Good
universities teach within their small microcosms on a practical level; great
universities create a unique balance between teaching, scholarship and service,
effecting positive change in the communities they occupy.
UB’s School of Social Work has the distinction of being 6th among public research
institutions in the northeast and 36th of 177 schools with graduate programs included in this survey.
On June 9th the University at Buffalo premiered Living Proof: Reflections on 75 years of
Social Work Education, a feature length documentary of the 75 year history of the
Social of Social Work. The DVD is available for purchase, $25 ($10 for students), with all proceeds going to a scholarship fund.
Much of the material
collected in the making of this documentary will be utilized in the writing of
the School of Social Work’s first history book. The last history of the UBSSW was a booklet written over 20 years ago by Dr. Isaac
Alcabes and assembled by Professor Gerald Miller. Published in 1984, their work
documented and commemorated the School’s first 50 years.
Initiated at the
direction of Dr. Nancy Smyth, Dean of the School of Social Work and furthered by
its research team lead by Denise Krause, Clinical Associate Professor, and Sue
Green, Clinical Assistant Professor, this project has ranged from a close
examination of historical documents and photographs preserved in UB’s archives,
to interviews with members of the UB School of Social Work.
Connecting research and theory to all levels of practice helps
to anchor UB SSW students in their academic pursuits and community
engagement. The senior clinical
faculty were hired 11 years ago, and have cultivated a rich tradition of
cross-fertilization between the SSW, community stakeholders, and the profession
of social work. As a result, they
were able to build bridges and initiate projects with an aura of mutual trust
and reciprocity, which is particularly valuable in underserved communities.
Visit the History
Project’s website here.