PhD Candidates
Author(s)

Graduating University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work PhD candidates are ready to put their doctoral training to work as teachers and scholars who advance social work knowledge and social justice.
Get to know our upcoming PhD graduates:

Jarrod Call, MSW, LCSW
Doctoral candidate Jarrod Call earned a BA in exercise science and an MSW from Brigham Young University. His post-MSW clinical work focused on helping vulnerable populations navigate health care systems, providing assessment and support in emergency departments, and providing substance abuse treatment for adult men transitioning out of the criminal legal system. His current research centers on LGBTQ wellness with a specific focus on transgender and non-binary health care access. His scholarship is aimed at dismantling systems of oppression that marginalize queer people, particularly transgender and non-binary people.
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Research Interests/Areas of Emphasis
- Transgender and non-binary health care access
- Queer mental health, suicide prevention, and well-being
- Health care policy
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Dissertation
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Developing, refining, and testing the Intersectional Model of Service Use: A transgender and nonbinary-specific model of healthcare access.
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Select Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- 2021–22, University of Denver Doctoral Fellowship for Inclusive Engagement, $9,000
- 2018–19, University of Denver Graduate Studies Doctoral Fellowship, $4,500
- 2015, Brigham Young University Graduate Studies Research Grant, $10,000
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Select Presentations
- Call, J. (2021, June 15). Working with LGBTQIA+ clients. Invited training for UWill Therapy, a teletherapy platform for college students.
- Call, J. (2021, February 1). Promoting health justice through transgender and non-binary affirming healthcare. Invited talk for the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics Resident Health Justice Elective.
- Call, J., Gerke, D., & Barman-Adhikari, A. (2021, January 19–22). The impact of sexual orientation on PrEP motivating factors among young adults experiencing homelessness. Paper presented at the Society for Social Work & Research Conference, San Francisco, CA (online).
- Call, J., & Holloway, B. (2021, November 4–7) Intersectional Model of Service Use: Understanding transgender and nonbinary healthcare access. Paper presented at the Annual Program Meeting for the Council on Social Work Education, Orlando, FL.
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Select Publications
- Call, J., Gerke, D., & Barman-Adhikari, A. (2021). Facilitators and barriers to PrEP use among straight and LGB young adults experiencing homelessness. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2021.1954575
- Call, J. B., & Shafer, K. (2018). Gendered manifestations of depression and help seeking among men. American Journal of Men’s Health, 12(1), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988315623993
- Gerke, D., Call, J., & Auslander, W. F. (in press). The syndemic factors of violence exposure, substance use, and mental health Problems: Relationships to sexual risk behaviors in HIV-negative young MSM. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. https://doi.org/10.1086/711612
- Guz, S., Kattari, S., Atteberry-Ash, B., Klemmer, C., Call, J., & Kattari, L. (2021). Depression and suicide risk at the cross-section of sexual orientation and gender identity for high school youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(2), 317–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.008

Stephanie Chassman, MSW, LCSW
Doctoral candidate Stephanie Chassman holds a BA in economics from Connecticut College and an MSW from the University of Southern California. She is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of California with experience in direct practice among unhoused adults. She has a background in the integration of research evidence into social work practice, diagnosing and treating mental disorders, and helping shape mental health policy. Her research interests center around homelessness and traumatic brain injury (TBI) with a focus on social network analysis. She is a research associate with the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work Center for Housing and Homelessness Research, where she helped lead a project across two sites in Colorado examining the prevalence of TBI among individuals experiencing homelessness. Findings from this project have had a direct impact on communities serving adults experiencing homelessness. Her goals are to continue to conduct research that has a direct impact on clinical practice and future research.
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Research Interests/Areas of Emphasis
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Mixed methods research that aims to understand the relationship between homelessness and traumatic brain injury
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Dissertation
- The Relationship Between Traumatic Brain Injury and Homelessness, the Role of Social Support During COVID-19
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Select Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- 2020, University of Denver Mentored Scholar Award, $3,250
- 2018–19, University of Denver Graduate Studies Doctoral Fellowship, $4,500
- 2015–16, AIDS Health Care Foundation Strength for the Journey Award, $5,000
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Select Presentations
- Chassman, S., Barman-Adhikari, A., Hsu, Hsun-Ta, Petering, R., Santa Maria, D., Narendorf, S., Shelton, J., Bender, K., & Ferguson, K. (2020, November). Correlates of illicit drug use across 7 cities among youth experiencing homelessness. Poster presented at the 66th Annual Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO (online).
- Chassman, S., Barman-Adhikari, A., Hsun-Ta, H., Petering, R., Santa Maria, D., Narendorf, S., Shelton, J., Bender, K., & Ferguson, K. (2021, January). Correlates of illicit drug use across 7 cities among youth experiencing homelessness [Oral paper session]. Social Work Science for Social Change25th Annual Conference (online).
- Chassman, S., Brown, S., Barman-Adhikari, A., Hsun-Ta, H., Petering, R., Santa Maria, D., Narendorf, S., Shelton, J., Bender, K., & Ferguson, K. (2021, January). Substance use typologies among young people experiencing homelessness in seven cities across the United States: A latent class analysis. Poster presented at the Social Work Science for Social Change 25th Annual Conference (online).
- Chassman, S., Calhoun, K., Bacon, B., Gorgens, K., & Brisson, D. (2021, November). The relationship between traumatic brain injury and homelessness during COVID-19 [Interactive workshop]. 67th Annual Council on Social Work Education, Orlando, FL.
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Select Publications
- Brisson, D., Wilson, J., Medina, E., Hughey, C., Chassman, S., & Calhoun, K. (2020). Experiences of youth transitioning out of juvenile justice or foster care systems: The correlates of successful moves to independence. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00708-x
- Calhoun, K., & Chassman, S. (2021). Sleep quality and quantity among adults experiencing homelessness: An ecological systems approach. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2021.1968556
- Chassman, S., Barman-Adhikari, A., Hsu, H., Ferguson, K., Narendorf, S., Santa Maria, D., Shelton, J., Petering, R., & Bender, K. (in press). Prevalence and correlates of illicit substance use among young adults experiencing homelessness in seven cities across the United States. Journal of Drug Issues.
- Chassman, S., Littman, D. M., Bender, K., Santa Maria, D., Shelton, J., Ferguson, K. M., Hsu, H., Narendorf, S., Barman-Adhikari, A., & Petering, R. (2020). Educational attainment among young adults experiencing homelessness in seven cities across the United States. Children and Youth Services Review, 119, 105676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105676

Lisa Colón, MA
Doctoral candidate Lisa Colón earned a BA and MA in psychology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Their master’s thesis was the creation and validation of an extensive psychological inventory, the Lifetime Sexuality Inventory, which measures the development of human sexuality through the lens of childhood experiences. Colón’s doctoral research has focused on qualitative methods. Their research interest at the broadest level is in interrupting cycles of trauma. Under that umbrella, Colón’s research has incorporated child sexual abuse, the child welfare system as a traumatic experience, and, most recently, the application of historical trauma to Puerto Ricans. Moving forward, Colón plans to merge their interests in scale development and qualitative research methods to create measures designed explicitly for Puerto Ricans, including measures that assess enculturation and historical trauma.
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Research Interests/Areas of Emphasis
- Interrupting cycles of trauma
- Exploring the application of historical trauma to Puerto Ricans
- The connection between culture, migration and asthma severity for Puerto Ricans
- Qualitative research methods
- Scale development
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Dissertation
- Puerto Ricans and asthma: Looking through the lens of historical trauma
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Select Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- 2021 Interdisciplinary Research Incubator for the Study of (in)Equality Research Funding (two studies), $1,000
- 2021 Office of Graduate Education Dissertation Fellowship, $2,500
- 2019–20 University of Denver James R. Moran Pre-Doctoral Assistantship for research on the intersection of inequality, poverty and discrimination, $18,700
- 2018–19 Indigenous Substance Abuse, Medicines, and Health Research Training Fellowship, $2,000 plus travel
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Select Presentations
- Colón, L., Beltrán, R., & Alvarez, A. (2019, January 16–20). The relationship between age, age at sexual debut and HIV/STI knowledge amongst Indigenous youth [Oral presentation]. Society for Social Work Research 23rd Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.
- Colón, L., & Durham, R. (2019, October 24–27). Predictors of the effective prevalence of child sexual abuse [Paper session]. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
- Ortega, D, Alvarez, A., Colón, L., & Beltrán, R. (2018, November 8–11). Archiving stories of health and healing: Indigenous/Latinx cultural perspectives on historical trauma [Paper presentation]. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Orlando, FL.
- Ortega-Williams, A., Henderson, Z., & Colón, L. (2021, June 15). Historical trauma and posttraumatic growth: A cross-cultural examination of mass group-level healing [Invited panel]. Vibrant Emotional Health & NYC Department of Youth & Community Development.
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Select Publications
- Colón, L. (2021). Using historical trauma to understand the high asthma prevalence among Puerto Ricans (Manuscript under review). Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver.
- Colón, L. (2020) Challenging the Grand Challenges for Social Work. The Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 17(2), 56–67. https://jswve.org/download/2020-2/JSWVE-17-2-Fall-2020-full-issue.pdf
- Ortega-Williams, A., Beltrán, R., Schultz, K., Ru-Glo Henderson, K., Colón, L., & Teyra, C. (2021). An integrated historical trauma and posttraumatic growth framework: A cross-cultural exploration. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 22(2), 220–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1869106

Tyler Han, MSW
Doctoral candidate Tyler Han earned a BA in psychology and social behavior and criminology, law and society from the University of California, Irvine and an MSW with a concentration in forensic social work from California State University, Los Angeles. Her post-MSW experience focused on clinical practice with children and families in a community-based mental health organization. Han’s scholarship uses critical and discourse methodologies to study race, punishment, and social control. Her current work examines the dehumanization of incarcerated people and how their experiences in prison intersect with historical and institutional discourses. Han’s research and teaching seek to cultivate critical consciousness about the different ways that power is maintained and legitimized in society in order to dismantle oppressive systems that harm individuals, families and communities.
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Research Interests/Areas of Emphasis
- Race, punishment and social control
- Dehumanization of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people
- Discourse analysis
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Dissertation
- Experiences of Dehumanization in Prison and Historical and Institutional Discourses: A Critical Narrative Inquiry
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Select Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- 2020–22, University of Denver Doctoral Fellowship for Inclusive Engagement, $9,000
- 2021, Fahs-Beck Scholars Program Doctoral Dissertation Grant, $6,170
- 2021, University of Denver Graduate Education Dissertation Fellowship, $2,500
- 2020–21, University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work Outstanding Dissertation Proposal Award, $1,500
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Select Presentations
- Han, T. M., Flynn, E., Peña R., & Morris, K. N. (2021, June 22–24). Measuring the impact of prison-based dog training programs on recidivism: A propensity score matched survival analysis [Paper presentation]. 30th International Society for Anthrozoology Conference (Virtual Conference).
- Han, T. M., & Flynn, E. (2020, November 16–20). Using prison-based animal programs to address trauma in incarcerated populations [Paper accepted for presentation]. Council on Social Work Education 66th Annual Program Meeting (Virtual Conference).
- Han, T. M. (2020, May 27–30). Forming and reinforcing systems of power and oppression: Ideological values in criminal justice policymaking [Paper presentation]. Law and Society Association 2020 Annual Meeting (Virtual Conference).
- Han, T. M., Sedivy, J. A., & Nicotera, N. (2018, November 8–11). MSW student self-care and wellness: Implications for social work education [Paper presentation]. Council on Social Work Education 64th Annual Program Meeting, Orlando, FL.
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Select Publications
- Han, T. M., Gandenberger, J., Flynn, E., Sharma, J., & Morris, K. N. (2020). Empowerment theory and prison-based dog training programs. Journal of Social Work. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017320954350
- Sliva, S., Green, M., & Han, T. M. (2020). Policy to practice: An implementation case study in restorative justice. Contemporary Justice Review, 23(4), 527–543. https://doi.org/10.1080/10282580.2019.1700371
- Willis, T. Y., Wick, D., Han, T. M., Rivera, J., & Doran, J. K. (2019). “If I did it over there, I can do it here”: U.S. Latinx social work students in Costa Rican service placements deepening their professional identity and skills. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(4), 710–723. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1611513
- Han, T. M., Flynn, E., Winchell, J., Gould, E., Gandenberger, J., Barattin, D., Tedeschi, P., & Morris, K. N. (2018). Prison-based dog training programs: Standard protocol. Institute for Human-Animal Connection. https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/anitobe/2/

Jessica King McLaughlin, MSW, LCSW
Doctoral candidate Jessica King McLaughlin has an MSW from Boston College, where she completed specialized research on traumatic brain injuries and post-trauma. Jessica also has experience in grantmaking through The Boston Foundation, helping nonprofits facilitate grants and garner donations. After completing her MSW, Jessica worked with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children as an in-home therapist. Since moving to Colorado, King has worked in community mental health, performing trauma evaluations on children involved in the CPS and foster care system. She has also worked as a medical social worker at Medical Center of the Rockies. King’s work with multigenerational families motivates her research interests in caregiver burden, gerontology, and workforce policy implications for working female caregivers.
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Research Interests/Areas of Emphasis
- Health care policy
- Workplace policy
- Informal caregiving, working caregivers, caregiver support, caregiver burden
- Older adults, financial security and well-being; financial exploitation, cognitive health
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Dissertation
- An Intersectional Perspective on the Role of Workplace Policy Among Employed Female Caregivers During the Coronavirus Pandemic
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Select Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- 2018, Hot Issues in Health Conference Scholarship
- 2018 finalist, SRPP Outstanding Student Poster Award, Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting
- 2019–20 University of Denver James R. Moran Pre-Doctoral Assistantship, $18,700
- 2017–18 University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work First-Year Doctoral Fellowship
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Select Presentations
- King McLaughlin, J. (2019, October). Is Medicare-for-all feasible?: Policy analysis of a single-payer health insurance proposal. Paper presented at the annual program meeting of the Council for Social Work Education, Denver, CO.
- King McLaughlin, J., Taeckens, A., Anderson, E., Greenfield, J. C., & Chess, E. (2020, November). Effects of household size and partner status on financial well-being and financial exploitation. Poster presented at the annual scientific meeting of the Gerontological Society of America (online).
- King McLaughlin, J., Taeckens, A., Greenfield, J. C., & Chess, E. (2019, November). Links between cognitive impairment and financial capacity among older adults: A scoping review. Poster presented at the annual scientific meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Austin, Texas.
- Washington, T., King McLaughlin, J., Stephenson, E., Clay, O. J., & McQueen-Gibson, E. (2020, November). Discussant: Lynn Feinberg. Working while caregiving: A scoping review of the experiences of employed female caregivers. In T. Washington (Chair), The experience of working family caregivers: Implications for a national paid leave policy [Symposium]. The annual scientific meeting of Gerontological Society of America (online).
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Select Publications
- King McLaughlin, J. (2021, March 1). Opinion: Family caregivers are being ignored in the vaccine rollout. The Colorado Sun. Opinion: Family caregivers are being ignored in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout (coloradosun.com)
- King McLaughlin, J., Hasche, L., Greenfield, J. C., & De Fries, C. (2019). Young adult caregiver strain and benefits. Social Work Research, 43(4), 269–278. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svz019
- Steward, A., Hasche, L., Greenfield, J. C., Ingle, P., De Fries, C., Fix, R., King McLaughlin, J., Hennig, M., & Bonatus, D. (in press). Interactions between young and old: A scoping review of non-familial intergenerational practices and programs. Health and Social Care in the Community.
- Taeckens-Seabaugh, A., King McLaughlin, J., Greenfield, J. C., Wang, K., & Chess, E. (2021). Impaired financial decision-making as an early indicator of cognitive decline: A commentary. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 64(4), 340–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2021.1894522

Stephanie Nisle-Mikos, MA, LPC
Doctoral candidate Stephanie Nisle-Mikos has a BA in psychology from the University of Illinois and a MA in clinical mental health counseling with a specialization in addictions from the University of Denver. Previously, she worked as a research assistant analyzing the effectiveness of residential substance abuse treatment facilities and has worked in the clinical mental health field providing group and individual counseling to adults and adolescents with co-morbid disorders. Additionally, she has spent the past 10 years teaching and volunteering with historically underserved and special needs students in academic settings. Stephanie has presented her work nationally and has published research on substance abuse, multiculturalism, youth development, and first-generation college students. She joined the doctoral program to pursue her interests in youth empowerment and youth voice in inequitable school contexts. She is particularly interested in how student–teacher relationships, equitable roles and sense of community can facilitate feelings of empowerment for students. Stephanie hopes to conduct research that amplifies the voices of students in these communities, doing so in a way that honors their experiences and perspectives.
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Research Interests/Areas of Emphasis
- Youth empowerment and youth voice in inequitable school contexts. I am particularly interested in how student–teacher relationships, equitable roles and sense of community can facilitate feelings of empowerment for students
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Dissertation
- Changing the Narrative: Student Empowerment in Unequal School Contexts
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Select Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) Minority Fellowship Program for Addictions Counselors, $18,000
- University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work First-Year Doctoral Fellowship, $4,500
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Select Presentations
- Engle, C., & Nisle, S. (2019, May). Showcasing vulnerability: Exploring youth interactions with politicians and policy makers. Poster presented at the University of Denver Research and Scholarship Showcase, Denver, CO.
- Nisle, S., & Anyon, Y. (2021, January). The relationships between school poverty rates and young people’s perceptions of empowerment. Poster presented at the Society for Social Work Research (virtual conference).
- Nisle, S., Bender, K., Brydon, D., Shapiro, V., & Anyon, Y. (2019, January). Integrating empirically-based prevention strategies and empowerment practices in schools. Roundtable presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference, San Francisco, CA.
- Nisle, S., Combs, K., Taussig, H. (2020, January). Exogenous predictors of substance use in a sample of maltreated youth with child welfare involvement. Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Washington, DC.
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Select Publications
- Garriott, P. O., & Nisle, S. (2018). Stress, coping, and perceived academic goal progress in first-generation college students: The role of institutional supports. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 11(4), 436–450. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000068
- Jimenez, C., Schofield-Clark, L., Kennedy, H., Nisle, S., Engle, C., Matyasic, S., & Anyon, Y. (2021). The art of youthful restraint: Negotiating youth–adult relationships in digital media literacy. Learning, Media, and Technology, 46(2), 190–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.1888118
- Kennedy, H., Mataysic, S., Schofield Clark, L., Engle, C., Anyon, Y., Weber, M., Jimenez, C., Osiemo Mwirigi, M., & Nisle, S. Early adolescent critical consciousness development in the age of Trump. Journal of Adolescent Research, 35(3), 279–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558419852055
- Tejada, J., Nisle, S., & Jenson, J. M. (2020). Attitudes and perceptions of environmental change among youth living in public housing. Children, Youth and Environments, 30(1), 83–100. https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.30.1.0083

In Young Park, MSW
While obtaining her MSW in South Korea, doctoral candidate In Young Park worked as a research assistant in a government-funded institute and at a social welfare center, where she worked on a project examining how the classroom environment can impact non-minority youth cultural tolerance toward immigrants. Park is particularly interested in understanding parental factors that influence family processes and youth mental health distress outcomes within Asian immigrant family contexts and designing culturally appropriate practices for ethnic minority and majority communities.
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Research Interests/Areas of Emphasis
- Global and international social work
- Youth mental health
- Family social work practice
- Racial discrimination and prejudice
- Asian immigrants and Asian American families
- Introductory and advanced statistical analyses
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Dissertation
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Exploring Gaps in Understanding Asian American Youth’s Mental Health from Cultural and Family Contexts
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Select Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- Doctoral Fellowship for Inclusive Engagement, $9,000
- Solution Focused Brief Therapy Research Award for Doctoral Dissertation Grant, $2,500
- Summer Mentored Scholar Award, $10,500
- Walter F. LaMendola Pre-Doctoral Assistantship Award
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Select Presentations
- Park, I. Y., & Adhikari-Barman, A. (2021, January). Factors associated with information and communication technologies use among young adults experiencing homelessness in seven cities in the United States. Poster presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference (online).
- Park, I. Y, & Altschul, I. (2020, November). Examining reciprocal relationships between parenting stress, maternal depression, and destructive conflict behaviors. Oral presentation conducted at the Council for Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
- Park, I. Y., & Kim, J. (2020, January). Understanding the ethnic self: A qualitative study of 1.5-generation Korean American adult immigrants. Paper presentation conducted at the 2020 Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Washington, DC.
- Park, I. Y., & Wang, K. (2021, April). The relationship between acculturative stress and psychological distress among foreign born Asian Americans. Oral presentation conducted at the 2021 Association for Asian American Studies (online).
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Select Publications
- Park, I. Y., & Walls, E., Atteberry-Ash, B., & Kattari, L. (in press). Trusted adults as a protective factor for mental health: Bullying and role of an adult in representative sample of high school youth. Journal of Society for Social Work and Research.
- Park, I. Y., Barman-Adhikari, A., Hsu, H. T., Narendorf, S. C., Santa Maria, D., Shelton, J., Ferguson, K. M., Bender, K., & Petering, R. (in press). The relationship between discrimination and perceived stress: Buffering effect of online health information seeking among young adults experiencing homelessness. Journal of Technology in Human Services.
- Park, I. Y. (2020). Key facts about U.S. immigration policies under the Trump administration and expected changes in 2021. International Society Security Review, 15, 119–123.
- Park, I. Y., & Yoo, J. P. (2018). The effects of Korean father’s acceptance of immigrant mother’s native language on the multiethnic children’s attitudes toward mothers’ culture: The mediating effects of mothers’ participation in home-country activities and parent–child relationship satisfaction. Korean Journal of Child Studies, 39(2), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.5723/kjcs.2018.39.2.27

Andrew Steward, MSW, LCSW
Doctoral candidate Andrew Steward received a BA in music and an MSW from the University of Denver. Steward is an LCSW in Colorado with five years of post-MSW practice experience. His experience includes program/community development as the lead developer of an intergenerational, lifelong learning initiative recognized by the International Council on Active Aging as one of the most five most innovative wellness programs for older adults in North America. Steward has also worked as a hospice clinician and Certified Music Practitioner, where he provides therapeutic flute music for clients in health care settings. Steward’s research explores gaps in understanding and responding to ageism. His three-manuscript dissertation (1) details a conceptual model of interventions to reduce internalized ageism (2) examines whether internalized age stereotypes mediate the relationship between volunteering and psychosocial health, and (3) explores the lived experience of racialized ageism among Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and white older adults. Steward is committed to community-engaged research, as demonstrated by his evaluation consultancy work for community partner organizations Experience EngAGEd and the LinkAGES Intergenerational Collaborative. He has experience teaching both in-person and online social work courses at the graduate level since 2017.
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Research Interests/Areas of Emphasis
- Interventions to reduce internalized ageism
- Intersectionality of ageism with other social justice issues
- Healthy aging
- Arts-based research
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Dissertation
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Exploring Gaps in Understanding and Responding to Ageism: A Conceptual Model, Psychosocial Health, and Racialized Ageism
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Select Grants, Fellowships & Awards
- 2021, Fahs Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation Doctoral Dissertation Grant, $6,613
- 2021, University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work Outstanding Dissertation Proposal Award, $1,500
- 2019, Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work Pre-Dissertation Fellow, $1,200
- 2019, Next Fifty Initiative subcontract for Experience EngAGEd grant, in partnership with community partner Boomers Leading Change, $20,000 (direct cost)
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Select Presentations
- Hasche, L., Steward, A., Greenfield, J. C., Ingle, M. P., De Fries, C. M., Fix, R., King, J., Hennig, M., & Bonatus, D. (2021, January). The state of the field: A scoping review of non-familial intergenerational programs. Poster presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference (online).
- Steward, A., Hasche, L., & Laser-Maira, J. (2021, November). Internalized age stereotypes as a mediator between volunteering and psychosocial health for adults 50+. Poster presentation at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.
- Steward, A., Lavery, A., & Moody, H. R. (2019, October). Approaches to infusing critical gerontology across social work curricula. Workshop conducted at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
- Steward, A., Schilz, M., Wang, K., Ingle, M. P., De Fries, C., & Hasche, L. (2021, November). The association between online social network support and fear of COVID-19 among older adults. Paper presentation at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.
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Select Publications
- Steward, A. (2021). Toward interventions to reduce internalized ageism. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2021.1898516
- Steward, A., & Hasche, L. (2021). Exploring lifestyle activities to reduce internalized ageism: Self-efficacy as a mediator between exercise, volunteering, computer use and self-perceptions of aging. International Journal of Aging and Human Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914150211024175
- Steward, A., Hasche, L., Greenfield, J. C., Ingle, M. P., De Fries, C. M., King McLaughlin, J., Schilz, M., Hennig, M., & Bonatus, D. (in press). Bridging generations: A scoping review of participant, agency, and community outcomes of non-familial intergenerational programs. Journal of Social Work.
- Steward, A., Hasche, L., Talamantes, M., & Bernhardt, M. (2020). The impact of intergenerational engagement on social work students’ attitudes toward aging: The example of Clermont College. Health and Social Work, 45(4), 250–258. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlaa023
