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Faculty - Social Work
Department Chairs
Amy Chanmugam, Ph.D.

Department Chair and Associate Professor, Social Work


210.458.3000
Amy Chanmugam, Ph.D.
Title

Department Chair and Associate Professor, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

FS 4.544

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< A. Chanmugam CV
Research Interests
  • Intimate partner violence, especially child/adolescent exposure
  • Family interventions & support services, especially shelter-based
  • Family systems & psychological trauma
  • Child abuse & neglect
  • Parent-child relationships
  • Adoption & foster care
  • School social work & school-based interventions
  • Qualitative methods
Education
  • Ph.D., Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 2009
  • M.S., Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 1996
  • B.A., Psychology and German Literature, Vassar College, 1990
Faculty
Beatriz Alaniz, LCSW-S

Associate Professor of Practice, Social Work


Beatriz Alaniz, LCSW-S
Title

Associate Professor of Practice, Social Work

Email

Room

Department

Social Work

Amy Chanmugam, Ph.D.

Department Chair and Associate Professor, Social Work


210.458.3000
Amy Chanmugam, Ph.D.
Title

Department Chair and Associate Professor, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

FS 4.544

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< A. Chanmugam CV
Research Interests
  • Intimate partner violence, especially child/adolescent exposure
  • Family interventions & support services, especially shelter-based
  • Family systems & psychological trauma
  • Child abuse & neglect
  • Parent-child relationships
  • Adoption & foster care
  • School social work & school-based interventions
  • Qualitative methods
Education
  • Ph.D., Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 2009
  • M.S., Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 1996
  • B.A., Psychology and German Literature, Vassar College, 1990
Chien-Jen Chiang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Social Work


Chien-Jen Chiang, Ph.D.
Title

Assistant Professor, Social Work

Email

Room

Department

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Candace Christensen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Social Work


210.458.3000
Candace Christensen, Ph.D.
Title

Associate Professor, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

FS 4.404

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< C. Christensen CV
Research Interests
  • Research aim is to deconstruct paradigms, practices, and behaviors that perpetuate the acceptability of gender-based violence and to support cultures built for compassion, respect, and dignity.
  • Using intersectional, feminist methodologies (ethnography, participatory action, arts-based, phenomenology, grounded theory, and qualitative synthesis) to generate critical approaches to preventing gender-based violence with college students, sexual and gender minority youth, families, and in media discourse.
  • Disseminating research results communities can use to address gender-based violence by developing policies and practices that correspond with community needs and strengths.
Education
  • Ph.D., Social Work, University of Utah, 2012
  • Master of Social Work, University of Utah, 2008
  • B.A., Theatre Studies and Literature, University of Texas at Dallas, 1997
Richard Harris, Ph.D.

Professor, Social Work


210.458.3000
Richard Harris, Ph.D.
Title

Professor, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

FS 4.422

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< R. Harris CV
Research Interests
  • Social demography
  • Demographic techniques
  • Demography of aging
  • Gender roles
  • Sexual harassment and assault
  • Military sociology
  • Cultural competence
  • Stratification
Education
  • Ph.D., Sociology, Cornell University, 1976
  • M.A., Sociology, Cornell University, 1974
  • B.A., Sociology, Macalester College, 1971
Devon Jefferson, LMSW

Title IV-E Program Director, Social Work


210-458-2319
Devon Jefferson, LMSW
Title

Title IV-E Program Director, Social Work

Phone Number
210-458-2319
Email

Room

Department

Social Work

Lucinda Nevarez, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Social Work


210.458.3000
Lucinda Nevarez, Ph.D.
Title

Associate Professor, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

FS 4.412

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< L. Nevarez CV
Research Interests
  • Health disparities
  • Health inequalities
  • Minority health and mental health issues
  • Health policy
  • Healthcare access and utilization
  • The influence of race and culture in accessing and the utilization of mental health and healthcare services
Education
  • Ph.D., Social Work, University of Houston, 2010
  • Master of Social Work, University of Houston, 1999
  • B.A., Mexican American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, 1997
Emily Nicklett, Ph.D., M.S., MSW

Associate Professor, Social Work


210.458.3000
Emily Nicklett, Ph.D., M.S., MSW
Title

Associate Professor, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

Department

Downloads
< Nicklett CV
Emily Perez, LCSW-S

Associate Professor of Practice, MSW Director, Graduate Advisor of Record, Social Work


Emily Perez, LCSW-S
Title

Associate Professor of Practice, MSW Director, Graduate Advisor of Record, Social Work

Email

Room

Department

Megan Hayes Piel, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Social Work


210.458.2938
Megan Hayes Piel, Ph.D.
Title

Associate Professor, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.2938
Email

Room

FS 4.414

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< M. Hayes Piel CV
Research Interests
  • Child welfare and well-being
  • Resilience of foster youth and families
  • Mental health of youth aging out of foster care
  • Foster care alumni in postsecondary education
  • Preventing the intergenerational transmission of child abuse and neglect
Editorial Board Member, Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 2018-Present
Education
  • Ph.D., Social Work, Arizona State University, 2015
  • Master of Social Work, Arizona State University, 2011
  • B.S., Biopsychology, Nebraska Wesleyan University, 2005
Derek Plantenga, LCSW

Professor of Practice, BSW Program Director, Undergraduate Advisor of Record, Social Work


210.458.2026
Derek Plantenga, LCSW
Title

Professor of Practice, BSW Program Director, Undergraduate Advisor of Record, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.2026
Email

Room

FS 4.536

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< D. Plantenga CV
Education
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of Texas
  • M.S.W., Our Lady of the Lake University, 2003
  • B.S.W. and B.A. in Spanish, Calvin College, 2002
Bonita B. Sharma, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor


210.458.3000
Bonita B. Sharma, Ph.D.
Title

Assistant Professor

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

FS 4.410

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< B. Sharma CV
Research Interests
  • Impact of natural and built environment on sustainability and gender equality
  • Community and global health
  • Technology
  • Empowerment and leadership of women
  • Human mobility
  • Global social work
  • Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research
Education
  • Ph.D., Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, 2016
  • M.S., Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, 2009
  • B.S., Biology and Chemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, 1998
Jelena Todic, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Social Work


210.458.3000
Jelena Todic, Ph.D.
Title

Assistant Professor, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

FS 4.406

Department

Social Work

Downloads
< J. Todic CV
Research Interests
  • Health equity
  • Social determinants of health
  • Transdisciplinary place-based health equity interventions
  • Research translation for population health improvement
  • LGBTQ health
  • Social justice education
Education
  • Ph.D., Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 2018
  • M.S.W., Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, 2002
  • B.A., Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, 1999
Staff
Cyndi Beals

Administrative Associate II, Social Work


210.458.3004
Cyndi Beals
Title

Administrative Associate II, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3004
Email

Room

FS 4.544

Department

Social Work

Amy Manning-Thompson

Director of Field Education


210.458.3002
Amy Manning-Thompson
Title

Director of Field Education

Phone Number
210.458.3002
Email

Room

BV 3.308C

Department

Social Work

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Stephanie Ruiz

Program Specialist


Stephanie Ruiz
Title

Program Specialist

Email

Room

Department

Eleanor Saucedo, LMSW

Field Coordinator, Social Work


210.458.3009
Eleanor Saucedo, LMSW
Title

Field Coordinator, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3009
Email

Room

Department

Destiny Velasquez

Administrative Associate I, Social Work


210.458.3000
Destiny Velasquez
Title

Administrative Associate I, Social Work

Phone Number
210.458.3000
Email

Room

BV 3.308F

Department

Social Work

Child Welfare/Foster Care Initiatives staff
Cindy Alvarado, MSW

Child Welfare Research Coordinator


210-458-2335
Cindy Alvarado, MSW
Title

Child Welfare Research Coordinator

Phone Number
210-458-2335
Email

Room

Department

Anna Beardsley

Housing Coach, Housing First Project


210-504-8871
Anna Beardsley
Title

Housing Coach, Housing First Project

Phone Number
210-504-8871
Email

Room

Department

Devon Jefferson, LMSW

Title IV-E Program Director, Social Work


210-458-2319
Devon Jefferson, LMSW
Title

Title IV-E Program Director, Social Work

Phone Number
210-458-2319
Email

Room

Department

Social Work

Tifannie Maciel, MSW

Housing Coach, Housing First Project


210-900-2856
Tifannie Maciel, MSW
Title

Housing Coach, Housing First Project

Phone Number
210-900-2856
Email

Room

Department

Cindy Mendoza

Senior Administrative Associate, Child Welfare Projects


210-458-2335
Cindy Mendoza
Title

Senior Administrative Associate, Child Welfare Projects

Phone Number
210-458-2335
Email

Room

Department

Deaven Rodriguez, LMSW

Research Program Coordinator, Child Welfare Projects


210-458-2335
Deaven Rodriguez, LMSW
Title

Research Program Coordinator, Child Welfare Projects

Phone Number
210-458-2335
Email

Room

Department

LaDonna Sewell, MPA

Associate Director, Housing First Project


210-458-2579
LaDonna Sewell, MPA
Title

Associate Director, Housing First Project

Phone Number
210-458-2579
Email

Room

Department

Department of Social Work

Phone: 210-458-3000
Fax: 210-458-3001
Location: FS 4.544
The University of Texas at San Antonio
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249-1644