In “Alumni Perspectives and Advice for the Class of 2026,” host Connie Sgarlata (UMSSW MSW ’89) welcomes University of Maryland School of Social Work alumni Lori James-Townes (MSW ’91), Kathryn Zimmerman (MSW ’20), and Jamel Freeman (MSW ’25) to share their social work journeys, defining experiences at the School, and their views on the future of the profession. Lori James-Townes, executive director of the National Association for Public Defense, reflects on mentorship and discovering forensic social work; Karhryn Zimmerman discusses her mid-career transition from hospital administration to clinical practice, including school-based work and Red Cross mental health response; Jamel Freeman, founder of Social Innovation 2.3 and the SIF Foundation, emphasizes systems thinking, suicide prevention, and integrating AI ethically in social work. The conversation highlights professional identity, equity, and the need for community, authenticity, and courage.

To request more information about admission to the University of Maryland School of Social Work, visit ssw.umaryland.edu/msw.

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UMSSW alumnae and founders of the CASH Campaign of Maryland, Robin McKinney, MSW ’01 and Sara Johnson, MSW ’02 discuss their career path into financial social work, challenges faced in the social work profession, and their experience founding the Cash Campaign of Maryland.

To learn more about financial social work at the University of Maryland School of Social Work visit https://ssw.umaryland.edu/fwsi

To request more information about admission to the University of Maryland School of Social Work, visit ssw.umaryland.edu/msw.

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In this episode of the Social Work Is Everywhere podcast, Michelle Reyazuddin, a second-year clinical MSW student and first-gen lead scholar at the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Social Work, speaks with Dean Judy Postmus about the School’s newly developed vision statement: “At the University of Maryland School of Social Work, we envision a future where social work research, practice, and policy come together to drive social justice and equity, strengthen communities and improve lives locally, nationally, and globally.”

Dean Postmus explains the difference between mission and vision, why a shared school-wide vision was needed, and how it was created through months of discussions, focus groups, surveys, an all-staff brainstorming session, and a community vote. They discuss how students can apply the vision by keeping research, practice, and policy connected in coursework and practicum, and how the School can live the vision through community partnerships and values-based decision-making.

To request more information about admission to the University of Maryland School of Social Work, visit ssw.umaryland.edu/msw.

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