UW School of Social Work E-news
Fall 2008  |  Return to issue home

In the News

Ruth Huber, Ph.D. ’89, is professor of social work and, since 1996, director of the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The National Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, hospice and advanced directives are some of her areas of expertise. Huber recently co-edited a text book called Elder Advocacy: Essential Knowledge and Skills Across Settings. The text is for students, practitioners and others who work with the elderly.

Betty Kramer, Ph.D. ’82, has received the Distinguished Researcher Award from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). This award, NHPCO’s highest, recognizes Kramer for her "outstanding body of research that has contributed to the enhancement of hospice and palliative care." Professor and doctoral program chair of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work, Kramer was presented with the award at the organization’s October clinical conference in Dallas.

Diana Pearce
Diana Pearce

Diana Pearce, senior lecturer and director of the UW Center for Women's Welfare, was principal investigator and author of two self-sufficiency standard reports completed last summer for the states of Oregon and Ohio. This brings the number of states for which Pearce has published self-sufficiency reports to 37. The standard measures the true cost of financial independence and analyzes wage adequacy in comparison to the federal poverty level. “The stark contrast between actual wages and necessary wages leads to tough choices and sacrifices,” said Pearce. “People are struggling, but with income over the poverty level, you’re not officially ‘poor,’ and thus not eligible for most programs.”

Leon Preston, lecturer and practicum coordinator, was one of 29 referees chosen from a field of 300 candidates for the tae kwon do competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. A seventh-degree black belt, Preston has been an international referee for this Korean martial art since 1989, making him second in seniority among his peers worldwide.

Michele Puckhaber, MSW ’05, is the UW Police Department’s first crime victim advocate. As former community advocate for the Eastside Domestic Violence Program, she regards her new job as a perfect fit. She also has high praise for her program in the School of Social Work and says she has “a passion for social work.” Read more about Puckhaber's new role.

Fall 2008  |  Return to issue home