Social Work Department Attends NASW-MS Conference
The National Association of Social Workers in Mississippi Conference was held on March 25 – 27, 2015 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Many professors and students in the University of Mississippi’s Social Work department attended the conference.
This year the department was among the STAR Supporters of the event with an exhibit booth at the event and a half-page promotional ad in the program. Booth representatives talked with alumni and friends of UM’s social work department, and there was considerable success recruiting potential master of social work students for the future. 
Dr. Desiree Stepteau-Watson presented her scholarship on Cultural Competence in the Workplace, a well-attended and highly interactive paper session.
Drs. Amy Fisher and Debra Moore presented their scholarship on Subtle Racism: Tools for Identifying and Interrupting Microagressions. This session was also well-attended and the personal nature of the learning experiences were powerful for participants.
This year’s conference had a record number of student papers submitted and exhibited. Among them were our very own BSW & MSW students. Ms. Kendria Strowder, Ms. Kelsey Vaughn, Mr. Jeromy Payne, Ms. Lisa Ramsey, and Ms. Kendra Smith, BSW students from the Desoto campus, presented their scholarship on Black Lives Matter under the direction of their faculty advisor Dr. Desiree Stepteau-Watson.
Ms. Regina Chambers, MSW student from the Oxford campus, presented her scholarship on Community Activism through Our Eyes: Using Photovoice to Explore Values of Youth in the Mississippi Delta under the direction of her faculty advisors, Drs. Debra Moore and Susan Allen. Chambers was the recipient of the Outstanding MSW Student Poster Presentation for this scholarship. The award was given to the student who best conveyed information and /or research regarding their subject matter both through text and by visual presentation.
Ms. Tawnya Langley, MSW student from the Oxford campus, was awarded the most prestigious student award of the conference, The Claire Nowlin Graduate Student Award. Langley has maintained a 4.0 GPA, resulting in her induction into Phi Kappa Phi. In addition to working full time as a supervisor in the MS Dept. of Human Services and attending school full time, she works with downtown revitalization and development groups in her local community; works with parents in the community in support of student athletes; and serves on her local church Youth and Children’s Committees. Ms. Langley is a member of the MS Conference on Social Welfare and the Stop the Hurt Committee to prevent child abuse. During Spring Break 2014, Ms. Langley performed volunteer work in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic. Ms. Langley has worked in child welfare for 15 years and is a MDHS practice model coach supervisor. She is a Master Practitioner in Permanency Roundtables statewide and services in case reviews through the state with the Evaluation and Monitoring Unit and Continuous Quality Improvement Unit.
