Category Faculty & Staff


Debra Nelson-Gardell

PhD Program Director, Coordinator of International Initiatives, and Associate Professor Contact Information Office: Little Hall 1030Phone: (205) 348-2990Email: dnelsong@sw.ua.edu Departments Areas of Interest and Expertise Education Selected Publications


Amy McLean

Coordinator of Teaching Innovation, Instructor Contact Information Email: ahmclean@ua.edu Practice Areas and Expertise


Tenesha Littleton

Assistant Professor Contact Information Email: tlittleton@ua.edu Areas of Interest and Expertise Departments Education Bio Dr. Tenesha Littleton’s research focuses on three primary areas: 1) the contextual factors that influence family functioning and well-being, particularly in resource-constrained communities; 2) geographic variation in rates of child maltreatment and the role of social policies in mitigating risk; and 3)…


Lewis Lee

Associate Professor Contact Information Email: lhlee@ua.edu Areas of Interest and Expertise Education Bio Dr. Lewis H. Lee focuses on the intersection of micro/macro factors associated with reentry and health disparities among justice-involved persons. He is also a scholar who has had long-standing interests in research methods and social work macro practice. To systematically and rigorously conduct…


Hee Yun Lee

Professor, University Distinguished Research Professor, Endowed Academic Chair on Social Work and Health, Co-Director of the Alabama Center for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence Contact Information Email: hlee94@ua.eduOffice: Little Hall 2024Phone: (205) 348-6553 Areas of Interest and Expertise Education Bio I am a Distinguished University Research Professor and tenured full professor at The University of Alabama…


Karen Johnson

Associate Professor Contact Information Email: kjohnson38@ua.edu Areas of Interest and Expertise Education Bio Dr. Karen Johnson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama, School of Social Work, a Visiting Scholar at Yale University, and a 2023 Boston Congress of Public Health, Health Innovator to Watch award recipient. Dr. Johnson received her Ph.D. from Columbia…


M. Sebrena Jackson

Associate Professor Contact Information Office: Little Hall 1033Email: msjackson5@ua.eduPhone: (205) 348-4726 Departments Areas of Interest and Expertise Other Titles Founder of the National Social Work Enrichment Program (NSEP) Education Follow Dr. Jackson on Social Media Bio Dr. Jackson’s diverse career in academia has spanned from Title IV-E Coordinator/Instructor of an undergraduate social work program at an HBCU,…


Laura Hopson

Associate Professor Contact Information Email: lmhopson@sw.ua.edu Areas of Interest and Expertise Education Selected Publications


Schnavia Smith Hatcher

Dean and Professor Contact Information Email: schnavia.hatcher@ua.edu Areas of Interest and Expertise Education Bio Schnavia Smith Hatcher is the 8th Dean of the University of Alabama School of Social Work, bringing over 25 years of experience in clinical social work, community-engaged research, and higher education. As a native of Selma, Alabama, and a first-generation Pell Grant…


Luciana Giorgio

Assistant Professor Contact Information Email: luciana.giorgio@ua.edu Areas of Interest and Expertise Education Bio Dr. Giorgio is a social and behavioral health researcher with expertise in sleep health and health equity among marginalized populations. Her current research investigates how psychosocial factors, such as stress and relationships, influence sleep and cardiovascular health among Latina/o/x adults. She has an…