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When George Mason alum Samantha Carrico enters a room, eyes usually lock onto her charismatic coworker Rylynn, a five-year-old Labrador golden retriever mix. But while Fairfax County’s facility dog gets all the attention, Carrico is the key to making it all happen.

Taylor's mission is to “pass the baton” to the next generation of social workers – with a focus on recruiting more Black men to the field. Part of that recruiting process is busting some of the myths commonly associated with social work careers.

Gary T. Taylor, MSW ‘15, is destigmatizing mental health support and normalizing therapy in the Black community one barbershop at a time. “Barbershops are this safe space for Black men,” explains Taylor who has been working with local barbershops in the Rappahannock region since 2022 to foster healthy discussions about mental health by educating barbers on “mental health first aid” for their patrons.

����AV researcher Daphne King, EdD, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work, wants to use Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (February) to continue bringing awareness to intimate partner violence in young people.

28 Master of Social Work students work with a substance-engaged adolescent in a Virtual Reality simulation. The majority of students felt more prepared to respond to changes in their client’s condition after participating in the simulation 

All year long, photographers in ����AV’s Office of University Branding capture the moments that make Mason All Together Different. We asked our photographers to share their favorite photos from the 2022-23 school year.

McKenzie Lauber is graduating from ����AV this month with a bachelor of social work degree and a minor in criminology.

Substance use disorder affects more than 40 million Americans according to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Recovery can be a difficult path, but an interdisciplinary team led by Holly Matto, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, aims to make it a little easier through a recently patented technology-based therapy. 

The national campaign, #VotingisSocialWork, has been promoted by Masters of Social Work Student Association (MSWSA) around social media and across campus encouraging students to register if they haven’t in order to vote in the November 2022 elections.

Liz Laster joined the faculty in Summer 2022 as Assistant Director of Practicum Education. Prior to joining the department of social work, Liz worked as a school social worker with Fairfax County Public schools as well as with therapeutic foster care in Washington, DC.