In the News

Nursing Alumna Joins COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Team
November 9, 2020
Earlier this year, LeighAnn Schmidt, MSN ’19, felt compelled to write to her former professor about what she experienced in a particular class. “I was so afraid of research and did not think I would ever have a change of heart,” Schmidt wrote. “Your course really changed all of that!” What Schmidt learned from Kathleen Becker, clinical associate professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work Department of Nursing, propelled her into a position as a sub-investigator for one of the COVID-19 vaccine trials in the United States.

All in the Family
June 22, 2020
After significant urging from her mother, Annabelle Vives, RN, enrolled in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work to become a family nurse practitioner. Isabel Vives, RN, had been cautioning her daughter since she was a little girl to get all her degrees before she was old, married and had kids, or she would regret it.

Nurse Practitioners Shine a Light on LGBTQ Health Care
May 22, 2020
Making health care more inclusive and accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning patients means that seasoned providers and new clinical staff have opportunities to work together and bring barriers and solutions to the forefront.

Celebrate National Nurses Week: May 6-12
May 05, 2020
Nurses have always been essential in the lives of their patients — a reality the global coronavirus pandemic has thrown into even sharper focus. May 6–12 is National Nurses Week, and as COVID-19 cases increase and hospitals treat more patients, nurses should be celebrated now more than ever. USC Suzanne Dworak-PeckSchool of Social Work Department of Nursing salutes all the health care workers serving on the front lines — especially its nurses.

Send More Masks
April 21, 2020
Jennifer Dixon, RN, has been a nurse for 20 years. The current Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) student at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is part of the emergency department of a hospital in Georgia.

Managing a Disaster, Preparing for a Surge
April 13, 2020
As the disaster management program manager at LAC+USC Medical Center, nursing alumna Kellyn Pak ’02 is ensuring health care workers receive the resources they need.

Don’t Stop Fighting: We’re All in This Together
April 12, 2020
Sabrina Bates RN, a Nursing@USC student and nurse at Keck Hospital of USC, was working in the new transport center created by Keck for the purpose of receiving COVID-19 patients, when one of her closest friends was admitted.

Sarah Gehlert Selected as Dean
March 11, 2020
Dean Sarah Gehlert joins USC on April 15, 2020 from her current post as dean of the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work.

Celebrating Black History Month: African-American Faculty Impacting African-American Communities
February 19, 2020
We honor Black History Month by highlighting five of our extraordinary African-American faculty who share a commitment to empowering the African-American population and educating the next generation of social work professionals.

Generous Gift Injects Hands-On Training for Nursing Students
December 17, 2019
When Nursing@USC students descended upon campus for their On Campus Intensive (OCI) this December, they used an elbow model for the first time, thanks to a generous gift from USC alumnus Jacque J. Sokolov, M.D.

The Value of Networking and Mentorship within Social Work
December 06, 2019
The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work Alumni and Career Development resources provide information, networking opportunities, and connections with fellow alumni and community members to nurture a network of support.

Know Before You Go: Well Women Visits at Every Age
November 22, 2019

How Health Providers Support People Affected by Childhood Trauma
October 28, 2019


Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant
June 11, 2019

A New Dawn in Health Care
October 17, 2016
featured on USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

$60 Million Gift Names USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
September 14, 2016
featured on USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Using Social Work to Train New Nurses
August 29, 2016 featured on ADVANCE for Nurses

What a Nurse Knows About Population Health
June 28, 2016 featured on HealthLeaders Media

The Heart of a Nurse: Why Nurses Do What They Do
April 04, 2016 featured on Nurse Finders