburn has announced her retirement from the Graduate School of Social Service.
Fordham GSS held a celebration at our Westchester campus last month to honor Lightburn’s career. Friends, family, and colleagues all spoke to the group about Lightburn’s tremendous impact on our school and the profession. Lightburn also took the floor at the end of the event, giving an emotional speech about the importance and impact of social workers—and why they’re needed now more than ever.
COMMUNITY BUILDING
HER MIGRANT HUB: FOUR YEARS OF EMPOWERING WOMEN ASYLUM SEEKERS AND BUILDING COMMUNITY
Forced migration is a complex and traumatic experience, particularly for women. They must navigate a new country, often without resources or support. For most, the experience is overwhelming.
Addressing these complexities is nuanced and challenging, and it doesn’t seem to be getting easier anytime soon. However, there is a clear place to start: the need for community.
Her Migrant Hub (HMH), an initiative founded in 2021 by Fordham Graduate School of Social Service Professors Dana Alonzo, Ph.D., and Marciana Popescu, Ph.D., has tackled this need through a clear mission: enhance access to vital health care resources for women asylum seekers in New York City. And they’re achieving this through innovative programming that empowers women, fosters community, and trains future social workers.
THE HEADLINE
NEW PARTNERSHIP BRINGS OPPORTUNITY FOR A NO-COST
M.S.W. EXPERIENCE
Beginning this fall, a new program will offer up to 100 aspiring social workers the opportunity to earn their master’s degrees for free at Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service.
GSS has partnered with the Audacia foundation to launch a first-of-its kind initiative aimed at eliminating financial barriers to health care and mental health care careers while expanding access to care in underserved New York communities.
2025 GRADUATION
Celebrate the Class of 2025 with us! First, revisit our Graduation Diploma Ceremony at Fordham's Rose Hill campus through the brief video below. Then, get to meet some of our #Classof2025Changemakers — students who are transforming their career paths and lives by obtaining an M.S.W. degree.
MEET OUR
#CLASSOF2025CHANGEMAKERS
John Brutzman Continues a Fordham Family Legacy
Brutzman is the 15th member of his family to walk across the stage a Ram, and the first to do so a social worker. An Army veteran, Brutzman contributed his success in large part to Fordham's Office of Military and Veterans Services, and his transferrable skills from his time in the service.
Pursuing sports social work, Brutzman exits GSS with a skillset born out of his life experience and determination to do good.
Queens Resident Giancarlos Valerio Prepares to Give Back to His Community
Growing up in Queens, Valerio's mother, a paraprofessional, was always his inspiration. Now, it's his turn to be the role model for the next generation of Queens residents.
Valerio will join the Mental Health Providers of Western Queens—where he completed his field placement internship—providing therapeutic services to a caseload of children in his hometown.
Grace Laria Combines Legal Background with Social Work Skills for an Interdisciplinary Future in Immigration Services
A former paralegal, Laria didn't want to be confined to the bounds of the legal profession when advocating for change and helping clients in the immigration services. As a social worker, she can implement more creative ways to help those who need it most.
Meredith Outwater – From Finance to Finding Purpose
Outwater said her first day in the M.S.W. program was filled with nerves. Despite having an accomplished career in financial technology, the classroom setting was intimidating.
Those nerves quickly dissipated with one word: connection. As she immersed herself in the GSS Community, it became clear that this career change was exactly what she needed.
Jake Schefer’s Ultimate Research and Advocacy Experience
Before pursuing social work, Schefer worked in sales—and he was successful. However, all the success in the world didn't create the meaning he wanted out of a career.
His drive to help those who need it brought him to internships at the United Nations and with GSS's Her Migrant Hub. Now, Schefer has found his calling in immigration services.
Antonio Molestina Bridges Legal and Social Work Careers
After a successful legal career, Molestina wants to immerse himself in social service and the causes he cares about.
He thinks social work is the ideal avenue to do so. The only decision to make now, he said, is whether he will serve as a "legally informed social worker or a social work-informed lawyer."
Former Detective Christine Bonaci on the Strategy of Social Work
As a detective, Bonaci helped victims of domestic abuse, but found that the help she could offer was often too little, too late.
She came to Fordham because of the school's strong relationship with NYC Health + Hospitals, where she wanted to pursue trauma therapy. Bonaci will now pursue clinical licensure, planning to work at the intersection of trauma therapy, crisis response, and psychedelic-assisted care.
Alumni in Action
ALL IN THE RAMILY
FORDHAM-ABILIS PARTNERSHIP PRODUCES AFTER-GRADUATION JOBS FROM INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
Abilis is a Connecticut-based nonprofit that provides services and supports for over 800 individuals with special needs and their families from birth through the life span. It's also a long-time partner of Fordham GSS, offering field internships to many of our M.S.W. students. You may have interned there yourself.
Over the past few decades, the partnership has grown into a career pipeline for students who are passionate about this population. In this video, see how three Fordham M.S.W. alumni have turned their Abilis field internships into full-time positions, including Amy Montimurro, GSS ’08, who now serves as Abilis’ CEO. We also hear from an M.S.W. student currently interning at Abilis, learning how the organization empowers everyone on staff from day one to make an impact.
BLOCK PARTY!
ANOTHER YEAR CELEBRATING WITH OUR AMAZING ALUMNI
It just gets better every year!
It is such a pleasure to see our alumni back on campus. We thank each and every one of you who made the trip to our Lincoln Center campus to participate in such an incredible night.
It means so much to us that our alumni want to stay connected to Fordham. We really do have such a special group of social workers doing all they can to advance the profession and serve their communities. We’re grateful that you chose to spend one of your Friday nights with us.
Relive the night through the photos we captured in the below gallery!
EXECUTIVE ADVICE
LESSONS FROM A NONPROFIT CEO: THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW OUR RESILIENCE
Neela Mukherjee Lockel, GSS ’04, began her Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) journey at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service (GSS) in 2001, just after New York City was shaken by the events of September 11th. Starting her coursework in the aftermath of such a historic tragedy, Lockel found herself immersed in deep conversations about trauma, resilience, and the role of social work in responding to crises.
CAREER CHANGERS
FROM GOOGLE TO SOCIAL WORK: HOW ONE CAREER CHANGER
FOUND PURPOSE IN SOCIAL WORK
In 2013, Christine Igarta, GSS ’15, was living the computer scientist’s dream. After completing her undergraduate studies, she landed a job at Google coordinating high-profile events. Her days were filled with exciting projects and professional prestige. But despite the impressive resume bullets, something was missing.
Ten years later, she reflects on making the switch to social work.
GIVING BACK
HOW ONE ALUMNA SUPPORTS FUTURE SOCIAL WORKERS
Joan Balfour, GSS ’77, wants others to have the same opportunities she did. As a student in Fordham’s Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program, Balfour was a single mother of two making $66 per week and had no way to afford tuition. She loved her studies, and it showed in her academic results—Balfour was an A-level student. There was no way she could give up her dream, but the financial hurdles were just too large.
Read more about how Fordham helped Joan obtain her education, and how she continues to return the favor to M.S.W. students.
ALUMNI ADVOCACY
DIAGNOSED WITH ASD LATER IN LIFE, GSS GRADUATE ADVOCATES
FOR DISABILITY JUSTICE
From a budding Wall Street businessman to a dedicated advocate for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other special needs, Marc Pintel’s social work journey has been anything but conventional.
Marc’s business acumen was driven by the desire to follow in his father’s footsteps. After graduating with his MBA, Marc worked on Wall Street in the financial sector. Things should have been great; this was exactly how the plan was supposed to go. However, despite success in finance and real estate, Marc felt pulled toward something more.
Student Spotlights
CAREER CHANGERS
TURNING VOLUNTEERING PASSION INTO A CAREER PATH
Sharon Cohen Bunkin, GSS ’26, comes to social work from a career in marketing that spanned the publishing, technology, and education sectors. After volunteering at ReelAbilities, a nonprofit organization celebrating disability through film, she realized that while marketing had its upsides, her true calling was in service work.
Now, she is a Master of Social Work student at Fordham, pursuing a career dedicated to helping others, all while continuing to volunteer in her eighth year at ReelAbilities. This spring, Sharon co-chaired the opening night reception of the annual ReelAbilities Film Festival in New York and serves on its Advisory Board and Film Screening Committee.
We sat down with Sharon to discuss changing careers, what people should know about disability justice, and how the connections she’s made at Fordham are helping advance her path to advocacy in creative mediums.
LIVING THE MISSION
M.S.W. STUDENT USING DEGREE TO HELP ARTISTS
AGE WITH DIGNITY
Aimée Hayes has spent her career in the theater as a director and producer, shaping narratives and bringing stories to life on stage. Now, she is using her passion for storytelling to advocate for an often-overlooked population: aging artists.
As Hayes and her husband Tim Sanford—both lifelong theater professionals—witnessed a decline in opportunities for older playwrights, they felt compelled to take action.
“Theater is about language,” Hayes said. “It’s about the writer. And there’s nothing more difficult than a writer whose work isn’t being read.”
Recognizing that older theater artists were losing opportunities to have their plays produced and discussed, Hayes and her husband built The Tent Theater Company as a collaborative space where these artists could find support and a creative community. The organization took shape through direct engagement with playwrights, offering them readings as well as a space to exchange ideas and foster artistic growth.
DAY IN THE LIFE
WHAT'S IT LIKE BEING A FORDHAM M.S.W. STUDENT TODAY? SAHIBA BHATNAGAR SHOWS US
Travel back in time to your days heading to campus!
We asked one of our student ambassadors, Sahiba Bhatnagar, to give us a view from the student side with a "Day in the Life" video. Who misses the commute to the Lincoln Center campus?! We know you do.
STUDENT RESEARCH
UNITED NATIONS INTERNS SHOWCASE
INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK SKILLS
Fordham Graduate School of Social Service Professor Elaine Congress, D.S.W., presented with four Fordham Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) students this semester at the Eastern Psychological Association conference in New York City.
The title of the presentation was “Preparing Graduate Students for International Careers – Fordham University United Nations Placement,” and it detailed Fordham GSS’s M.S.W. United Nations internship. This field placement teaches M.S.W. students macro social work skills they can use in leadership positions in international, national, and local organizations.
Through this internship, students have the opportunity to speak at professional conferences, develop research projects, organize major events, co-author chapters for professional books, leverage technology and social media, and advocate in action.
In addition, each year these students have the chance to attend Social Work Day at the United Nations, held at the UN Headquarters in Manhattan. This event allows them to learn from the best minds in international social work, while offering an opportunity to network with colleagues and professionals from around the globe.
Doing the Work
PUSHING THE PROFESSION FORWARD
PUBLIC INTEREST TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE PAVES THE WAY FOR ETHICAL TECH EDUCATION
Spearheaded by Fordham GSS Professor Lauri Goldkind, Ph.D., an interdisciplinary initiative at Fordham University is shaping the future of public interest technology (PIT). At a recent meeting, Goldkind and her collaborators unveiled a beta version of the nine competencies they’ve developed since the project began in November 2023. This ambitious framework is designed to prepare university graduates for the ethical and societal challenges of the evolving digital age.
The project, Building Inclusive Public Interest Technology Learning Competencies, was launched with a $178,000 grant from the 2023 PIT-UN Network Challenge. Working in collaboration with ethical technology advocacy partner All Tech Is Human, and industry fellows from across IBM, the group’s charge is to bridge the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that students graduate with technical skills alongside a strong foundation in ethics, equity, and social responsibility.
FACULTY PROMOTIONS
DR. KIMBERLY HUDSON NAMED ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Congratulations to the Graduate School of Social Service faculty member Kimberly Hudson, Ph.D., who was promoted to Associate Professor and received tenure this year!
Faculty Research
The Challenges of Social Work Theory-Practice Integration in China
Fordham GSS Professor Winnie Kung, Ph.D., published research in the European Journal of Social Work aiming to understand the challenges concerning social work theory-practice integration in China, and how to improve upon those challenges.
The study, which involved over 90 participants from seven Chinese universities, revealed significant challenges in connecting classroom learning with real-world social work practice. Kung and her fellow researchers found that social work programs in China struggle with limited quality field placement sites, brief internship periods, and supervision from inexperienced instructors.
To address these gaps, the article said, Chinese schools are establishing their own social service agencies, having faculty members serve as field supervisors, and bringing in experienced practitioners to mentor students. Despite these obstacles, participants were optimistic about the profession’s growth, emphasizing that success will depend on increased government backing, better training for practitioners, and stronger international partnerships.
Addressing Discrimination Against Seriously Ill Transgender Patients
Seeking medical care is a vulnerable experience for many, but for transgender patients and their loved ones, it can be especially fraught with discrimination, neglect, and even abuse. A recent study published by Fordham GSS Professor Cathy Berkman, Ph.D., showcases the realities transgender patients face in palliative care settings and emphasizes the urgent need for systemic change.
The study, titled “Disrespectful and inadequate palliative care to transgender persons” and published in Palliative & Supportive Care, surveyed 865 healthcare professionals, including nurses, physicians, social workers, and chaplains, asking if they had observed discriminatory care toward transgender patients in palliative care settings.
Empowering Grandparent Caregivers In-Person and Virtually
Grandparents raising their grandchildren are continually challenged by their role and its accompanying stresses. Fordham GSS Professor Carole Cox, Ph.D., has found that empowerment training—a practice focused on strengthening the parenting skills and social advocacy ability of grandparent caregivers—can help this population adapt to their demanding situations.
Acknowledging this need, Cox developed the Grandparent Empowerment Program in 1998, inviting grandparents to attend 14 three-hour classes at Fordham University covering topics such as self-esteem, communication, and advocacy, among others. Classes combined group discussion and role-play to review materials.
“In the empowerment process, the practitioner does not act as the expert or provider of power to the powerless older person but is instead a co-learner,” Cox wrote in an article for Generations Journal describing the sessions. “The role of the group leader is that of a facilitator who recognizes that participants are experts, that they learn best from each other, and that their problems are not unique.”
Social Work Literature and Gendered Racism: A Scoping Review
Fordham GSS Associate Professor Kimberly Hudson, Ph.D., just published the first formal evaluation of social work literature on the topic of gendered racism.
The article, titled “Social Work Literature and Gendered Racism: A Scoping Review,” was published in Social Work Research.
Hudson and co-researchers conducted the scoping review on peer-reviewed journal articles including the term “gendered raci*”. Their search consisted of articles published by social work scholars or journals, dating back to 1991.
“Several aspects of gendered racism were represented, including gendered racial socialization, gendered racial stereotypes, gendered racial microaggressions, structural or context-specific gendered racism, and gendered racial stress,” the article reads.
However, Hudson et al found that several populations are underrepresented in social work literature on gendered racism, including Indigenous, Latine, transgender, and nonbinary people.
Lilly’s “Nuestro Apoyo” Spotlighted by ReelWorks
Nuestro Apoyo, a film created based on research conducted by Fordham GSS Assistant Professor Jenn Lilly, Ph.D., was recently covered in a blog article by ReelWorks, an Emmy-winning production company that hires talented emerging filmmakers to collaborate with industry professionals to create content for clients.
This continues a string of great press for the film, which has recently been celebrated at prestigious festivals, including the MiraLA Film Festival (where it won Best Mental Health Short) and the LA Latinx Film Festival.
Additionally, Nuestro Apoyo was screened at the Philadelphia Latino Arts and Film Festival on Saturday, May 31, at 3 PM.
Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence Tools in the Child Protective Services Arena
Fordham GSS Professor Lauri Goldkind, Ph.D., and Fordham M.S.W. candidate Adrienne Holmes collaborated on an article discussing both the positive and negative possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) usage in child protective services. The article appears in CW360, an annual publication created by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare.
The article, titled “Child Welfare Intelligence? Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence Tools in the Child Protective Services Arena,” says responsible use of AI in social work hinges on two factors: clear policies around AI use, and professional development opportunities to enhance staff’s abilities utilizing the technology.
“The newer LLMs which can process and output text, audio, images, and video, offer significant potential for improving internal operations of child welfare agencies and systems, but should be deployed only with great care and internal oversight,” the article reads.
Farmer Named to the Class of 2025 SSWR Fellows
Congratulations to Fordham GSS Professor and Doctoral Program Director G. Lawrence Farmer, Ph.D., who was named to the Class of 2025 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Fellows!
The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Fellows are members who have served with distinction to advance the mission of the Society — to advance, disseminate, and translate research that addresses issues of social work practice and policy and promotes a diverse, equitable and just society.
Lilly Awarded “2024 Best Early Career Scholar Article” by Families in Society
Congratulations to Fordham GSS Assistant Professor Jenn Lilly, Ph.D., whose article “’I Learned to Bottle Up My Feelings From a Young Age’: A Narrative Analysis of Latina Young People’s Family Mental Health Socialization” was awarded the 2024 Best Early Career Scholar Article by the journal Families in Society!
Goldkind Research Honored on CSWE “Top Articles of 2024” List
Research from Fordham GSS Professor Lauri Goldkind, Ph.D., was named a top article of 2024 by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
The article, titled “Introducing Generative Artificial Intelligence Into the MSW Curriculum: A Proposal for the 2029 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards,” asserts that a 10th competency should be added to the 2029 CSWR Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS): Social Workers demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and understanding to responsibly and effectively use Generative Artificial Intelligence tools. The article was published in the Journal of Social Work Education.
COMMUNITY IS EVERYTHING!
FOUR MEMBERS OF GSS CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF SERVICE TO FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
Congratulations to our four GSS Community members who were honored at the University Convocation for celebrating 20 years of service to Fordham! The event was held on Sunday, March 9, at Fordham’s Law School.
Professor G. Lawrence Farmer, Ph.D.; and Clinical Professor Rachelle Kammer, Ph.D. (third and fourth from left) were awarded the Bene Merenti Medal. Admissions Associate Director Anne Treantafeles and Program Associate for Academic Affairs Nicolee Feliz were awarded the Archbishop Hughes Medal.
Fordham GSS is grateful for these outstanding faculty and staff members who have shown such immense dedication to our school, Fordham University, and the social work profession. Thank you for all you do!
Summer 2025
Virtual Info Sessions!
If you know someone interested in pursuing their B.A.S.W., M.S.W., or Ph.D. but they still have questions, our information sessions have answers!
CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST OF UPCOMING INFORMATION SESSIONS HERE.
Thanks for reading!
Report abuse