SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Assistant Director, MSW Program, Receives Staff Recognition Award

Aliyah Vinikoor, assistant director, MSW program, receives staff recognition award

Job Titles:

• Advancement Services Officer

Job Titles:

• Associate Dean for Social Service Innovation & Partnerships

For over 30 years, Ben has been bringing together leaders and policymakers in academia, child welfare, justice systems and related fields to make change and improve lives of vulnerable children, adults, and families. Ben directed child welfare services for the State of Oregon, and served there in a variety of leadership positions for nearly 20 years. He has also led two university-based research centers and was the managing director of Casey Family Programs' State Strategy Division. Ben was the founding president of the Children's Justice Alliance, and former president of the Oregon Children's Trust Fund Foundation, a private endowment focused on preventing child maltreatment. He holds a master's degree in public administration from Lewis and Clark College and a Ph.D. in social work and social research from Portland State University. For more than 30 years, Ben de Haan has been bringing together leaders and policymakers in academia, child welfare, justice systems and related fields to make changes and improve the lives of vulnerable children, adults and families. He was the founding director of the School's Partners for Our Children before assuming the position of associate dean for social service innovation and partnerships.

Job Titles:

• Program Director
• Assistant Teaching Professor

Charlotte Sanders joined the School of Social Work in Dec. 2014 as a teaching associate, serving as the field lead for the School's newly created Northwest Leaders in Behavioral Health Program. Sanders has been involved in social services for more than 22 years, primarily serving Seattle youth and young adults in different homeless service settings and capacities, ranging from direct service, program management and advocacy. Most recently, she worked with Neighborcare Health's Homeless Youth Clinic as the youth clinic manager and onsite social worker. She continues to work as an on-call intake social worker for Washington state's Children's Administration Central Intake Unit. Prior to moving to the Seattle area, she provided therapy and case management services to children through the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic located in the same town in which she was raised. Sanders also co-chairs the UW interprofessional course on homelessness. Since receiving her MSW in 2004, Sanders has continued her involvement with the School, assisting in classes, serving as a guest lecture, consultant, practicum instructor and, most recently, as a temporary field education faculty member. As the new field lead for the Northwest Leaders in Behavioral Health Program, she looks forward to working with students, practicum instructors and the School of Social work staff and faculty to prepare our advanced MSW students for careers in behavioral health with children, youth, and young adults.

Job Titles:

• Associate Professor Katherine Hall Chambers Scholar

Clara Berridge's research focuses on the ethical and policy implications of digital technologies used in elder care. She studies data and information technologies, such as remote monitoring systems and social robots, as well as the surveillance incentivized by AI of older adults and care workers. Across projects, she's often thinking about privacy, power, and decision making about technology use. She recently developed Let's Talk Tech, an online tool to help people living with mild dementia participate knowledgeably in decisions about technology use in their care. Dr. Berridge is adjunct faculty in the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, core faculty in the University's Disability Studies Program, and an affiliate of the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology (CSDE). She was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research at Brown University and holds a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and an M.S.W. from the University of Washington. Berridge, C., Zhou, Y., Robillard, J., Kaye, J. Companion robots to mitigate loneliness among older adults: Perceptions of benefit and possible deception. Frontiers in Psychology, 2023. Berridge, C., Grigorovich, A. Algorithmic harms and digital ageism in the use of surveillance technologies in nursing homes. Frontiers in Sociology, 2022.

Job Titles:

• Associate Professor
• Co - Director, Latino Center for Health
• Founding Co - Director of the Latino Center for Health
• Health Researcher

Dr. Gino Aisenberg is a bilingual/bicultural Latino mental health researcher. His interests focus on three interrelated areas: 1) traumatic exposure of children and families to community violence, including effects at the individual, family and neighborhood levels, 2) depression care for adults, and 3) evidence-based practice. Born and raised in South-Central Los Angeles, Dr. Aisenberg has extensive clinical experience as a practitioner in the areas of child abuse and community violence experienced by African-American and Latino children and families. Also, he possesses a wealth of experience addressing grief and loss and has specialized training in cognitive behavioral therapy for low-income individuals suffering depression. Dr. Aisenberg has worked in schools, hospitals and community-based organizations. Dr. Aisenberg's teaching, research and scholarship are deeply informed by culture and context. They emanate from a staunch commitment to marginalized and diverse populations-to promote inclusion of their voices and to address disparities in the access and utilization of mental health services. Dr. Aisenberg is engaged in important partnerships with community-based agencies serving rural and marginalized communities. He is the chair of the School's Community-Centered Integrative Practice Concentration. In 2013, Dr. Aisenberg was named associate dean of the UW Graduate School with responsibility to promote and advance diversity and inclusion across graduate programs of study. In 2012, he was named the Graduate School's inaugural leadership professor. His responsibilities included assisting with the Graduate School's outreach efforts in support of diversity and helping design and develop additional diversity-related initiatives. Dr. Aisenberg is the founding co-director of the Latino Center for Health, an interdisciplinary, community engaged research center invested in promoting the health and well-being of Latinos through collaborative research, policy and practice efforts. The Latino Center for Health is the first research center in Washington state to focus on the health of the Latino community. It was launched in 2014 and received funding from the Washington state legislature in 2015. In 2009, Dr. Aisenberg received the University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award for his excellence in teaching as well as his exemplary commitment to mentoring students, particularly ethnic minority students. He is a member of several organizations including the Society for Social Work and Research, the Council for Social Work Education, and the Association of Latino Social Work Educators.

Job Titles:

• Program Director
• a Professor

E. Roberto Orellana joined the School of Social Work as a professor in 2021. Before joining the School faculty, he was professor and associate dean for research and sponsored projects in the School of Social Work at Portland State University (PSU) where he also served as an affiliate faculty in Public Health and Indigenous Nations Studies. He has held visiting research scientist appointments at Columbia University's Social Intervention Group, UCSD's Department of Global Public Health, and collaborating faculty at Harvard University School of Public Health. Internationally, Orellana has worked with several indigenous organizations, is a member of the board of directors of a research and education nonprofit organization in Guatemala, and has served on the research advisory council of the International Indigenous Working Group on HIV/AIDS. These international institutions are dedicated to HIV prevention and health promotion among indigenous populations worldwide. Orellana is currently involved in some of the most challenging public-health issues of the day including developing culturally tailored training for Latinx social workers who are providing COVID-19 contact tracing and vaccine promotion among Latinx communities in the Pacific Northwest; a national HIV behavioral surveillance project focused on high-risk populations; and an international indigenous health research training program serving Peru, Guatemala, Nepal and Hawaii. Orellana received a BA in psychology in 2002, MSW in 2004, and MPH in 2005, all from the University of Washington. In 2009, he earned a doctoral degree in social work from Columbia University and a master's degree in philosophy from that same institution. His post-doctoral training included a global health delivery program at Harvard School of Public Health, research fellowships with the UW School of Social Work's Indigenous Wellness Research Institute and the HIV Intervention Science Training Program at Columbia University. He also received advanced intervention science training from the NIH Office of AIDS Research. A prolific author and sought-after conference presenter/panelist, Orellana has contributed numerous articles to scientific and research publications and has made keynote or other significant presentations at conferences in Mexico City; Durban, South Africa; Washington, D.C.; Calgary, Alberta; New Orleans; San Francisco; and Pucallpa, Peru, among other places. Orellana is a member of many professional organizations, including the Society for Prevention Research, Society for Social Work and Research, International AIDS Society, American Public Health Association, Council on Social Work Education, and the Society for the Advancement of Chicano/Hispanic and Native Americans in Science.

Job Titles:

• Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
• Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Professor / Director, West Coast Poverty Center
• Director of the West Coast Poverty Center
• Professor

Romich serves as faculty director of the West Coast Poverty Center and is an active member of the Center for Studies of Demography and Ecology. She co-leads the national effort on "Reducing Extreme Economic Inequality" for the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare's Grand Challenges Initiative . Romich holds bachelor's and master's degrees in economics and earned a doctorate in human development and social policy from Northwestern University. Professor Jennie Romich teaches social welfare policy and policy practice classes. In addition to her role as associate dean for academic affairs, Jennie Romich is a social welfare scholar. Her research focuses on economic well-being in low-income families, including how public policies affect household budgets and work incentives. She has studied the impact of tax and benefit systems, child welfare involvement, and local policy changes like Seattle's paid sick leave and minimum wage laws. Romich is faculty director of the West Coast Poverty Center, a co-lead of the Social Work Grand Challenge on Reducing Extreme Economic Inequality, and the Principal Investigator of WashPop, a full-population data resource for Washington State.

Job Titles:

• Director of Admissions
• Director for Admissions

Jennifer Maglalang is the director for admissions for the School of Social Work. Her primary social work interests are working with diverse populations around community building/engagement and education. These interests tie nicely to her past role as instructor of Community Service Learning, where undergraduates in the BASW program engage in community service learning internships at local nonprofits. Jennifer received her MSW in 2002 from the UW School of Social Work after completing her undergraduate studies in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, American Studies. Prior to her work at the School she spent several years doing neighborhood community development, youth development, program planning, evaluation and supervision, primarily within refugee and immigrant communities in South King County. Jennifer was also the co-founder of ReachOut, a cultural competency and community engagement training program for K-12 educators and nonprofits. As a professional development trainer she supported educators and social service providers in enhancing their capacity to serve diverse communities in culturally respectful and meaningful ways. Jennifer has also served as a practicum instructor for masters and undergraduate social work students, adviser to first year masters students, and mentors high school age students of color in their pursuits of higher education.

Job Titles:

• Associate Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations

Job Titles:

• IT Director
• Information Technology

Job Titles:

• Member of the Marketing & Communications Team
• Web Design Manager

Job Titles:

• Director of Student Services

Job Titles:

• Assistant Dean for
• Assistant Dean for Advancement

Maya Trachtenberg leads the Advancement team at the UW School of Social Work. As Assistant Dean for Advancement, Maya works with donors and alumni to ensure that the next generation of social work leaders and practitioners has the means to sustain and advance the School's legacy of innovation, advocacy and impact. Maya joined the School of Social Work in March 2025. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Washington and has spent her career working in Advancement at the UW.

Job Titles:

• Ballmer Endowed Dean in Social Work
• Member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences

Michael Spencer was appointed dean of the UW School of Social Work in July 2023-the first Native Hawaiian dean at the UW. He recently served as director of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Oceanic Affairs at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, a UW School of Social Work-based research center. Spencer is an elected member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences, and has served as the co-chair for the Grand Challenges for Social Work in both Close the Health Gap and Eliminate Racism. In 2023, he co-authored Social Work and the Grand Challenge to Eliminate Racism, a compilation of perspectives from leading researchers on various forms of racism and its impact on racial groups. Spencer received his PhD from the University of Washington in Social Welfare in 1996. Prior to returning to the UW, Spencer served as the Fedele F. Fauri Collegiate Professor of Social Work and associate dean for educational programs at the University of Michigan. He is a 1983 graduate of the Kamehameha Schools. His research examines health and wellness among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, focusing on interventions that promote health among Native Hawaiians through Indigenous practices and values. His research examines the added benefit of integrating Native Hawaiian traditional healing into primary care in Waimānalo, O'ahu. He also works with colleagues at the University of Hawai'i to promote food security and well-being using backyard aquaponics systems among Native Hawaiians. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW) and the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). The first Native Hawaiian dean at the UW, Spencer was appointed to this leadership position on July 1, 2023. He recently served as director of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Oceanic Affairs at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, a School of Social Work-based research center. He is a presidential term professor and co-chair for Close the Health Gap and Eliminate Racism initiatives as part of the Grand Challenges for Social Work.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Marketing & Communications Team
• Digital Media Manager

Job Titles:

• Assistant Teaching Professor, Office of Field Education Clinical Instructor
• Interim Assistant Dean

Morgan (she/they) grew up in Houston and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wellesley College in 2003. She earned her MSW in Clinical Social Work from Simmons University in 2006 and returned home, where got her start working with families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Morgan has been a member of the Field Faculty since the fall of 2019, and has served as a field instructor to 20 social work students across 5 schools of social work. In her 16 years of practice experience Morgan has worked in Head Start, K-5 school-based mental health, youth development, kinship care and nonprofit capacity-building. She has been a consistent member of the SSW Field Education Advisory Council since the fall of 2014. She has held a Clinical Instructor appointment at the UWS SSW since 2018, and held an Affiliate Instructor appointment at the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice at UWT from 2017 - 2020. She currently holds at Assistant Teaching Professor Appointment at the SSW, where she is serving at the Interim Assistant Dean and Director of the Office of Field Education. She lives in the South End with her wife, mother, two sons, two dogs and two cats.

Job Titles:

• Director of Marketing & Communications
• Director of Marketing & Communications / SSW Communications
• Marketing and Communications Director

As marketing and communications director, Rebecca Dixon and her team advance the profile of the School by designing and distributing marketing materials, social media content and news stories. These celebrate the research, awards, events and achievements of faculty, alumni, students, donors and community partners.

Job Titles:

• Associate Dean for Research
• Founder and Director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Group
• Professor
• Professor Associate Dean for Research

Dr. Levy is professor of social work and adjunct professor of medicine and psychology. She also serves as the associate dean for research. Her primary research interests focus on the psychosocial aspects of health, including women's health issues, chronic pain, the intergenerational transmission of illness behavior, childhood and adult obesity prevention and treatment, and behavioral medicine. She received her bachelor of arts from Antioch College, and her master in social work, doctorate and master in public health from the University of Michigan. Dr. Levy has been elected to fellow status in several organizations, including the American Pain Society, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Gastroenterology, among others. She has received several major National Institutes of Health grants for studies with children and adults, and has numerous publications in her areas of interest. Dr. Levy is also the founder and director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Group, which has as its mission: to improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities by increasing the understanding of psychosocial factors that affect health-related conditions. In 2023, Dr. Levy was elected as a Fellow to the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. Professor Rona Levy's work has brought a behavioral medicine and social work perspective to the medical field by exploring psychosocial aspects of health, especially in areas of chronic pain, intergenerational transmission of illness behavior, childhood and adult obesity prevention and treatment, and behavioral medicine. As associate dean for research she supports all phases of research activities for members of the School's community.

Job Titles:

• Assistant Dean of Finance & Administration
• Assistant Dean of Finance & Administration / Dean
• Finance and Administration

Vicki Anderson-Ellis has managed the School's financial health for more than 12 years with oversight of a $77 million annual budget. She has a demonstrated history of working in higher education and managing a wide range of budgetary and administrative challenges from student aid and building improvements to research funding and federal training grants.

Job Titles:

• BASW Program Director
• Program Director Associate Teaching Professor