Social Work News

Student Stories

Students Help with Navajo Nation Water Crisis

When seeking a topic for Associate Professor Sarah Canham’s social justice seminar class, Master of Social Work (MSW) students Alannah Clay, Jessie Welch-Stockton, and Mimi Landeros settled on a collaborative project with the nonprofit organization DigDeep, after learning the Navajo Nation was experiencing a water crisis. The students’ goal was to raise awareness and create resources for the Navajo Water Project, which provides clean water and indoor plumbing to Navajo homes. To accomplish this, the students did an analysis of water needs and developed educational materials to promote the cause through fundraising. The students designed a project website, along with advocacy materials, to be distributed during community meetings and fundraising events. Dr. Canham shared, “It was inspiring to watch this student group embrace their semester-long change projects to work on issues of deep importance in our community. The team’s dedication to increasing awareness about water poverty as a form of social injustice is evidence of bright futures ahead for these students. Their passion for change will contribute to improved lives of many Utahns.” These students are dedicated to ensuring this project is supported by social work students in the future, and have laid the groundwork for a partnership with the Natural History Museum of Utah to showcase the plumbing equipment used in the installations from DigDeep.

Decolonizing Bookshelves, Decolonizing Minds

One thing BSW students Ash MoyanoVilla and Tyson Sommer have in common is that they are committed to social justice. Another? They both love books. Friends in and out of the classroom, one day they were talking about ways they could do more in the College and Ms. Moyano-Villa had an idea—what if the College of Social Work had a Little Free Library? Not just any library, a library that highlighted diverse voices.

“For as long as I can remember, reading has been a source of joy for me,” said Ms. Moyano-Villa. “But as I grew older and became more aware of my position in the world as a person of color, I realized a lot of the books I was reading didn’t represent me at all. This project was inspired by that realization. I wanted to create a space where anyone could pick up a book and find some aspect of themselves represented, or learn something new about someone else.”

Mr. Sommer explained that they were also inspired by the social work code of ethics. “As a student in the College of Social Work, I really liked the idea of choosing books from marginalized authors because it fits with the mission of social workers—it helps highlight those who have been historically silenced.”

The Little Free Library, a bookshelf that’s sometimes more full of books and sometimes less so, resides in the student lounge in the CSW. For both students, walking past the bookshelf helps them feel more connected to others. “Reading diverse books helps build community and unity by increasing our understanding of others and their lived experiences,” said Mr. Sommer.

Ms. Moyano-Villa agreed, “This library and these books are meant not only to challenge but to support. We hope these books help some folx feel not quite so alone in the experiences they’re going through.”

Three Social Workers Honored at Founders Day

The University of Utah Office of Alumni Relations annually presents its Founders Day Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Awards to alumni for their outstanding professional achievements, public service, and/or commitment to the U. The Distinguished Alumni Awards are among the highest honors awarded by the University of Utah. On Wednesday, March 30, three College of Social Work alums were honored at the 2022 Founders Day event: Michael Bird (BA ’76, MSW ’77) received the Distinguished Alumni Award, and Margie Egbert Edwards (MSW ’62, PhD ’76) and Daniel Edwards (MSW ’65, DSW ’76) were recognized as the recipients of the Distinguished Service Award.

Michael Bird receives the Distinguised Alumnus Award from President Taylor Randall

Distinguished Alumni Award: Michael Bird

Michael Bird (BA ’76, MSW ’77) is a national public health policy consultant, specializing in Native health issues. He has more than 30 years of public health experience with Native American populations in the areas of medical social work, substance abuse prevention, health promotion and disease prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, behavioral health, and healthcare administration. Mr. Bird was the first American Indian to serve on the National Policy Council of AARP and as president of the American Public Health Association. He was also president of the New Mexico Public Health Association, and was a fellow in the U.S. Public Health Service Primary Care Policy Fellowship Program.

Distinguished Service Award: Margie & Dan Edwards

Margie Egbert Edwards (MSW ’62, PhD ’76) and Daniel Edwards (MSW ’65, DSW ’76) are both emeritus professors of social work. Together, they helped establish the American Indian Social Work Career Training Program at the U in 1970. In December 2011, the couple established the E. Daniel and Margie Egbert Edwards Endowed Scholarship Fund in the College of Social Work in an effort to support American Indian students for many years to come. Dr. Margie Edwards’ professional career in social work began with the Jordan School District in Salt Lake City, after which she worked with the Gila River Pima Tribe in Sacaton, Arizona. Dr. Dan Edwards worked for over 40 years with the College of Social Work and the Division of Ethnic Studies. He also directed the American Indian Social Work Career Training Program and the American Indian Ethnic Studies Program, and taught courses in both programs.