UTM Social Work Program wins first in poster competition

On March 28, 2012, the National Association of Social Workers Tennessee Chapter held their annual Legislative Conference. better known as Social Work Day on the Hill.  

This event draws over 600 students, faculty and professionals statewide each year.  

The 2012 theme of “Social Work Matters” was a day designed to educate participants about the public policy making process in Tennessee and to advocate with Tennessee legislators about the work social workers do across the state, which included sharing information on issues of concern to the social work profession and those it serves.  

One of the highlights of this event is the Student Policy Poster Competition.  Each year the BSW and MSW programs across the state hold local competitions at their respective universities to determine a representative to send for the state competition.  

Students from the UTM Social Work Program won first place for the third time since the inception of the poster competition in 2005.  

This year’s poster, titled “You’re Fired: A Search for Equality in the Law,”: addressed the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under the Tennessee employment non-discrimination law. Students Katherine Blaylock, Jamie Mills, Kristin Howes and Iana Mullen are to be congratulated on their hard work.  

Each year, students in Michelle Horton’s Social Work Policy class compete for the opportunity to advance to the “runoff,” which includes the selected winners and alternates for each semester.  

The “runoff” or second round is held early each spring and the poster selected represents the UTM Social Work Program at the statewide competition every March.  

Faculty from the Social Work Program escorted about 30 students to this year’s event.  

Social Work Program faculty want to thank department Chair Cindy West and Dean Mary Lee Hall for their continued support of student research and travel.