The Social Workers Radio Talk Show

UAlbany News Story: Q&A with Cheng Ren: Leveraging AI to Advance Housing Justice https://www.albany.edu/news-center/news/2025-qa-cheng-ren-leveraging-ai-advance-housing-justice 

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In this episode, we speak with Jennifer Harvey '12. While at UAlbany, Jen was in the Internships in Aging Project (IAP) and her passion for working with the aging population has only grown since. Jen discusses what led her to social work and the many projects that she is currently involved in (hint: they all have to do with aging!).  Bio Jennifer joined Touching Hearts at Home of the Capital Distr...

"How do we take care of the people who take care of the people." We were able to chat with Sharon Kollar, LMSW '06 about her 20+ years of experience in non-profit and public child welfare organizations. Much of Sharon's work has focused on helping child welfare organizations create systems and environments that allow them to do great work. Sharon continues to use her macro and micro practice skill...

Jordan Steven Sher '81 is the author of four books, three of which focus on Bosnia. His latest two books are non-fiction and historical fiction delving into the war in the 1990s that produced war crimes and genocide. His new book is his first for Young Adults. He knows, however, that this will appeal to all ages. Jordan uses his social work background to grade his characters. Find out more at jord...

Today we chat with the leadership team of the new College of Integrated Health Sciences (CIHS) at UAlbany. Erin Bell, a professor of epidemiology, biostatistics and environmental health, was named dean of CIHS, which encompasses the former School of Public Health and the School of Social Welfare. Victoria Rizzo is the senior vice dean of CIHS and the director of the School of Social Welfare.

In this episode we speak with Anne Bink, MSW '04, about her work in the disaster response area.  Since June, Anne Bink has served as Director of Mitigation and Resilience at Innovative Emergency Management, or IEM, where she collaborates with state, tribal, territorial and local governments to build resilience in infrastructure and communities before and after disasters. From 2021 through May 2024...

With the UAlbany School of Social Welfare about to celebrate its 60th Anniversary, it was only fitting that Bill Serafin kicked off the first podcast episode of the academic year. Bill is a member of the first UAlbany MSW graduating class... the Class of 1967. Bill shares his memories of being a member of the first group of students enrolled at UAlbany's School of Social Welfare. 

The Community and Public Service Program (CPSP) is a popular course for UAlbany students, as they are able to volunteer in the community and earn academic credit at the same time. CPSP Director, Sheri Stevens, joins us to chat about the history of the program, the value it brings to the local community, and the impact of volunteering on students.

We are joined by Visiting Assistant Professor, Caroline Sharkey. Caroline's research centers on collective efficacy and social cohesion to mitigate community violence and school shootings, the impact of trauma and historical trauma, and to address the needs of young people in city contexts. We speak about the role of meso/macro-therapeutic interventions, particularly digital storytelling, to foste...

We are joined by Angie Wootton, a new Assistant Professor at UAlbany's School of Social Welfare. Wootton’s mixed methods research focuses primarily on characterizing and seeking remedies to persistent mental health and behavioral health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community, primarily among sexual minority women, transgender and gender non-binary people, and those experiencing multiple intersecting...

We are joined by SSW and SPH alum, Taylor Perre ‘22. We speak about the intersection of social work and public health, Taylor’s program and policy work at the Home Care Association of New York State, and navigating the political arena to make macro-level change. Bio: Taylor Perre works at the Home Care Association of NYS as a Senior Associate for Public Health and Policy, working across major prog...

In 2019, armed with a $6,500 University StAR grant, Associate Professor Carmen Serrano set out to establish a largely student-run podcast that would help to amplify the voices of underrepresented and marginalized UAlbany students and alumni, with stories that would prove both instructive and inspiring to others. Joining us today are Carmen Serrano and two student members of the UAlbany Student Sto...

In this episode, we speak with Meghan Keegan of the Albany Common Council. We discuss social workers as elected officials and the benefits of bringing the social work perspective to the table in the political arena.  Bio:  Meghan Keegan holds a Masters in Social Welfare (2006) from the University at Albany. She spent the first 15 years of her career working with special victims, at risk youth, and...

In this episode, we were joined by Lex Bhagat, Director of the Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library. We discuss how the library is making a difference in the community, particularly regarding the wi-fi expansion #KeepAlbanyConnected campaign aimed to bridge the digital divide. 

We were joined by alumna Julia Duff '16, the Executive Director of the Spina Bifida Association of NYS. She discusses the organization's evolution from a local to a statewide chapter, the agency's growth and future goals, and the impact of UAlbany SSW interns on SBANYS's service delivery and success. 

We were joined by Interim Dean and Professor, Vicky Rizzo. She speaks about her social work journey, vision for the SSW, goals as President of the NASW-NYS Chapter, and also shares some fun facts.  Bio: Victoria M. Rizzo, LCSW-R, PhD, Interim Dean & Professor, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, SUNY has dedicated her career to demonstrating the value of social work in health care sett...

Lynn Rothenberg graduated from the School of Social Welfare in 2008 after a career as a professional journalist. She recently completed a book-length manuscript that addresses her experience as a mother of a child battling addiction and its consequences.

Dr. Keli Rugestein is the author of "Relationsnip: Is there life after your adult child rejects you?" and discusses the factors that lead to estrangement, the impacts of estrangement, and what the research is saying on this topic.  Bio: Dr. Keli Rugestein is a licensed clinical social worker and the executive director of Eastern Door Counseling Center. She has been in private practice for over 20...

Kathleen Earle Fox, B.A.’67, M.S.W.’76, Ph. D.’96, is the author of a new book titled, "An Early History of the Wyoming Valley: The Yankee-Pennamite Wars & Timothy Pickering." She discusses how her social work background helped her to write a history book that is not like most history books, as this one pays attention to people and their motivations, and celebrates a group usually ignored in Ameri...

Flora Canavan is part of a group of MSW students who are completing a media component as part of their field placement. Flora joined Dr. Hardiman and Alyssa Lotmore to discuss her experience interviewing guests and shares why she chose the topic of the crisis in the Ukraine. Flora's interview with Father Vasyl Dovgan of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Troy, NY is shared.

We were joined by J.T. Stone, a UAlbany journalism major and podcast host. J.T. shared his story about how his interest in celebrity gossip as a high school freshman led him to a passion for journalism and podcasting. Only now a college freshman, J.T. already has built a bit of a resume, specifically in using his skills of storytelling to help amplify voices... particularly around issues such as m...

Melinda Haselton  is part of a group of MSW students who are completing a media component as part of their field placement. Melinda joined Dr. Hardiman and Alyssa Lotmore to discuss her experience interviewing guests and shares why she chose the topic of childhood bereavement. Melinda's interviews is shared.

Camila Grande is part of a group of 1st year MSW students who are completing a media component as part of their field placement. Camila joined Dr. Hardiman and Alyssa Lotmore to discuss her experience interviewing guests and shares why she chose the topic of abortion and reproductive rights. Camila's two interviews are also shared. Interview one is with Dr. Aurora Phillips, followed by an individu...

We were joined by DTrae Carter, acting president of The Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library (FFAPL). We discuss how the FFAPL provides critical financial support to the Albany Public Library in order to help the Library provide education, literacy, career development, cultural enrichment, and lifelong learning. We also discuss how social workers are being brought into libraries as...