School of Social Work News

ETAMU Student’s Research Published in State Historical Journal
East Texas A&M University student Aubrey Watkins recently had her research published in "Touchstone," a collegiate academic journal produced by the Texas State Historical Association's Walter Prescott Webb Historical Society.

East Texas A&M Social Work Programs Earn 8-Year Reaffirmation
East Texas A&M University’s School of Social Work has received reaffirmation of accreditation for both its Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work programs.

Social Work Graduate Student and Alum Named to TACUSPA Board
Current East Texas A&M University graduate student Gabrielle Vaughn was named to the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators.

ETAMU Alum Leverages His Past to Guide Youth Toward Better Futures
East Texas A&M alum Leon Theodore is featured in a recent article by Spectrum News. The feature details Theodore's journey of overcoming a troubled past to become a social worker, nonprofit leader and adjunct professor.
East Texas A&M alum Leon…
Social Work Instructor Slated to Serve on Regulatory Association’s Board of Directors
Brumley will serve a one-year term on the Association of Social Work Boards board of directors.
TAMUC Social Work Students Gain Real-World Experience
The group of undergraduate social work students benefited from early exposure courtroom processes.

A&M-Commerce Alum Hoover Featured in Texas Monthly Magazine
An article published in the June 2024 edition of Texas Monthly magazine highlights A&M-Commerce alum and best-selling author Colleen Hoover.
In it, Hoover provides insight into her meteoric rise to fame and the following scrutiny and criticism. Readers catch a…

Strokes of Brilliance—10 TAMUC Alumni with Successful Artistic Careers
Did you know that A&M-Commerce has produced several talented and incredibly successful artists? “Successful” as in famous, well known and award-winning! Whether you're studying the arts at A&M-Commerce or simply dabbling in it on the side, you're in a lineage…

A&M-Commerce’s Pearson Honored with TAMUS Veteran Support Award
A Texas A&M University-Commerce staff member was recently honored with an award celebrating his commitment to serving student veterans.
Dustin Pearson, veteran services manager at A&M-Commerce, received the 2022-23 Faculty/Staff Veteran Support Excellence Award from The Texas A&M University System.…

TAMUC Alum Hoover One of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023
TIME Magazine has named A&M-Commerce alum Colleen Hoover to its list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2023. Jenna Bush Hager penned Hoover's entry in the Artist category.
The Sulphur Springs native is a New York Times best-selling author.…

Human Trafficking Courses Bring Awareness, Volunteer Opportunities to A&M-Commerce Students
Students at Texas A&M University-Commerce are gaining awareness of human trafficking thanks to the university’s newly developed undergraduate and graduate courses. The courses also provide volunteer opportunities for students to help trafficking victims.
The U.S. Department of Justice defines human…

A&M-Commerce Alum Named One of Dallas’s Most Influential Business Leaders
A&M-Commerce alumnus Awstin Gregg was selected as one of D CEO magazine's Dallas 500, an annual collection of biographies highlighting the most influential top executives in the Dallas-Fort Worth business community.
Gregg earned his Master of Social Work degree at…

TAMUC College of Education and Human Services Publishes Online Journal
The College of Education and Human Services at A&M-Commerce has published the first issue of Literature Reviews in Education and Human Services. The peer-reviewed, online journal endeavors to provide a collection of high-quality literature reviews for topics related to education…

A&M-Commerce Personnel, Alumni Honored by Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education
The Texas A&M University-Commerce chapter of the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education (TABPHE) honored several of the university's personnel and alumni at an awards ceremony on April 30 in the Rayburn Student Center on campus.
Awards and…

A&M-Commerce Social Work Faculty Member Appointed to International Board
Brian Brumley, LMSW-IPR, has been appointed to the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) as part of the Regulatory Education and Leadership committee. AWSB is the international board responsible for social work licensure testing requirements.
Brumley is a clinical instructor…

A&M-Commerce Social Work Professor Co-Authors Research Article
Gracie Brownell, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the master's program for the School of Social Work at A&M-Commerce, is one of five co-authors of a recently published research article in the peer-reviewed journal Sustainability.
The article, “Economic Drivers of…

First Social Work Cohort Graduates from A&M-Commerce at Frisco
Texas A&M University-Commerce students Jodie Schmitt, Samantha Newton and Caylin Menard donned their caps and gowns for the Dec. 18 commencement ceremony in Commerce, becoming the first cohort of undergraduate social work students to graduate from A&M-Commerce at Frisco.
Pictured…

TAMUC’s Brumley Provides Insight for Graduate Social Work Students
Brian Brumley, director of field education for the School of Social Work at A&M-Commerce, recently participated in an online “Ask an Expert” series aimed at students aspiring to gain a master's degree in social work.
In the article, Brumley answers…

TAMUC Faculty Brownell Featured in Online ‘Ask an Expert’ Series
Dr. Gracie Brownell, assistant professor of social work at A&M-Commerce, is featured in an interview for MSW Online. The site interviewed Brownell for their Ask an Expert series.
Brownell discussed factors for choosing a master's in social work program in…

Smith Set to Lead A&M-Commerce School of Social Work
The College of Education and Human Services at A&M-Commerce recently named Dr. Marcella Smith as interim head of the School of Social Work.
Smith joined A&M-Commerce in 2015 and began her tenure track a year later. She served as the…

TAMUC Social Work Student Awarded Ima Hogg Scholarship
The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health recently selected A&M-Commerce graduate student Amanda Gage as a 2021 Ima Hogg Scholarship recipient. Gage will receive a one-time award of $5,000 to support her Master of Social Work studies before launching a career…

Governor Names TAMUC Alumna Andrade to State Board
Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently appointed A&M-Commerce alumna Katie Andrade to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners for a term set to expire in 2027. The board regulates the practice of social work in Texas. The appointment is…

Brumley Represents A&M-Commerce at VA Social Work Conference
Brian Brumley, director of field education for the Department of Social Work at A&M-Commerce, presented at the 2021 VA Social Work conference, held virtually on March 26. Brumley spoke on ethical decision making to a group of 77 social work…

TAMUC Robot Living Lab to Partner with Invento Research
The School of Social Work at Texas A&M University-Commerce is excited to announce a new, collaborative partnership between its Robot Living Lab and Invento Research, Inc., a Delaware-based corporation.
Established in January 2020, the mission of the Robot Living Lab…

TAMUC’s Brumley Elected to State’s Behavioral Health Executive Council
The Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners recently elected A&M-Commerce employee, Brian Brumley, to the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC). The council is charged with oversight of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Professional Counselors, Psychologists and Social…

Governor Names TAMUC’s Brumley Chair of State Board of Social Worker Examiners
Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently appointed Brian Brumley, an employee and alum of Texas A&M University-Commerce, as chair of the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners. Brumley has served on the board—which regulates the practice of social work in…

A&M-Commerce Alum Appointed to Texas State Independent Living Council
Melva Henderson, a graduate of Texas A&M University-Commerce, was recently appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to the State Independent Living Council. The council, founded in 1989, is tasked with partnering, developing and monitoring a comprehensive state plan that develops…
A&M-C Alum, Professor Featured in D Magazine Article
Texas A&M University-Commerce alum and adjunct professor Awstin Gregg was recently featured in an article in Dallas' “D Magazine” on how to achieve zero percent turnover in business. Gregg is currently a licensed clinical social worker, as well as a…
Governor Appoints A&M-Commerce Alumna to Family and Protective Services Council
Governor Gregg Abbott has appointed A&M-Commerce alumna Cortney Jones to the Family and Protective Services Council, along with Enrique Mata. Their terms will expire in 2025. The council makes recommendations to the commissioner regarding management of the Department of Family…

Dr. Rebecca Judd on Good Morning Texas – 6/9/2020
A&M-Commerce is featured in a weekly series on WFAA-TV's “Good Morning Texas,” where different representatives of A&M-Commerce will talk about the university's great successes. Good Morning Texas runs every weekday on WFAA Channel 8 out of Dallas from 9 to…

A&M-Commerce Faculty Hope Assistive Robot Can Provide Human Connection
As social distancing requirements surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have shifted the way we interact with the world around us, researchers at Texas A&M University-Commerce are seizing the opportunity to further their research into the connection between humans and robots.
Dr.…
A&M-Commerce School of Social Work Participates at NASW Conference
The School of Social Work at A&M-Commerce was well represented at the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Conference in Galveston on October 3 through 5. Participants from A&M-Commerce included Marcella Smith; Gracie Brownell, Ph.D.; Alma Hernandez; Linda Openshaw, DSW,…