Alumni - News

Helen Keller’s words have special meaning for Lisa Cook. Like Keller, she never married or had children. Her daring adventure started with earning her law degree from Ohio State in 1988. She went on to teach constitutional law to Federal agents, facilitate workshops for 150 doctoral students, work on hurricane recovery with Red Cross, host 150 Zoom events to connect lonely older adults, and deliver a TEDx talk, “Living Alone, Living Connected.”

Congratulations to the 2026 NASW Ohio Awardees. The Ohio State University College of Social Work proudly congratulates our alumni and students who were recognized by NASW Ohio for their outstanding contributions to the field of social work.

First, there was Jessica, Jincy, Josie, Josh and James. Then BSSW student and sister Joy Dunne entered the College of Social Work, Ohio State, and its Women’s Ice Hockey team.

William Perry (BSSW ’25) was a nontraditional undergraduate student. Usually, nontraditional means older, which is true in Perry’s case. But he also possibly has saved hundreds of lives through a nonprofit organization he co-founded while attending Ohio State after a 10-year stint in prison.

CSW alumna Ava Eisele (BSSW '18, MSW '19) is putting a new spin on the popular book and movie, The Boys in the Boat. When Eisele, a healthcare navigator at Friendship Village of Dublin, and resident John Fellingham, bonded over the book, a surprising turn of events occurred.

Congratulations to alum Keith A. Alford (MSW ‘87, PhD ‘97) for being selected by the National Association Social Workers (NASW) as an NASW Pioneer, an acclaimed distinction for social workers.

The Worthington’s Division of Fire and EMS recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Social Assistance for Emergency Reduction (SAFER) program.

Congratulations to alumnus Dr. Kenneth R. Yeager (BSSW ’92, MSW ’93, PhD ’99), for his receival of the Compassionate Leadership in Advocacy Award. Yaeger is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University’s College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and currently serves as the director of the Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) program at Wexner Medical Center.

Three exceptional social work alumni were recognized for their accomplishments and the impact that they have had on our society in the human and public services, in higher education, and most importantly, in the alleviation of the conditions that threaten the human condition.

Congratulations to alumna Dr. Jenée Lee (MSW ‘20) who has been selected as The 30 Under 30 Local Columbus Class Of 2025 by Forbes.