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Noor Paracha Hayat Found Home at Loyola
Noor Paracha Hayat gave the student address at the School of Social Work's commencement ceremony in May 2026, reflecting on her journey that led her to Loyola.
Ren Horst Awarded 2026 President's Medallion
As this year’s recipient of the President’s Medallion, Ren is recognized not only for her academic excellence, but for the lived experience, cultural grounding, and unwavering purpose that inform her work in social services.
Loyola professor spotlights mental health on campus
As demand rises for mental health resources on college campuses, Loyola serves students with evidence-based resources. School of Social Work Professor Jonathan Singer, Ph.D. is leading the way.
Introducing Three New Faculty Members
We are pleased to welcome three outstanding scholars and educators as new full-time faculty members: Shannon Dunn, Ph.D., Amzie Moore II, Ph.D., and LaTasha Smith, Ph.D. Each brings a deep commitment to social work education, innovative research agendas, and a passion for teaching and mentorship that aligns with Loyola’s mission and values.
SSWR Conference 2026 Presentations
More than 40 presentations from School of Social Work faculty, students, and alumni were accepted for presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference 2026. Find out when and where you can see them.
Building Bridges Through Bilingual Social Work
Loyola University Chicago’s Online Bilingual Master of Social Work (MSW) program is preparing a new generation of compassionate, culturally responsive social workers capable of navigating systemic barriers and providing critical care in both English and Spanish.
Dr. Abha Rai Named Top 2% Scientist
Assistant Professor Abha Rai, Ph.D., MSW was recently named to the prestigious Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist List for 2025, a global ranking that honors the world's most influential researchers.
CADC Grant Renewed
The School of Social Work is excited to announce a $452,000 grant for the Certificate in Alcohol and Other Drug Counseling (CADC) Workforce Expansion Program. The grant was renewed for the third year by the Illinois Certification Board and the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Substance Use Prevention and recovery.
Serving Those Who Served: A Day in the Life of a VA Social Worker
Join us November 5 for our panel discussion collaboration with Military Veteran Student Services and the Jesse Brown Veterans Association.
Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work celebrated the grand opening of its new Behavioral Health Simulation Lab on Friday, October 17, marking a major milestone in the University’s commitment to advancing behavioral health education and training.
Maribel Lopez, Ed.D. Recognized with President's Volunteer Service Award
Professor Maribel Lopez was recognized with the prestigious award in May for her impressive volunteer work
Goutham M. Menon, PhD, Appointed Dean of the School of Social Work
Goutham M. Menon, PhD, has been appointed as the dean of the School of Social Work. He will join Loyola on July 1 from the University of Nevada-Reno, where he serves as director of the School of Social Work.
Awards
Benjamin Marton: Empowering youth to be advocates for change
Marton, who is one of this year's President's Medallion recipients, is studying for his master’s degree in social work, serves as a graduate and research assistant for two professors, is the president of the School of Social Work Student Organization, and works several days a week as an intern at Loyola Community and Family Services.
Active alumni presented with Damen Award
Licensed social worker Daniel Kill is a long-time advocate for mental health
"Social work education is the future of all academic teaching, even if most academicians don’t know it yet. It mixes training in social theory with mandatory hours of work in the field, putting those theories decidedly into practice -- something that most students clamor for."
SSW Alum and Adjunct Faculty Member Honored as Emerging Leader of the Year
In celebration of Social Work Month, Loyola SSW's very own Sarah Buino has been honored as the Emerging Leader of Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)-Illinois Chapter for her exceptional work as a clinician and leadership in promoting social justice and social change.
Loyola Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni Present at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Meeting
Join us during the SSWR 23rd Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA from January 16 - 20, 2019. Attend to our faculty, students and alumni talks. We have included a copy of the presentations. On January 18, our school will be hosting a reception and we hope to see you there.
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Advocacy Day Provides Hands-On Macro Social Work Experience
For the first time in six years, students at the School of Social Work (SSW) had the opportunity to attend in-person in Springfield, Illinois on April 16, 2024. Advocacy Day seeks to deepen students’ and social workers’ advocacy skills and their abilities to lobby directly to elected officials.
At the event, attendees learned about emerging issues and legislation impacting the state related to social work and discussed the issues impacting the profession. Of the 20 students who attended, six registered as Lobby Leaders, which provided them training on how to be leaders in advocacy work while in the company of fellow Illinois social work students.
Hear from Lori Light, advanced standing master of social work (MSW) student who organized Â鶹´«Ã½'s SSW participation in the event, about her Advocacy Day experience.
What is the significance of Advocacy Day?
This year’s Advocacy Day was significant for the
(NASW-IL) because it was the first time it’s been in person since 2019. A-day is significant for SSW students because it provides a hands-on experience with macro work and a full presentation of the legislative process in Illinois.
Advocacy Day is a great way to learn about interacting with policymakers and the forces and systems that impact all of us. One of the bills we asked politicians to support directly impacts our quality of life as social workers, especially those who are still in school. Senate Bill 2222 is a bill asking for Illinois to support schools with providing paid field placements for social work students. As student advocates in Springfield, we were tasked with finding politicians and asking for them to co-sponsor this bill. We were able to share our personal experience of struggling to make ends meet while completing our degrees and how financial burdens create burnout in a field that is already vulnerable. It was meaningful to be able to stress the impact that passing such a bill would have on future classes of SSW students.
What were your highlights of the experience?
A highlight for me was speaking with Representative Lindsey LaPointe, who serves District 19 as a state legislator. Rep. LaPointe is an NASW member whose field work as a social worker working with unhoused people led her to run for office in 2019. She was curious about what everyone in my group was hoping to do with their social work degrees and encouraged us all to stay in Illinois when we graduate. Our conversation about how she moved from micro social work to being a representative of her district was inspiring on many levels.
One last highlight was hearing back from peers after the event about how their expectation of the event was to close the door on any interest in macro level social work and instead, they walked away feeling inspired and motivated to do more. As an organizer, this is the best kind of response one can get!