Olivia Drake


Author Archive

UConn School of Social Work

Seven School of Social Work Doctoral Students Awarded

"This was one of the most competitive cycles we have seen in the history of the doctoral program."

Caitlin Elsaesser, associate professor in the School of Social Work

School of Social Work Faculty Honored for Teaching Innovation

UConn School of Social Work Associate Professor Caitlin Elsaesser received a UConn AAUP Excellence Award in Teaching Innovation for integrating mindfulness into social work education

Connecticut Adelante! Scholar Maricielo Valencia Celadita '26 MSW celebrates and represents the country of Peru during the UConn School of Social Work Commencement Ceremony held May 9, 2026 at the UConn Storrs campus.

Social Work Graduates Urged to Lead with Compassion, Advocacy at UConn Commencement

The UConn School of Social Work awarded more than 190 BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. degrees during UConn's 147th Commencement Ceremony

Connecticut ¡Adelante! Scholars Nicole Vega '26 MSW and Jeimy Tiga '26 MSW outside the School of Social Work building in Hartford. 

19 Bilingual CT ¡Adelante! Scholars to Graduate with MSW Degrees

The Connecticut ¡Adelante! Scholars Program offers MSW students bilingual Spanish/English clinical training to address the growing need for Spanish-speaking social workers in Connecticut

alumni award social work

9 School of Social Work Alumni Honored at Awards Reception

Alumni recognized for exceptional contributions and impact, mentoring, and demonstrating outstanding leadership in the field of social work

Sukhmani Singh

Social Work Faculty Honored with Provost Award for Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship

School of Social Work Assistant Professor Sukhmani Singh examines inequities within the criminal and juvenile legal system(s), with particular attention to state minoritized youth and formerly incarcerated adults

Goldsborough SSW

UConn Researcher Targets Tobacco Use in Substance Use Care

School of Social Work Ph.D Candidate Elizabeth “Liz” Goldsborough stresses that social work education should include competency-based tobacco treatment training

Anne Foley

Social Work’s Foley Recipient of UConn Outstanding Adjunct Award

Anne Foley ’87 MSW, adjunct faculty in the School of Social Work, helps students connect policy theory to real-world impact

Bridget Foley-Johnson, pictured at the UConn Hartford Campus

Student Pursues Joint Graduate Degrees in Social Work, Public Policy

"I could see how intertwined the two fields are and it made sense to study them together, especially with the internship opportunities and the range of career paths it opens up.”  

man looking at photographs

Social Work Researcher Uses Photography to Explore Lived Experiences of Immigrants in Armenia

Through Photo Elicitation Interviewing, School of Social Work Professor Rebecca Thomas can reveal emotional insights that cannot be articulated through words alone

family eating dinner

Researcher Receives Dean’s Incentive Award to Study Youth Experiences with Food Insecurity

With support of a Dean’s Incentive Award, UConn School of Social Work Assistant Professor Alexandria Forte aims to ensure that policies, programs, and social work interventions reflect the lived realities of young people experiencing food insecurity

campaign school for social workers

UConn’s Campaign School for Social Workers Ignites Political Leadership

During the 30th annual event, participants from 18 different states learned how social workers can step into political roles and better their communities

Second-year MSW student Sarah Burnett

UConn Community Testifies at General Assembly Hearing on Graduate Loan Access

UConn faculty, students, and alumni from social work, nursing, and physical therapy shared their support for Senate Bill 8, which proposes creating a state-level graduate student loan program to help offset anticipated federal reductions

gender-based violence

Smith to Develop Perspectives on Gender-Based Violence Course as 2026 Service Learning Fellow

The new course, developed by Service Learning Fellow Ellen Smith, will include a service-learning component that connects students with community organizations working to prevent and respond to gender-based violence

From left, Ilene Garcia ’24, MSW ’25; Michelle Rivera, UConn School of Social Work program assistant; Gus Marks-Hamilton ’03, ’17 MSW; and Tynisha Tyson ’05

School of Social Work Alumni Share Career Pathways with BSW Students

During a moderated panel, UConn alumni and staff offered firsthand insights into their day-to-day work as social workers

Sukhmani Singh, assistant professor in the UConn School of Social Work

UConn Research Informs Policy Debate on Expanding Juvenile Parole Eligibility in Connecticut

UConn researcher Sukhmani Singh’s new report to the Connecticut Sentencing Commission shows that people released under the state’s juvenile parole law have low recidivism rates and face significant reentry challenges, informing ongoing debates about sentencing reform

Several families smiling

Innovations Institute to Lead National Center Aimed at Supporting Youth Mental Health Systems

The School of Social Work's Innovations Institute received a five-year grant from SAMHSA to spearhead the National Training & Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health

SSWR conference for School of Social Work

SSW Faculty, Ph.D. Students Share Recent Studies at Society for Social Work and Research Conference

UConn School of Social Work offered 42 presentations at the conference, representing the work of 23 faculty members and 18 students

research presentation

UConn Social Work Ranks as Top School for Research Expenditures in HERD NSF Survey

The NSF's Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey lists UConn SSW at No. 7 among public schools and No. 11 among all schools of social work nationwide

Connecticut ¡Adelante! Program

Latino Endowment Fund Supports Connecticut ¡Adelante! Program

The Connecticut ¡Adelante! Program prepares bilingual Spanish-speaking MSW students to meet the behavioral health needs of the Latine community, especially among children and youth