Contact Faculty & Staff
School of Social Work
UBCO (ARTS Building)
Faculty of Health & Social Development
1147 Research Road
Kelowna, BC Canada V1V 1V7
Email: ask.socialwork@ubc.ca
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Shelly Ben-David, PhD | Associate Professor (Tenure) | Social Work | shelly.ben-david@ubc.ca | 250-807-9434 | Landmark
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Research interests include: youth mental health (e.g. clinical high-risk to psychosis, first-episode psychosis, anxiety, depression); early intervention in mental health; identity development and mental illness; cultural, relational, and community-based approach to early psychosis; digital divide among youth; mental health service use decision-making equity; and youth engagement in research.
Bradley Buie | Manager, Communications and Engagement | Faculty of Health and Social Development, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, School of Nursing, Social Work | brad.buie@ubc.ca | ARTS 360C
Shirley Chau, BSW, MSW | Associate Professor | Social Work | shirley.chau@ubc.ca | 250-807-8739 | Arts 149
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Dr. Chau also conducts research with individuals and communities in transition that experience social marginalization and social exclusion due to race and ethnicity, racialized identities, and racism, class (e.g., homeless populations), and other factors that influence their access to services in the health and social care systems in “large”, “midsized”, and “small” cities in Canada. As well, youths at risk of becoming homeless/houseless, including youths transitioning out of care (child prote
Courses & Teaching: 2022-2023: SOCW 531: Antiracist anti-oppressive practice for clinical social work (Fall and Winter terms), SOCW 553: Research and evidence-informed practice for clinical social work.
2021-2022:SOCW 531: Antiracist anti-oppressive practice for clinical social work (Fall and Winter terms), SOCW 553: Research and evidence-informed practice for clinical social work.
2020-2021: SOCW 531: Antiracist anti-oppressive practice for clinical social work (Winter), SOCW 553: Research and evidence-informed practice for clinical social work.
2019-2020: SOCW 512: Direct theories of social work practice, SOCW 553: Research and evidence-informed practice for clinical social work (Fall and Winter)
Sharon Crux | Field Education Coordinator | Social Work | sharon.cruxrasi@ubc.ca
Sarah Dow-Fleisner, PhD | Associate Professor (Tenure) | Social Work | sarah.dow-fleisner@ubc.ca | Landmark
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Development trajectories and resilient functioning of children and families in high-risk contexts; Parent-child and sibling relationships in families experiencing parental mental illness and substance use; Intervention and prevention programs for families and children; Utilization of advanced statistical methodology to examine complex social phenomenon.
Courses & Teaching: Courses:
SOCW525: Human Development for Clinical Social Work
SOCW553: Research Methods and Evidence in Clinical Social Work Practice
SWK382: Social Work Research Methods II
SWK707: Research for Social Work Practice
Directed Studies:
SOCW541: Directed Studies in Human Development in the context of forced family separation
SOCW541: Directed Studies in Research Methods and Statistical Analysis in Child Welfare Research
PSYO509: Directed Studies in Applied Mixed Methods Research
HMKN 545: Special Topics in Health and Exercise Sciences: Resilience and quality of life among survivors of intimate partner violence related brain injury
Jonathan Durynek | Faculty Administrator | Faculty of Health and Social Development | jonathan.durynek@ubc.ca | ARTS 360F
Seija Emond | Adjunct Instructor | Social Work | seija.emond@ubc.ca
Judy Gillespie | Director | Social Work | judy.gillespie@ubc.ca | 250-807-8745
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Child welfare and the role of community in child and family well-being;
Mutli-sector collaboration to enhance Indigenous well-being;
Interprofessional expertise for child welfare practice;
The role of place in well-being;
The role of attachment to place in professional retention;
Place-based practice.
Courses & Teaching: The role of community in the promotion of child welfare
Sustainable community development
Interactions of people and place; the role of place in well-being
Expertise for interprofessional child welfare practice
University-community collaboration
Marlo Goll | Community Field Liaison | Social Work | marlo.goll@ubc.ca | 250.575.7617
John Graham | Professor | Social Work | john.graham@ubc.ca | 250-807-8738
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: social policy, diversity and social work, spirituality and social work, multicultural social work, and employee well being/ subjective well being (happiness), homelessness prevention research
Courses & Teaching: social policy, international social work, homelessness, research.
Laura Hockman | Adjunct Instructor | Social Work | laura.hockman@ubc.ca
Rachelle Hole | Professor | Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship (CIIC), Faculty of Health and Social Development, Social Work | rachelle.hole@ubc.ca | 250-807-8741 | ARTS 368
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Rachelle’s research programme is informed by two complementary streams: 1) a substantial focus on the socio-cultural practices that promote social inclusion and equity, and 2) a methodological focus on community based participatory research methods. Critical disability studies is central to the first stream informing Rachelle’s research in the area of community living and intellectual disability.
Shereen Ismael | Adjunct Professor | Social Work | shereen.ismael@ubc.ca
Research Interests: Dr. Ismael has published extensively on poverty, inequality and social policy nationally and internationally. As poverty and inequality increase within developed and developing counties her research aims to not only document the depth of poverty among vulnerable populations but to assess the effectiveness of policies in reducing poverty.
Courses & Teaching: Between 1997 and 2013, Dr. Ismael taught over 40 courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She worked with students as a Field Education Coordinator and as an educator in all three pillars of our profession; practice, policy and ethics. She retired form Carleton University as a tenured Associate professor in 2013 to open a private practice working with seniors and their families. She has missed working with students and is excited to work, re-engage and grow with students.
Donna Jansons | Adjunct Instructor | Social Work | donna.jansons@ubc.ca
Harleen Jhawar | Lecturer | Social Work | harleen.jhawar@ubc.ca
Mary Clare Kennedy | Social Work | maryclare.kennedy@ubc.ca | LM4-611
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Social-structural dimensions of health among people who use drugs;
Harm reduction; Public policy and health service evaluation
Courses & Teaching: SOCW 540D: Special Topics in Social Work Practice – Substance Use;
SOCW 553: Research Knowledge and Evidence in Clinical Social Work Practice
Andrew Kerr | Adjunct Instructor | Social Work | andrew.kerr@ubc.ca
Megan Lindner | Graduate Program Assistant | Faculty of Health and Social Development | megan.lindner@ubc.ca | 250-807-8189 | ART 331
Chris Marriott | School Graduate Assistant | School of Health and Exercise Sciences | chris.marriott@ubc.ca | Art 331
Samantha Molter | Landmark Office Assistant | Faculty of Health and Social Development | samantha.molter@ubc.ca
Mary Ann Murphy | Associate Professor | Social Work, Sociology | mary-ann.murphy@ubc.ca | 250.807.8705 | ART 153
Graduate student supervisor
Courses & Teaching: Constitutional/Charter Litigation & Social Policy
Policy and Practice Issues Affecting an Older Population
Social Policy and Comparative Family Policy
Social Welfare Law and Human Rights: International Human Rights & Aging
Aging/Gerontological Social Work
Intergenerational Relationships
Visual Sociology
Natalia Peñuela Gallo | Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator | Faculty of Health and Social Development, School of Health and Exercise Sciences, School of Nursing, Social Work | nataliap.gallo@ubc.ca | ART345
Research Interests:
Dixon Sookraj | Associate Professor | Social Work | dixon.sookraj@ubc.ca | 250-807-8703
Graduate student supervisor
Research Interests: Participatory research to promote health and wellbeing
Policies and processes of social service delivery systems in responding to the needs and aspirations of marginalized groups, including Indigenous Peoples.
Courses & Teaching: Social Work Theory and Practice, Organizational Practice, Community Practice, Child and Family Welfare Policy, Research and International Social Work.
Sarah Speier | School Assistant | Social Work | sarah.speier@ubc.ca
Edward Taylor | Associate Professor | Social Work | edward.taylor@ubc.ca | 250-807-8740
Graduate student supervisor
Jamie Tomlinson | Field Education Coordinator | Social Work | jamie.tomlinson@ubc.ca | 250-807-8587
Susan J. Wells | Professor Emerita | Psychology, Social Work | susan.wells@ubc.ca | 250.807.8163
Research Interests: Investigates the possible causes of overrepresentation of African American children in the United States’ out-of-home care; re-entry into out-of-home care after reunification with family; stability of out-of-home care placements; explores child welfare case types to identify characteristics that more closely represent the complexity of cases seen in the field.
Courses & Teaching: Child welfare services and policy; program evaluation; research methods.