We were joined by Interim Dean and Professor, Vicky Rizzo. She speaks about her social work journey, vision for the SSW, goals as President of the NASW-NYS Chapter, and also shares some fun facts.
We were joined by Interim Dean and Professor, Vicky Rizzo. She speaks about her social work journey, vision for the SSW, goals as President of the NASW-NYS Chapter, and also shares some fun facts.
Bio:
Victoria M. Rizzo, LCSW-R, PhD, Interim Dean & Professor, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, SUNY has dedicated her career to demonstrating the value of social work in health care settings and community-based organizations through her research, teaching, and workforce development activities. Dr. Rizzo’s research examines the impact of social work, and interprofessional interventions that include social workers, on health care utilization, health, and behavioral health outcomes for older adults coping with chronic illnesses, elder abuse, and care giving. She also examines the implications of the findings of her work for health care policy and the financing of the provision of social work services to older adults and their caregivers. Dr. Rizzo has extensive experience as a health care social worker and has conducted research with colleagues at Kaiser Permanente Health Care Systems, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and the Jewish Association Serving the Aging (JASA) in New York City. Various foundations, including the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, the Garfield Foundation of Kaiser Permanente Health Care Systems, the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the Commonwealth Fund, have funded her research. Since earning her Ph.D. in 2002, Dr. Rizzo has provided funding and mentoring to doctoral students in social welfare and social work and has served on more than 30 dissertation committees in multiple disciplines, including social work, economics, nursing, education, and engineering.
Dr. Rizzo is the President (2022 – 2024) of the National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter (NASW-NYS) Board of Directors, a distinguished scholar and fellow of the National Academies of Practice (Social Work Academy), a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a John A. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar.