Heather Christine Arnold-Renicker

Clinical Associate Professor

Craig Hall, 2148 South High St. Denver, CO 80208

What I do

I teach and do work in my community because I believe that social workers and social work students are uniquely poised to be at the forefront of social and economic justice movements. Teaching in areas like power, privilege and oppression, policy, organizing and leadership inspire me to continue working for social justice in the academic setting as well as in the local and national community.

Specialization(s)

civic and community engagement, community organizing and community development, disparities, gender, leadership and organizational change, LGBTQIA, public policy, race and ethnicity, racial justice, social justice

Professional Biography

Heather Arnold-Renicker is a born and raised Coloradan and started her career in 2002 as a case manager in a rape crisis center in Boulder where her passion for anti-oppressive practice emerged. While seeking her MSW from the University of Denver, Arnold-Renicker focused on policy, program administration, program development and anti-oppressive practice. She graduated in 2007 and moved to Washington, D.C., where she took a job in a political leadership development organization focused on creating leadership ladders for people who hold identities that are traditionally left out of political leadership.

While in D.C., Professor Arnold-Renicker started teaching in BSW and MSW programs at George Mason University and Catholic University. After moving back to Denver in 2011, she began teaching at the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver.

Since 2011, Professor Arnold-Renicker has also been focusing her career on developing and facilitating anti-oppression trainings for local and national organizations and consulting with organizations that want to change their internal policies and practices to better support staff of color, staff who are LGBTQ, and staff from other marginalized identity groups. She has worked with local and national social justice organizations and campaigns such as The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Art Museum, The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Showing Up for Racial Justice, Wellstone Action, Make it Work and Leadership for Educational Equity. Professor Arnold-Renicker's research interests are to better understand the impact of white dominant culture on social justice nonprofit organizations and the impact of other dominant social identities on the culture, policies and practices of nonprofit and social service organizations.

Degree(s)

MSW, Social work, University of Denver, 2007
BA, Psychology, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2003

Professional Affiliations

ACOSA: Association for Community Organization and Social Administration
Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

Presentations

Arnold-Renicker, H. C., & Gonzales, B. (2019). 2045: The Adult Learning World without the White Majority. Adult Learning Symposium. Denver: University of Denver.

Arnold-Renicker, H. C., & Gonzalez, B. (2018). Allyship in Management and Supervision . Specialized Field Supervisor Training. Denver: GSSW.

Arnold-Renicker, H. C. (2018). Leadership, Supervision and Allyship Practice. Leadership, Supervision and Allyship. Craig Hall: University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work.

Mitchell, J. R., Arnold-Renicker, H. C., Gonzales, B. C., & Ortega, D. M. (2019). Promoting allyship in field education: Integrating diversity training across systems. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting. Denver Colorado: Council on Social Work Education.

Arnold-Renicker, H. C. (2018). The Impact of White Dominant Culture on Social Justice Work. DU School of Education: Social Justice Committee and Campus Conversations.