Student scholarships make it possible for passionate, service-minded individuals to pursue their dreams of becoming social workers—without the burden of significant debt and student loans. Your gift will help open doors for students who are committed to addressing society’s most pressing challenges, from child welfare to mental health to housing insecurity. Every dollar brings a student closer to graduation and to making a meaningful impact in the communities that need them most.
The RA Scholars Program gives students the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge faculty research while building hands-on experience that prepares them for future academic or policy-focused careers. By funding this initiative, you’re helping to grow research capacity at UMSSW, create paid research opportunities for students, and foster powerful one-on-one mentorships between students and faculty. Your support builds a strong pipeline of skilled, research-savvy social workers
The RISE Family Support Center, part of the Center for Restorative Change, offers holistic, trauma-responsive services to families in Baltimore. From parenting support to crisis intervention, RISE is a lifeline for families navigating poverty, violence, and systemic barriers. Your donation helps sustain this critical community resource—ensuring that more families receive compassionate, culturally relevant care from practitioners trained in healing-centered practices. Help us build a stronger, more resilient Baltimore—one family at a time.
The Dr. Allison Howard PhD Program Travel Award will honor the memory of Dr. Allison Howard (’25 PhD; ’18 MSW) who passed away unexpectedly just a few weeks after graduating from the PhD Program. Allison was a fierce advocate for social justice, women’s rights, and victims of trafficking. She also valued her clinical work in partnership with her strong research skills. She loved being able to travel to conferences and share her research findings with other researchers as well as practitioners who were making a real impact in the world.
As an individual, Allison was well-known for her creativity in baking elaborate treats and in her unique sense of style and fashion. She will be remembered not only for her kindness, dedication, and warmth toward everyone she met, but also for the deep love she had for her dogs. Her compassion extended to all creatures, and the bond she shared with her dogs was a true reflection of her gentle spirit.
These funds will be used to provide a travel award for at least one PhD student each year who exemplifies the passions and values that Allison demonstrated in her life and work. Funds for the award may be used to support areas such as conference travel (including flight, hotel, conference registration, and related costs).
