More than three dozen ƵSSW students, faculty, and staff will contribute to the program, presenting ePosters, participating in symposia, and delivering flash talks and oral presentations throughout the conference.
The Boston College School of Social Work will play a prominent role at the , which will take place at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C., from Wednesday, January 14 to Sunday, January 18.
More than three dozen ƵSSW students, faculty, and staff will contribute to the program, presenting ePosters, participating in symposia, and delivering flash talks and oral presentations throughout the conference. Their work reflects the School’s commitment to social work research that improves the lives of individuals, families, and communities, and its connection with the conference’s theme, “Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice.”
ƵSSW scholars will address a range of issues, including the effects of strong cyberbullying laws on vulnerable youth, how childhood trauma shapes long-term economic well-being, and the use of human-centered AI to reduce bias in social service decision-making.
ƵSSW’s leadership will also be represented at the conference. Dean Gautam N. Yadama will deliver remarks at the on Thursday, January 15, at 5 p.m. Assistant Professor Robert O. Motley Jr. will be inducted into SSWR’s 2026 class of Fellows during the Fellows and Awards Presentations on Saturday, January 17, at 2 p.m., recognizing his scholarship on how racism, violence, and trauma affect the well-being of young Black adults aged 18 to 29.
Professor Rocío Calvo, SSWR’s vice president-elect, helped organize the conference. Louise McMahon Ahearn Endowed Professor Karen Bullock and Associate Professor Samantha Teixeira serve on the organization’s board of directors, underscoring ƵSSW’s leadership within SSWR.
ƵSSW will also host a reception for attendees on Friday, January 16, at 8:15 p.m. in Liberty Ballroom Salon I.
“Translating social work science into policy and practice is central to what our faculty and students do at Boston College School of Social Work,” said Yadama. “Our engagement at SSWR reflects who we are as a school.”
Here is the list of ƵSSW presenters and summaries of their research projects:
Day: Thursday, January 15
Type: Roundtable
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Louise McMahon Ahearn Endowed Professor Karen Bullock and Assistant Professor Whitney Irie.
Time and location: 3:15 p.m., Independence BR B, ML 4
Day: Thursday, January 15
Type: Symposium
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Postdoctoral Fellow Zhirui Chen and Associate Professor Samantha Teixeira
Time and location: 3:15 p.m., Treasury, ML 4
Day: Thursday, January 15
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Assistant Professor William Byansi and Doctoral student Christopher Baidoo
Time and location: 3:15 p.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2; poster board 72P
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: Oral Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Professor Rocío Calvo and Associate Dean for Research Kirsten Davison
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Mint, ML 4
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Assistant Professor Robert O. Motley Jr. and Barry Family Professor in Social Work Christopher Salas-Wright
Time and location: 8 a.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2 ; poster board 167P
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Assistant Professor Robert O. Motley Jr.
Time and location: 8 a.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2; poster board 157p
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: Flash Talk
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Haitisha Mehta, Research Assistant Farhad Sharifi, and Salem Professor in Global Practice Theresa Betancourt
Time and location: 3:45 p.m., Independence BR F, ML 4
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: Symposium
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Associate Professor Thomas Byrne
Time and location: 2 p.m., Marquis BR 12, ML 2
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Bruna Cardoso Lopez and Professor Summer Sherburne Hawkins
Time and location: 8 a.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2; poster board 174P
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: Flash Talk
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Professor Summer Sherburne Hawkins
Time and location: 3:45 p.m., Independence BR F, ML 4
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Associate Professor Scott Easton and MSW student Olivia Elba
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2; poster board 279P
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: Flash Talk
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Research Scientist Candace Black and Salem Professor in Global Practice Theresa Betancourt
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Archives, ML 4
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: Flash Talk
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Part-time faculty member SuMing Sullivan
Time and location: 8 a.m., Archives, ML 4
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Megan Taylor
Time and location: 8 a.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2; poster board 179P
Day: Friday, January 16
Type: Symposium
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Associate Professor Samantha Teixeira and doctoral candidate Jenna Strauss
Time and location: 3:45 p.m., Treasury, ML 4
Day: Saturday, January 17
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral candidate Jenna Strauss and Associate Professor Samantha Teixeira
Time and location: 4:15 p.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2; poster board 635P
Day: Saturday, January 17
Type: Oral Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Assistant Professor Carolina Vélez-Grau, Research Assistant Krystel Francis, and Associate Professor Maria Pineros-Leano
Time and location: 4:15 p.m., Independence BR G, ML 4
Day: Saturday, January 17
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Christopher Baidoo and Professor Summer Sherburne Hawkins
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2
Day: Saturday, January 17
Type: Roundtable
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Bruna Cardoso Lopez
Time and location: 8 a.m., Marquis BR 9, ML 2
Day: Saturday, January 17
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Sophia Eisenberg
Time and location: 4:15 p.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2; poster board 659P
Day: Sunday, January 18
Type: Symposium
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Taylor Brennan
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Marquis BR 12, ML 2
Day: Sunday, January 18
Type: Symposium
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Patrick Lai and Associate Professor Christina Matz
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Marquis BR 12, ML 2 (Marriott Marquis
Day: Sunday, January 18
Type: Symposium
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Associate Professor Christina Matz and doctoral student Chin-Yi Su
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Marquis BR 12, ML 2
Day: Sunday, January 18
Type: Oral Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Patrick Mulkern and Assistant Professor Maggi Price
Time and location: 8 a.m., Liberty BR O, ML 4
Day: Sunday, January 18
Type: Workshop
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Estefanía Palacios
Time and location: 11:30 a.m., Liberty BR O, ML 4
Day: Sunday, January 18
Type: Oral Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Research Assistant Maria Juliana Rubiano and Associate Professor Maria Pineros-Leano
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Independence BR A, ML 4
Day: Sunday, January 18
Type: ePoster Presentation
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Spencer Sandberg and Associate Professor Praveen Kumar
Time and location: 8 a.m., Marquis BR 6, ML 2; poster board 768P
Day: Sunday, January 18
Type: Symposium
Title:
ƵSSW contributors: Doctoral student Chin-Yi Su.
Time and location: 9:45 a.m., Marquis BR 12, ML 2
