Equity, Justice, and Inclusion Lecture and Distinguished Alumni Award Celebration

Equity, Justice, and Inclusion Lecture and Distinguished Alumni Award Celebration


The Equity, Justice, and Inclusion Lecture is one in a series of events the School of Social Work offers each year.ÌýFollowing the lecture, the school honors the recipients of that year's Distinguished Alumni Awards, which recognize BCSSW MSW or PhD alumni who have made significant contributions to the social work profession.

Nominate an Alum

ÌýNominations for the 2024 event are now closed. Please check back for next year.Ìý

Monday, October 21, 2024

Yawkey Center, 4th floor Murray Room
6:00–8:15 p.m. ET

Directions and Parking

Validated parking will be offered in the on-campus parking garages.

October 2024 Alumni Award Winners


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Sheila Gauch

Sheilah M. Gauch, BA '96, MSW '01
Principal and Clinical Director, Dearborn Academy

Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

Sheilah M. Gauch is the Principal and Clinical Director of Dearborn Academy, a therapeutic day school that services students with social/emotional and learning needs. She is also a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and educator with over 20 years experience working with and advocating for students with complicated mental health needs. In addition to her work with students, Sheilah engages with caregivers, educators, and mental health professionals through consultation, training and public speaking.

Sheilah has two of her own children, whose mental health issues were ultimately diagnosed as PANS/PANDAS (Pediatric Acute Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome/Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep). She co-founded the Massachusetts Coalition for PANS/PANDAS Legislation which successfully championed the passage of both an insurance mandate and established a permanent DPH PANS/PANDAS Advisory Council, where she serves as the co-chair. Sheilah received the 2020 Commonwealth Heroine Award for her work on this legislation as well as her leadership as the Chair of her local Special Education Parent Advisory Council.Ìý

Rebecca Camargo

Rebecca Camargo MSW '15
Consultant, Focus Strategies

Recent Alumni Award Winner

Rebecca Camargo works as a consultant at Focus Strategies and is responsible for leading and supporting homelessness response system improvement initiatives in communities throughout the United States. She manages technical assistance engagements, designs and implements stakeholder engagement processes, and develops analytical and policy content for reports and other publications.

Prior to her work at Focus Strategies, Rebecca managed programs that directly serve individuals experiencing homelessness. She was the first Director of Resident Services at the Newton Housing Authority where she strategically developed supportive services and eviction prevention programming for formerly unsheltered individuals living with complex mental health service needs.

Rebecca describes herself as a justice-focused leader, who believes that access to safe and affordable housing is a fundamental human right.
Rebecca holds a BA in psychology and anthropology from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester and an MSW from Boston College with a concentration in Older Adults and Latine/Latinx populations.

October 2024 Keynote Speaker


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Jack Butler

John T. Butler, S.J.Ìý
Haub Vice President for the Division of Mission and Ministry
Boston College

Jack Butler, S.J. grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Marist High School; entered the Society of Jesus in 1991 as a member of the Northeast Province and was ordained in 2000. Holding degrees in counseling and theology, he has worked in prison ministry, hospital treatment centers, the education apostolate, and internal formation within the Society.

Presently Fr. Butler works at Boston College and is the Haub Vice President for University Mission and Ministry. His degrees are as follows: B.A., St. Thomas University; M.A. Providence College; M.S., Loyola University (Maryland); S.T.L., Boston College (Weston Jesuit School of Theology); and Ph.D., Loyola University (Maryland).

Event Archive


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Distinguished Alumni Awards


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Distinguished Alumni Award Criteria

Each year the BCSSW Alumni Board solicits nominations for the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards. These awards recognize the significant contributions to the field of social work made by a BCSSW alumni. Two awards are given each year, one to a recent graduate (5-10 years) and the other to an alumnus or alumna 10+ years from graduation.

Criteria for this award can include:

  • Significant contributions that enhance the profession of social work in the larger community.
  • Significant contributions made to social work education.
  • Significant contributions made in the area of public service.
  • Significant contributions to practice issues within the profession.
  • Significant contributions to social policy and change.
  • Significant contributions to the BCSSW students and alumni.
  • A lifetime achievement in the profession of social work.


Nominees must be alumni of the Boston College School of Social Work (MSW or PhD). Current BCSSW Alumni Association Board members and BCSSW employees are not eligible. Both the award winner and the person who nominates the award winner will be invited to attend the annual award ceremony.

Questions? Contact the Alumni Board atÌýsswalumni@bc.edu.Ìý

Award Recipients

2024

Scune Carrington, MSW '09
Anne Day Leong, PhD '17

2023

Sarah B. Coughlin, MSW '07
Ngozi Enelamah, MSW '18, PhD '20

2022

Leslie Dominguez-Santos, MSW’01
Keith Chan, MSW’06 and PhD’13

2021

Charlene Luma ’03, MSW ’05
Charu Stokes-Williams, PhD ’11

2020

LCDR Monique Worrell-Oriola ’03, MSW ’06
Michael Grinnell, MSW ’16, LCSW
Marvin Toliver, MSW ’16, LSW
Josh McNeil, MSW ’15, LCSW
Jesse Wiltey, MSW ’16

2019

Tanya Sharpe, PhD ’07
Lamar Polk, MSW ’09

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2018

Mitzi Peterson, MSW ’97
Najwa Sado Safadi, Ph.D. ’12

2017

Debra Sosin, MSW ’77
Nick Teich, MSW ’09

2016

Daniel Gill, MSW '06
Judith S. Willison, MSW '87

2015

Colleen Fitzgerald, MSW '11
James A. Martin, MSW '70

2014

Erin McAleer, MSW '05
Amy Vosburg-Casey, MSW/JD '01

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BLI retreat - image of cohort 2022

Equity, Justice, and Inclusion

The mission of our Equity, Justice, and Inclusion (EJI) Initiatives is to develop policies and practices that promote a caring, respectful, and inclusive community. EJI promotes open and honest conversations, fosters interdisciplinary collaborations, and expands access to opportunities for historically marginalized groups, including women, racial and ethnic populations, and the LGBTQ+ community.Ìý

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