The UAA School of Social Work is dedicated to advancing social work practice in Alaska
through baccalaureate and master’s education, research, and service. Social work is
a profession committed to ethical and research-informed practice that assists individuals,
families, groups, organizations, and communities, advances social, economic, and environmental
justice, and engages in policy practice. The School of Social Work offers the following
degrees and certificates:
School of Social Work Assistant Professor Amana Mbise and ISER Research Assistant Professor Nathan West are exploring the relationships that Black barbershops play in men's health. Their community-based research prioritizes the lived experiences of the men they talk to, and is revealing how barbershops function not just as grooming spaces, but as social and cultural hubs.
Dr. Rei Shimizu, from the University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work, in collaboration with multiple institutions, has been awarded a five-year, $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
UAA alumna and associate professor Holly Martinson hopes the new Biomed U-RISE program "lights a fire" in Alaska's research community by empowering undergraduate students with lab experience, mentorship and financial assistance. Martinson and co-PI, Professor Tracey Burke, welcomed the first cohort this academic year and will soon open applications for cohort two.
Co-principal investigators Tracey Burke, Ph.D., professor in the School of Social Work, and Holly Martinson, Ph.D., associate professor in the WWAMI School of Medical Education, hope the program empowers more Alaskans to pursue an advanced biomedical, research-focused degree and contribute to the research community.
UAA's School of Social Work received a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to address the need for Alaska social workers in a K-12 setting. The School-Based Social Work Education and Network Development program (SSWEND) aims to graduate a cohort of 31 fellows by 2026 who will increase the amount of school-based mental health service providers in high-needs schools.
Project BLENDS is a training program designed to prepare graduates to work collaboratively
to support infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children with high intensity social-emotional
needs and their families.
The School-Based Social Work Education and Network Development Program (Project SSWEND)
is an innovative partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Anchorage
School District (ASD).
OML is a state-wide women veterans project that connects women veterans with resources
in Alaska. The project supports the Alaska women veteran community and acknowledges
the achievements of women veterans.