Directory

Dr. Glynita Bell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work in the College of Public Health. Bell’s research interests are teacher’s attitudes towards bullying and social emotional education, BIPOC achievement gap in education, in retention in higher education and post-traumatic stress experience of racism.

Jeanne Booth joined the Social Work Department as Assistant Professor in the fall of 2019 after serving as Adjunct Professor since 2016. She joined the department with over 29 years of experience providing clinical and administrative social work practice in a variety of areas including housing, justice, mobile crisis intervention work, child welfare services, aging and developmental disability services.

Dr. Li-Mei Chen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work since Fall 2023. Chen’s teaching and research focuses on dementia and aging, productive aging, intersectionality and role of lifecourse in older ethnic minorities, community gerontology, and social policy. She teaches BSW SOCW 312 Knowledge Building for Helping Professionals.

Dr. Carol Cleaveland is an Associate Professor of Social Work at George Mason University. She teaches SOCW 674 Psychopathology, SOCW 645 Community Clinical Practice and SOCW 653 Immigration Policy. Dr. Cleaveland also serves as a training coordinator for Mason’s VA SBIRT grant.

Ms. Lisa Climer is Assistant Director of Practicum Education in the Department of Social Work. In this capacity, she advises graduate and undergraduate students entering practicum, teaches field seminar courses, and collaborates with community agencies and faculty to support and develop field placements and partnerships.

Katherine Cornejo joined George Mason University’s Social Work Faculty as the Child Welfare Stipend Program Coordinator in April, 2017.

Dr. Freedman is an experienced social work educator and licensed independent social worker. He has been involved in social work education for over fifteen years and is a associate professor and BSW program director with the Department of Social Work at George Mason University.

Dr. Jacqueline Guevara is a native of Washington DC, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both Virginia and DC, and has been in the social work field for over 13 years. She has extensive experience working in various agencies within child welfare (including Child Protective Services, Preservation Services, and Foster Care), school social work, juvenile court, and community mental health. Her areas of research and interest include racial inequity, stigma in the LatinX community including the impact of machismo and marianismo, juvenile justice, trauma/PTSD, and cultural stress.

Dr. Michelle D. Hand is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work. Her research focuses on empowerment building approaches to address sexual violence and trauma among at-risk non-dominant populations, including in later life. Thus, she studies causes and impacts of violence and trauma as well as arts- and horticulture-based interventions (e.g., community gardens, farms and murals) to support healing, informed by extensive interdisciplinary research and clinical experience.

Melissa Hensley joined the George Mason University Department of Social Work in April 2020 as a Practicum Education Coordinator. Prior to joining the Department of Social Work, Melissa’s work focused on long-term care and hospice, as well as advocacy within the community for additional programs to support the aging population.