On Monday, May 18, Rutgers School of Social Work recognized BASW, MSW, DSW, and Ph.D. graduates at its 2025 Convocation ceremony. Hundreds gathered at Jersey Mike’s Arena in New Brunswick to support the 929 graduates who earned a degree from the School of Social Work this year, including 758 MSW grads, 155 BA in Social Work grads, 13 DSW grads, and 3 Ph.D. grads.
Some of the students recognized at the ceremony included:
- Mother-daughter duo Michelle Franzoso (mother), a member of the Intensive Weekend MSW Program Mays Landing cohort, and Jasmine Grant (daughter), who was enrolled in the traditional MSW program in New Brunswick.
- Alessa and Joseph Manuola, a sister and brother, who earned their MSW degrees together.
- Carol Arroyo, a part-time MSW student studying in New Brunswick, is a mother of three young children who has faced significant health issues as well as accidents that have affected her physical abilities. Despite these challenges and responsibilities, she persevered and successfully earned her MSW with a Certificate in Promoting Child and Adolescent Well-Being.
Rutgers School of Social Work Dean and Distinguished Professor George Leibowitz welcomed guests to the ceremony while Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Jason Geary and Rutgers University–New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway shared congratulatory remarks with the Class of 2026. Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, Dean of NYU Silver School of Social Work and an Aspen Institute Fellow, delivered the convocation address. Along with the conferral of the degrees, the School presented the following awards in recognition of the students’ outstanding work:
MSW Awards
- Outstanding MSW Students in the Clinical Specialization: Sydney Allison Schair & Karolain L. Guerrero
- Outstanding MSW Student in the Management and Policy (MAP) Specialization: Shalisa Deanna Alba
- Outstanding MSW Student in the Online Program: Shan Zhang
- Outstanding MSW Student in the Intensive Weekend Program: Jennifer Rene Moon
- Outstanding MSW Student in the Blended Program: Tamaris Nicole Marquez Pimentel
- Outstanding MSW Student Studying in Newark: Joseph Benjamin Glicksberg
- Outstanding MSW Student Studying in Camden: Shalisa Deanna Alba
- Outstanding MSW Student Studying in New Brunswick: Emily Joy Shulman Knopf
BASW Awards
- Dean’s Recognition Award for Excellence in the Camden BASW Program: Alexis Hatfield
- Dean’s Recognition Award for Excellence in the New Brunswick BASW Program: Cynthia Duchantier
- The Brian C. Wright Social Work Award: Shanice Orozco
Ph.D. Awards
- Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award: Melanie Yu
- Dean’s Honorable Mention for Dissertation of the Year Award: Nicole Milano
- Excellence in Faculty Mentoring in the Ph.D. Program Award: Judith McCoyd
- Ph.D. Professor of the Year: Felix Muchomba
In addition, faculty and staff members were presented with the following awards:
- Outstanding Professors in the Clinical Specialization: Mary Beth Ali and Tawanda Hubbard
- Outstanding Professors in the Management and Policy (MAP) Specialization: Vivien Anthony and Mark Lamar
- Outstanding Professor for Excellence in Inclusion, Intersectionality, Diversity, Equity and Advancement (IIDEA) Teaching: Maxine Davis
- Outstanding Professor for Innovative and Creative Teaching: DuWayne Battle and Tawanda Hubbard
- Most Supportive Professor: Ryan DiMeglio
- Outstanding Lecturers: Frank Greenagel and Adelina Garabet-Mitchell
- Outstanding Doctoral Student Teaching in the BASW or MSW Programs: Andrew Kim
- Most Supportive Staff Members: Chantaya King and Tatyana Bonds
To round out the program, student speaker Karolain Guerrero delivered an inspiring speech. Karolain is a first-generation student and immigrant from the Dominican Republic whose journey is rooted in resilience and a strong commitment to service and community. Raised in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, she has remained deeply connected to the communities that shaped her. At the same time, she earned an MSW degree with a clinical specialization and a certificate in Latinx Initiatives for Service, Training, and Assessment.
Dean Leibowitz concluded the ceremony with words of encouragement for the Class of 2026. “We wish you great success, and we know that your impact will be far-reaching from your local communities to the rest of the world,” he said. “We are so very proud of you!”
Congratulations, graduates, and welcome to the Rutgers School of Social Work alumni network!
