Launch of Podcasts Feature Inside Look at Social Work Faculty, Graduate Student Research

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 5, 2017) — Blake Jones remembers struggling with sitting for hours reading text books and processing that information as a college student. Now that Jones is a lecturer at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, he wants to engage his students by presenting the material in a variety of ways to make social work come to life.  

Jones pitched the idea of podcasts as a medium for higher-ed learning to Jason Johnston and Jordan Johnson in the College of Social Work, to create more content for classes and put the spotlight on the work students and graduates are doing in the field of social work. With Jones experience in the field of social work coupled with Johnston’s expertise in audio/media production and Johnson’s expertise in programming/web development, "Social Work Conversations" made its soft launch in August by introducing Jones as host.

The podcasts will explore the intersection of social work research, practice and education by showcasing the people associated with the College of Social Work, and give listeners practical tools they can use to change the world.

Each month, Jones will have a conversation with a social work practitioner, researcher, educator or speaker to learn more about their life and work. The podcasts are intended to be instructive and helpful as they explore social issues and challenges faced by the modern day social worker. Anyone can subscribe to the podcasts on iTunes, Sticher,or search for “social work conversations” in the Apple or Android app store. Episodes one and two are currently ready to download and stream.

“I want to present information to students in a variety of ways.” Jones said in the introductory episode in August. “And so, my idea was number one just to showcase our college, our faculty here and our doctoral students which are just great. We're doing a lot of really good things in this college, but also to present information to our students and have them learn in a different way.”

The official launch with today’s episode two, “On Death Row Saving Lives,” is a conversation with social work doctoral candidate Athena Kheiban, who will talk about the reward and struggle of conducting forensic interviews with death row inmates and her work with suicide prevention.

A variety of topics are planned for this fall and include: Julie Cerel on "Suicide in the media: from 13 Reasons to Teen Vogue to NPR"; Amy Brown on "After the Ticker-Tape Parade: Support for Military Post-Deployment"; Laura Flowers on "Growing Community with Fresh Produce"; Sarah Ascienzo on "Not Just a Kid: Trauma-informed care with Children"; and Lee Ferrell on "Developing Community with Older Adults."

To listen and find out more about this podcast, go to https://socialwork.uky.edu/podcast or Twitter at @swconversations and Facebook at www.facebook.com/swconversations. Feedback, comments or show suggestions can be made at swconversations@gmail.com.