Faculty of Social Work News Archive

November 27, 2025 — 
In Winnipeg’s public spaces like libraries, hospitals, shelters, and government service buildings, safety has often meant exclusion: watching, pushing aside, or banning those already marginalized by poverty, mental health struggles, and discrimination.

October 21, 2025 — 
Eden Middleton, recipient of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) 2025 Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS-M) award, shares more about their research and vision for the future. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? My name is Eden Middleton (they/she) and I am a Settler Canadian from Treaty 7, Moh’kins’tsis. I come from a farming family, grew up camping in the Rockies, and studied English and Drama at the University of Calgary.  This sparked a love for critical theory and the arts-based research that I’m translating into my Master in Social Work program here at the University of Manitoba. I’m also a practicing theatre artist, working as a playwright, dramaturg, producer and theatre-maker.

October 9, 2025 — 
Emma Cowman, recipient of the Research Manitoba Master’s Studentship Award, shares more about her research and vision for the future. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? My name is Emma Cowman (she/they) and I grew up in Treaty 4 & 7 territories, in Regina, Saskatchewan and Calgary, Alberta. I have a BA honours in Psychology, and a BA in Women & Gender Studies from the University of Regina, and I am a volunteer with the Regina Abortion Support Network, Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, and am a board member on Action Canada’s National Youth Advisory Board. Currently, I live in Regina, with my partner, cat, and two dogs. I moved to Winnipeg to attend the University of Manitoba’s foundational MSW program. I have since completed my coursework for the foundational and advanced years and returned home to Saskatchewan, where I have been conducting my research virtually. I am deeply interested in Reproductive Justice research, specifically relating to the topics of abortion, reproductive coercion, and 2SLGBTQIA+ reproduction.

October 7, 2025 — 
The city’s manager of library services hopes a new report that highlights the success of an Indigenous-led alternative to conventional security services will convince decision-makers to expand the program. At a news conference Monday at the Millennium Library, Karin Borland spoke as researchers from the University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg presented their findings on how community safety hosts practice Wâhkôhtowin — a Cree and Métis worldview rooted in kinship and interconnectedness — to create safety through relationship building.

September 23, 2025 — 
AmyAnne, winner of the poster competition at the European Conference on Domestic Violence in Barcelona for her work on sexual violence among sexual minorities in Canada, shares more about her research and vision for the future. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? My name is AmyAnne and I am a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. I am also a social worker in emergency mental health services here in Winnipeg. I am back at school in a doctoral program because I truly believe that social workers are uniquely positioned to recognize important issues impacting people's lives through the work that they do. 

August 5, 2025 — 
The judge presiding over the Hockey Canada trial has ruled the five men accused of sexual assault not guilty. AmyAnne Smith is a practicing social worker and a PhD Candidate at the University of Manitoba. She works with survivors of sexual violence and explores their experiences within the criminal justice system. She shared her reaction to the trial on Up To Speed with Faith Fundal. To listen, please follow link to CBC Listen.

July 22, 2025 — 
Congratulations to our Faculty of Social Work scholars Dr. Christine Mayor, Dr. Blessing Ojembe, and Dr. Ashley Stewart-Tufescu have been awarded Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) 2025 Insight Development Grants to support new research on ending carceral practices in helping professions, programs for Black older adults, and displaced Rohingya women.

July 10, 2025 — 
Tara Christianson recently graduated from the Master of Social Work program and received a University of Manitoba Distinguished Master’s Thesis Prize for her thesis titled: The Impact of COVID-19 on Services for Indigenous People Who Use Substances and Are Living with HIV in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The prize is given out annually to recognize the achievements of Master’s graduates who submitted groundbreaking theses in the previous academic year. The Faculty of Social Work congratulates Tara and looks forward to learning more about her experience in the program, her current research interests and her plans for the future. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? My name is Tara Christianson; I was born and raised in Treaty 1 territory and have lived in Winnipeg for the past 18 years. I am Red River Métis, citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation and a member of the Bison Local. I also have Scottish, Irish, and English settler ancestry. I’m a mom, a partner, sister, daughter and auntie. I’m also a registered social worker that works in the mainstream health care system.

June 16, 2025 — 
Sandy's commitment to community and politics was evident early on. In 1967, she was elected Lady Stick of Social Work, a leadership role that foreshadowed her later public service as a Winnipeg City Councillor from 1991 to 1995. During her time on council, she remained true to her social work roots, focusing on constituent needs and advocating for vulnerable populations. “I loved politics,” says Hyman, "a passion that has always been about making meaningful change.” Over the course of her nearly four-decade career in child welfare and education, Sandy encountered both the triumphs and the heartbreaks that come with serving on the front lines of human struggle. When asked why she has remained so passionate about her chosen profession, Sandy responded, “Sometimes I think it’s anti-social work. Often, a social worker is alone, uncertain what’s next or what to do; neither education, on-the-job training, nor life experience prepared me for the challenges I encountered.” One of Sandy’s most unforgettable experiences involved a teen who had been labeled extremely behaviorally disordered. He was housed alone in a group home with 24/7 supervision. “He so wanted to be with his mom,” Sandy recalls. “He was kept isolated in the group home because every system considered him a danger – to students, staff, and even himself.” Her voice trembles as she recounts writing the funding application for this youth’s education plan, an effort involving multiple systems and extraordinary financial resources to create a safe learning environment. “As I filled out his funding application, I shed tears. This boy’s story was almost unbelievable, so deeply painful,” Sandy explains. “Writing this application felt crucial… a final opportunity to offer this teen a thread of hope, a way to learn how to be with others, and with himself, safely.”

May 27, 2025 — 
Candace Neumann was awarded the New Investigator Award for best oral abstract presentation in Social Science at the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) Conference for her presentation title: Our Ancestors Live in our Blood: Understanding Kinship, Storytelling and Place in Supports for Pregnant Indigenous Women Living with HIV. She is a Red River Métis doula, artist, MSW-IK student, sundancer, cedar bath conductor, and community helper from Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her spirit name, Leads With Light, guides her in her community work, and is grounded in her relationships with her family and her community. She comes from a long line of fierce aunties and carries on the tradition with her 13 nephews and nieces, and 1 great niece. In this Q&A, Candace talks about her work as an experienced doula, and shares insight about the Master in Social Work based in Indigenous Knowledges program.