The University of Alabama School of Social Work is proud to announce that Dr. Brian E. Bride, Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Chair in Mental Health, has been awarded a $2.4 million Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to help strengthen Alabama’s behavioral health workforce.…
MSW Practicum Coordinator/ Instructor Contact Information Email: mldavenport@ua.edu Research Areas and Expertise Education Biography Megan Davenport is joining the University of Alabama School of Social Work as a MSW Practicum Coordinator/ Instructor. Ms. Davenport obtained her BSW and MSW degrees from Middle Tennessee State University and a Graduate Certificate in Grant Writing from Austin Peay State…
Instructor Contact Information Email: jlkovalchick@ua.edu Research Areas and Expertise Education Biography Johnna Matthews joins us from the University of Montevallo, where she was employed as the social work practicum director. Ms. Matthews is a UA alumna and has been a licensed clinical social worker for over 20 years. She is also a licensed clinical social work…
Clinical Assistant Professor Contact Information Email: pakierce@ua.edu Research Areas and Expertise Education Biography Philip Kierce has extensive experience as a medical case manager, focusing on holistic support and advocacy for individuals living with HIV. His research explores how intersecting social stigmas–HIV status, gender expression, poverty, race, and sexuality–compound barriers to accessing health and social services. His work hopes to inform…
Instructor and Continuing Education Coordinator Contact Information Email: crmccrorie@ua.edu Research Areas and Expertise Education Biography Christa McCrorie is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Supervisor with extensive experience in higher education, clinical practice, and continuing education program development. She serves as Instructor and Continuing Education Coordinator at The University of Alabama School of Social…
Clinical Assistant Professor Contact Information Email: dthornsby@ua.edu Research Areas and Expertise Education Biography Dr. Donna T. Hornsby is a proven leader serving as the Executive Director and co-founder of The Cancer Caregiver Alliance, a non-profit she established in January 2024. Donna’s goals are to create a fully integrated intervention model for cancer caregivers of patients who…
Clinical Assistant Professor Contact Information Email: vljones3@ua.edu Research Areas and Expertise Education Biography Bio: Vanessa L. Jones, DSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Doctor of Social Work with extensive experience in clinical practice and supervision. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California, Davis, her Master of Social Work from Columbia…
Assistant Professor Contact Information Email: pzhang28@ua.edu Research Areas and Expertise Education Biography Dr. Peiyuan Zhang is a gerontological social work researcher dedicated to improving the quality of and access to end-of-life care for older adults and supporting their family caregivers. Grounded in implementation science, her research focuses on advance care planning (ACP) implementation improvement in nursing…
Instructor Contact Information Email: jawatters@ua.edu Practice Areas and Expertise Education
Instructor Contact Information Email: rthawer@ua.edu Practice Areas and Expertise Education Bio Rahim works as a, instructor, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, facilitator, public speaker, and writer. Rahim is invested all things mental health and is particularly interested in examining innovation in queer relationships. Facilitator and SpeakerWhether in a classroom or therapy consulting room, he strives to operate…
