The Helen Bader School at 2026 SSWR

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Lisa Berger, PhD
  • Associate Dean, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare
  • Professor, Social Work

Navigating Policy Shifts: Advancing and Sustaining Substance Use Research in Social Work

Organizer: Michael Broman, PhD, Ohio State University

Speakers/Presenters: Jamey Lister, PhD, MSW, Rutgers University
Lisa Berger, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Emily Pasman, University of Illinois at Chicago
Dania Lerman, Fordham University

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Ai Bo, PhD
  • Assistant Professor, Social Work

Alcohol Use Trajectories from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Comparing Biracial and Monoracial Youth

Conor Lacey, PhD Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Daniel Bauer, Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Trenette Clark Goings, PhD, Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Joshua Mersky, PhD
  • Professor, Social Work
Chienti Plummer Lee, PhD
  • Associate Scientist, Institute for Child and Family Well-Being

Addressing the Neglect of Neglect: Examining the Long-Term Psychosocial Consequences of Emotional Neglect

Joshua Mersky, PhD, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
ChienTi Plummer Lee, PhD, Associate Scientist, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Rachel Segal, MD, Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin
Elizabeth Cleek, PhD, Assistant Professor of Research, Medical College of Wisconsin

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Joshua Mersky, PhD
  • Professor, Social Work
Chienti Plummer Lee, PhD
  • Associate Scientist, Institute for Child and Family Well-Being

Linking Subjective and Objective Measures of Economic Hardship to Parent and Child Mental Health: A Longitudinal Analysis of a Low-Income Sample

Yuanyuan Yang, MPA, Doctoral Candidate, Washington University in Saint Louis, MO
Joshua Mersky, PhD, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
ChienTi Plummer Lee, PhD, Associate Scientist, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Joshua Mersky, PhD
  • Professor, Social Work

Expert Intermediaries: Family Resource Center Staff Approaches to Resource Navigation for Low-Income Families

Anna Walther, MSW, Doctoral Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Joshua Mersky, PhD, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Ebenezer Adegoke Omotosho
  • PhD Student, Criminal Justice & Criminology

SSWR Research, Inspire, Support, and Excel (RISE) Seminar

Selected to participate in a seminar hosting 15 doctoral students and five mentors.

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Tajammal Yasin, MSW
  • PhD Student, Social Work
  • Research Assistant, Social Work
Joshua Mersky, PhD
  • Professor, Social Work

Breaking the Cycle: Mediating Roles of Mental Health and Adverse Adult Experiences in the Link Between ACEs and Later Parenting

Tajammal Yasin, MSW, Program Manager 1, Medical College of Wisconsin
Joshua Mersky, PhD, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Friday, January 16, 2026

Kiley J. McLean, PhD, MSW, MSEd
  • Assistant Professor, Social Work
  • Faculty, Wisconsin LEND Program

Tackling the Ableism Epidemic

Kiley McLean, PhD, MSW/MSEd, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Saturday, January 17, 2026

Angela Matijczak, PhD
  • Assistant Professor, Social Work-General
Ai Bo, PhD
  • Assistant Professor, Social Work

Examining Associations Between Pet Ownership and Internalizing Behaviors Among Young Adolescents

Angela Matijczak, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Ai Bo, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Saturday, January 17, 2026

Jane Hereth, PhD
  • Assistant Professor, Social Work

“No One — No One Has Ever Asked Me What I Need”: Experiences of Service-Based Coercion in Mental Health, Substance Use, and Victimization Services Among Women with Criminal Conviction Histories

Carly Murray, AM, Doctoral Student, University of Chicago
Gina Fedock, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Chicago
Jane Hereth, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Samantha Martinez, PhD, PhD Student, University of Chicago
Clarice Robinson, MSW, MA, Doctoral Candidate, University of Chicago
Yejin Sohn, MSW, Doctoral Student, University of Chicago

Saturday, January 17, 2026

Xiyao Liu, PhD
  • Postdoctoral Student, Social Work
Chienti Plummer Lee, PhD
  • Associate Scientist, Institute for Child and Family Well-Being
Colleen Janczewski, PhD, MSW
  • Associate Professor, Social Work
Joshua Mersky, PhD
  • Professor, Social Work

The Effects of ACEs on Physical and Mental Health Outcomes across Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Economic Status, and Their Intersectionality

Xiyao Liu, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
ChienTi Lee, PhD, Associate Scientist, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Colleen Janczewski, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Joshua Mersky, PhD, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Saturday, January 17, 2026

Xiyao Liu, PhD
  • Postdoctoral Student, Social Work

Sexual and Dating Violence and Mental Health Among LGB Youth: Findings from the 2023 Youth Risk

Yuan Xiong, MSW, PhD student, Michigan State University
Xiyao Liu, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

Saturday, January 17, 2026

Angela Matijczak, PhD
  • Assistant Professor, Social Work-General

Development and Pilot Testing of a Novel Art-Based Community Intervention for Reducing Bias Toward LGBTQ+ Latine People of Central Texas

Jacob Goffnett, PhD, Assistant Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University
Andres Navarro, BSW Student, Southwest Texas State University
Kelly Clary, Assistant Professor, Southwest Texas State University
Paola Roldan, MA, PhD Student, Virginia Commonwealth University
Angela Matijczak, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Marianne Lund, MSW, PhD Candidate, Virginia Commonwealth University

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Angela Matijczak, PhD
  • Assistant Professor, Social Work-General

A Narrative Policy Framework Case Study Analysis of Arkansas Policy Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender and/or Gender-Expansive Youth

Angela Matijczak, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Victoria Cashio, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Leon Sawh, PhD, MPH
  • Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice & Criminology

Reexamining the Sequential Intercept Model: Incorporating Theory, Practice Insights, and Social Work Perspectives

Michael Applegarth, PhD, Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo
Erin Comartin, PhD, Professor, Wayne State University
Athena Kheibari, PhD, Assistant Professor, Wayne State University
Leon Sawh, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Brianna Suslovic, MSW, PhD candidate, University of Chicago