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CFC Series – Aug 2025

Social Work’s Role in Combating Childhood Obesity Presented by: Melissa Beukelman, MSW, LICSW-S and Minnecia Cullen, LMSW12-1pm CST August 27, 20251 FREE General Knowledge CE Credit Learning Objectives: Learning Objective #1: Define What is Childhood Obesity and how is treated Learning Objective #2: What are the effects of childhood obesity longterm for the individual and the community Learning…


Megan Davenport

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…


Johnna Matthews

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…


Philip Kierce

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…


Christa McCrorie

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…


Donna Hornsby

 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…


Vanessa Jones

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…


Peiyuan Zhang

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…


Lacey Jenkins

Faculty Title Contact Information Email: ljenkins9@ua.edu Research Areas and Expertise Education Biography Dr. Lacey Jenkins is an assistant professor at the University of Alabama School of Social Work. She earned her BSW from Texas Christian University, an MSW from the University of Denver, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington. During her practice…


Upcoming Events

Please see our list of upcoming events below. Our offerings are updated at the beginning of each month, so check back regularly. July 2025 July 17: Child Health and Welfare Summit  August 2025 August 4-5: Supervision and Ethics for Clinical and Non-Clinical Social Work ServicesAugust 18: Differential Diagnosis: DSM-5-TRAugust 21: Navigating Turbulence: Crisis Response in…


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