Boston University School of Social Work

What if the news you consumed focused on solutions instead of problems? That's the premise behind From Issues to Action, Professor Phillipe Copeland's podcast exploring what equity, antiracism, and real community change actually look like in practice.

Episodes are out now, including a conversation with Simmons University Professor and author Kathy Lopes on authentic storytelling, civic information, and why history is on the side of change-makers.

Learn more: http://spr.ly/6183BDjIF9

Professor Phillipe Copeland Launches Podcast Centered on Turning Social Issues Into Action The monthly podcast will highlight conversations with scholars, leaders, artists, and everyday people making a difference.

Congratulations to Dr. Kanako Okuda, assistant dean of practicum education and clinical associate professor, on her appointment to the CSWE Council on Field Education!

Dr. Okuda will serve a three-year term beginning July 1, helping to shape national standards for practicum education, the bridge that connects students, social work programs and the communities they serve.

Read more: http://spr.ly/6188BDwDa8

"We have simply got to make people aware that none of us are free until we're all free." — Opal Lee, civil rights activist and "Grandmother of Juneteenth"

This is the heart of social work. Liberation is not individual. It is collective, and it requires all of us to keep showing up for each other, and to keep telling the truth about what freedom still requires.

Today we celebrate Juneteenth and the resilience, joy, and ongoing work of communities who have carried that truth forward for generations. We are grateful for the Black scholars, social work practitioners, and leaders who continue to shape the field of social work and push it toward justice.

How are you celebrating today? Share in the comments.

ICYMI: Older women experiencing homelessness are one of the fastest-growing groups within the homeless population globally, yet they remain largely absent from research and policy conversations.

A study by BUSSW Professor Judith Gonyea examines what daily life actually looks like for women in their 50s navigating streets and emergency shelters, and what needs to change.

Read the full story: http://spr.ly/6181B8fl4U

Ask any BUSSW student or alum about their favorite class or professor, and you'll get a story, not just a name.

From courses on racial justice and oppression to systems mapping, our students keep coming back to the same thing: faculty who challenge them, support them, and show up as people first.

Read more student stories on our newly redesigned website: https://www.bu.edu/ssw/news-events/student-voices/

We're proud to share that two BUSSW students have been selected for the 2026 Rappaport Public Policy Summer Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School's Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston.

Rachel Dooley, a PhD student, will be placed with the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate to examine the educational experiences of youth in group home placements. Anthony Mejia (SSW '27) will work with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to study reentry coordination for individuals leaving state correctional facilities under parole supervision.

The competitive 10-week fellowship pairs graduate students from across the region with public sector agencies to lead independent civic research projects aimed at strengthening governance in Greater Boston.

Congratulations, Rachel and Anthony. We can't wait to see what you uncover.

Read the full announcement: http://spr.ly/6187B8fmWv

The love letters are coming in and they are beautiful. Swipe to open them! 🏳️‍🌈 ❤️

This one stopped us in our tracks:

"The two most inspiring elements of the q***r community are our ability to experience joy together and our ability to love and care for one another even when our environments give us every incentive not to. Let's not lose that."

That's exactly why we started this. All June, BUSSW is collecting and sharing love letters to the LGBTQIA+ community, and there's still time to add yours. A letter, a poem, a few words from the heart. Anonymous submissions welcome.

Drop or view love letters here: https://www.bu.edu/ssw/about/equity-inclusion/love-letters/

New look. Same mission. 💪

The BUSSW website just got a major refresh, and it's ready to be explored. Cleaner, better organized, and built to match the energy of the work we do.

You’ll find comprehensive info about our top-ranked MSW and PhD programs, a robust new alumni section, along with stories about groundbreaking social work research that is changing lives.

Check it out: https://www.bu.edu/ssw/

For many people living with HIV, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the greatest threat isn't the virus itself — it's the stigma that follows a diagnosis.

BUSSW Professor Margaret Lombe, alongside colleague Lyndsey McMahan, and Dr. Charles Hakoma, recently presented research on HIV stigma reduction in these locations at the Harvard University CFAR Annual Scientific Symposium.

Their scoping review examines 15 years of intervention studies to understand what actually works and what still stands in the way.

Read the full story: http://spr.ly/6181B8fP1U

It's Pride Month, and we have a lot of love to give. 🌈

This June, BUSSW is collecting love letters to the LGBTQIA+ community. A letter, a poem, a voice memo, a few words straight from the heart. Big or small, every message matters.

Because every LGBTQIA+ student, colleague, friend, and family member in our community deserves to hear it: you are seen. You are celebrated. You belong here.

Submissions are open all month and anonymous if you prefer. We'll be sharing letters here throughout June, so keep an eye out. Drop your love letter here: http://spr.ly/6189B80Qdf

Someone out there needs to read it.