The Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Social Work program recently honored several students with induction to the Eta Nu Chapter of the Phi Alpha Honor Society. The Social Work program is within the Paul V. Hamilton School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
“Establishing this chapter was one of the first activities we initiated after the Social Work program was accepted into candidacy with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE),” said Ann-Marie Buchanan, PhD, associate professor of social work and chair of the Social Work Department, regarding the Eta Nu Chapter being chartered on Feb. 5, 1998. “Including the 2022 inductees, there will be 95 students and alumni inducted into the chapter; 39% have completed or are completing their master's degrees in social work and are becoming the leaders in social work in the Tri-State area.”
Students recognized during the induction ceremony included chapter officers Baleigh Rawls, president, and Graciela Palencia, vice president and secretary. Inductees for the 2021-22 academic year included Lauren Jenkins, Rawls, Lucas Rattigan-Coe and Sydni Smith. Senior students receiving medallions to wear during graduation included Brooklyn Bowen, MacKinzey Cutcher, Jenkins, Palencia and Marissa Powell.
Kristy Lee, MSW, assistant professor of social work and field coordinator, and Kay Paris, PhD, professor of social work participated in the ceremony in addition to Buchanan. Dr. Clayton Hess, LMU president, and additional LMU administration members spoke to the honor students as well. Another speaker for the event was Claiborne County Mayor Joe Brooks, who is a social worker. Brooks remarked on the increasing need for and importance of social workers in all sectors—private and public.
The 2021-22 academic year represents a milestone as the 47th year that social work courses have been offered at LMU. Students who would like to be a member of a dynamic and challenging profession that focuses on improving the quality of life for individuals of all ages, families, and their communities, are right at home in the social work major.
The LMU Social Work program provides students with the academic preparation and practical experience needed to start work immediately after graduation as an entry-level generalist social worker or to enter graduate school. Most students complete this professional program in the four semesters of their junior and senior years. The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the national accrediting organization for baccalaureate and master’s social work programs in the United States. The program has an advisory council composed of social work practitioners who serve as guest speakers for classes and special events, admission committee members, field supervisors, and adjunct instructors.
For more information on the LMU Social Work program, contact Buchanan at Ann-Marie.Buchanan@LMUnet.edu. Information can also be found at https://www.lmunet.edu/school-of-arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/undergraduate/social-work.
Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423.869.6280 or email at admissions@LMUnet.edu.
