TEACHING
Assistant Professor
Pacific University Claire Argow Social Work Department (Fall 2022 - present)
Adjunct Faculty
University of Utah College of Social Work (Fall 2022 - present)
Adjunct Faculty
University of Missouri Women and Gender Studies (Fall 2021 - Summer 2022)
Associate Faculty
Indiana University School of Social Work (Summer 2017 - Spring 2021)
Pacific University Claire Argow Social Work Department (Fall 2022 - present)
Adjunct Faculty
University of Utah College of Social Work (Fall 2022 - present)
Adjunct Faculty
University of Missouri Women and Gender Studies (Fall 2021 - Summer 2022)
Associate Faculty
Indiana University School of Social Work (Summer 2017 - Spring 2021)
Teaching Interests
Transgender and Nonbinary Studies
Macro Practice & Progressive Social Work
LGBTQ Health Equity in Policy & Practice
Qual and Quant Research Methods
Community Organizing
Program Evaluation
Leadership & Policy
Social Work Pedagogy
Macro Practice & Progressive Social Work
LGBTQ Health Equity in Policy & Practice
Qual and Quant Research Methods
Community Organizing
Program Evaluation
Leadership & Policy
Social Work Pedagogy
Instructor on Record since 2015
Social Work Foundational Courses
* graduate courses unless otherwise specified
- Foundations of Social Work
- Introduction to Social Work (undergraduate and graduate)
- Diversity, Human Rights and Social Justice
- Social Work Research and Evaluation
- Research I
- Practice Evaluation: Introduction - Single System Design
- Influencing Social Policy
- Executive Leadership
- Seminar in Public Health Law and Policy in a multidisciplinary Setting
- Social Policy and Services: Health Concentration
- Social Work Practice II: Organizations, Communities, and Society
- Social Determinants of Health +
- Aotearoa New Zealand +
- Transgender Studies (undergraduate)
- LGBTQ Studies and Activism (undergraduate)
* graduate courses unless otherwise specified
“I was in your community and organizations class last semester…I just wanted to let you know that one of the key members of the neighborhood association reached out to me . She was very excited about our project and felt that it touched on all of the key gaps that the community had. She asked if she could have a copy of our project to take to the board. My group and I are very excited that the neighborhood association found meaning in our community assessment and want to take it further than the classroom and use it for meaningful purposes to help the community . We just wanted to share with you the amazing news!”
(Graduate Student, 1/28/2019)
Brief Teaching Philosophy
Learning is a dynamic process of co-constructing ideas through questions, discussion, and application; facilitated by teachers, students are active participants in their education. Critical and constructivist epistemologies guide my teaching philosophy. Critical constructivist pedagogy is rooted in critical thinking, empowerment, diversity, and collaboration. Critical thinking, a vital component, is learned through empowering students; acknowledging that students possess valuable experience and knowledge that bring new information to the discussion. Constructivism challenges the single reality of positivism and suppositions that multiple realities exist with the belief that reality is socially constructed. Critical theory goes beyond describing reality and acts as a call for action to create a new reality and brings to focus the imbalance of power. My teaching ethos is that the level of expected rigor should be matched by the level of support provided. As a social work professor, I assist students to develop the skills, experiences, and self-efficacy to become active proponents of social justice movements at multiple levels of practice.
“I wanted to share with you how helpful some of our discussions about consensus building and community empowerment have been in helping me negotiate global policy this semester. I know I fussed about a lot of our project last semester, but I sure learned a hell of a lot and am getting a chance to apply it to new ways of thinking this semester - the sure sign that I had a good professor. Thank you”
(Graduate Student, 2/19/2018)
My experience has taught me that we are stronger as a group than as individuals. Consequently, I place a high value on collaborations and the collective process of groups. When flexibility and creativity are practiced, students are given opportunities to find passionate ways to explore information that applies to their studies and lives, enriching their learning. I have contributed to informal and formal mechanisms for fostering collaboration, mentorship, and community such as a cross-degree peer mentoring program, a Macro Social Work Student Network chapter, and the Social Work Doctoral Student Association. At the university level, I am on the OUT list of LGBTQIA faculty and have mentored for the Advancing Queer Student Education and Social Success (AQSESS) mentoring program since the start of the program in 2017.
“Thank you for the opportunity to pick a project like the Community Assessment project. I shared the results with our clinical and regional director on Monday and that both were shocked by the results and grateful for the recommendations and the time I took on the project!”
(Graduate Student, 8/12/2020)
Creating a supportive space is necessary for differences to be expressed and discussed, which encourages comfort with ambiguity and disagreement and can lay the groundwork for civic discourse and the value of diversity. This is especially important for LGBTQIA students and students of colour, who are historically underrepresented populations in social work education and practice. When attention is given to creating a supportive environment with clear expectations and norms, constructive critical discourse can occur on topics of conflict such as privilege, systemic racism, misogyny, and cis-hetero-normativity, as well as the connections between each and our role in perpetuation and disruption. Ultimately, I hope my teaching results in students gaining meaning and knowledge that they can apply outside the classroom for personal and professional growth, feeling empowered to be a voice for social justice, and continuing as life-long learners.
“I just wanted to share some feedback from a student that I got about you today….he viewed your course as "a sanctuary" where he could be himself and seek the help he needed. He went on to talk about how amazing you were, helping him in relation to coursework for your class, as well as providing assistance when he asked in relation to other courses. He talked about how much he enjoyed you and your class and how he thinks you are an amazing educator.
Just wanted to share this student's kind words, as they touched me! It also made me so happy that this student who was so unsure of himself in the beginning has found support and is thriving!”
(IUSSW Administration, 12/13/2019)
Pedagogical Training and Recognition
2023 - Blended Online Learning Retreat (BOLR) - Pacific University, Center for Educational Technology and Curriculum Innovation (nominated by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences)
2020 - Telehealth Basics for Social Work Educators and Behavioral Health Clinicians Responding to COVID-19
2018 - Excellence in Teaching Award from IUSSW
2017 - Certificate in College Teaching from the IUPUI Center for Teaching and Learning
2015 - Social Work Pedagogy doctoral course
2020 - Telehealth Basics for Social Work Educators and Behavioral Health Clinicians Responding to COVID-19
2018 - Excellence in Teaching Award from IUSSW
2017 - Certificate in College Teaching from the IUPUI Center for Teaching and Learning
2015 - Social Work Pedagogy doctoral course
Image Description: A classroom with Mx. Kinney at the front with a PowerPoint slide on the wall behind them and speaking to a group of adult learners seated in rows.