The Monmouth University School of Social Work proudly announces the inaugural graduates of its Doctor of Social Work (DSW) in Human Rights Leadership program, Class of May 2025.This innovative, human rights–focused DSW program prepares social work professionals to lead transformative change across local, national, and global contexts. A hallmark of the program is the Transformative Human Rights Leadership Project, a faculty-mentored capstone through which students explore critical social issues and develop practical, justice-oriented solutions.
💡 Capstone Highlights
Each graduate undertook a unique project rooted in advocacy, leadership, and social justice, including:
- Dr. Taylor Stephens – Unpaid Caregiving: An Evaluation of the Economic and Stress-Related Concerns of Unpaid Caregivers – Advocacy for Unpaid Caregiver-Focused Education
- Dr. Ausirys Alviz – Contextual Indigeneity in Social Work: Human Rights-Based Toolkit for Education and Practice
- Dr. Melissa Delizia – Grieving Queer: Advancing Human Rights through Including Transgender Death, Dying, and Grief Content in Social Work Education
- Dr. Ruth Bazzano – Harmony for Humanity — A Melody of Rights and Social Justice: The Effectiveness of Music to Influence Social Change for Marginalized Communities
- Dr. Beatris Ortiz-Drace – Child Welfare Professionals Becoming Human Rights Defenders
- Dr. Caelin McCallum – Bans Off My Human Rights! Integrating Reproductive Justice into Social Work Education
- Dr. Emily Martinez – Embracing Change: Shifting Mental Health Narratives in Hispanic Christian Church Communities through Leadership, Education, and Human Rights
- Dr. Susan Mazzeo – An Exploration in the Breakdown in Communication: Social Work’s Response to the Importance of Dialogue
- Dr. Rebecca Salerno – Beyond 1 in 5: Using Narrative Transportation Theory to Educate on Campus Sexual Assault and Advance Human Rights
- Dr. Kelly Maldonado – Shelter is a Human Right: Fighting Homelessness through the Lens of Lived Experiences
🌍 Leadership and Global Engagement
Graduates of the program have contributed their scholarship and advocacy at prestigious international and national forums, including the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the National Association of Social Workers – NJ, and the Latino Social Work Organization Conference.
Monmouth University extends heartfelt congratulations to these trailblazing scholar-practitioners whose work embodies the spirit of human rights, compassion, and transformative leadership in social work. More details at :DSW Graduates May 2025 Monmouth University School of Social Work
