#UMSSW is proud to announce the new Samuel B. Little Scholarship, an endowed fund supporting MSW students committed to advancing policy and practice to end homelessness and housing insecurity. Established with a lead gift from Distinguished University Professor and former dean Richard P. Barth, this scholarship honors emeritus faculty member and former associate dean for field education Samuel B. Little for his decades of service to students, public housing residents, and the Social Work Grand Challenge to end homelessness. Learn how this fund will fuel the next generation of social work leaders and make a gift in support of the scholarship: https://ow.ly/6feF50XGUxO

#UMSSW PhD student Yoonzie Chung has co-authored a new article in the Journal of Family Violence on how neighborhood dynamics shape child maltreatment risk. The study highlights neighborhood social cohesion as a key pathway linking neighborhood disorder to child maltreatment behaviors, underscoring the importance of community-building efforts to support families. Read more about Chung’s work and its implications for strengthening neighborhoods and protecting children: https://ow.ly/mBYu50XGTJ9

#UMSSW’s Professor Rick Barth has co-authored a new article challenging calls to abolish the child welfare system, warning that elimination would pose serious risks to children. The piece, published in Child & Family Social Work, outlines alternative pathways to make child welfare services more fair, effective, and supportive for families. Learn more about this important contribution to the national conversation on child welfare reform: https://elm.umaryland.edu/accolades/2025/Rick-Barth.php