The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health has selected Shannon Johnson, a doctoral candidate in the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin, as the 2015 recipient of the Harry E. and Bernice M. Moore Fellowship. Johnson was awarded $20,000 to complete her dissertation research.
Since its establishment in 1995, the Harry E. and Bernice M. Moore Fellowship has been awarded to students from The University of Texas at Austin to complete a dissertation on the human experience in crises resulting from natural or other major disasters or, in a broader sense, stress and adversity.
Johnson’s dissertation is titled, “A Sequential Exploratory Mixed Methods Study of Post-Homicide Spiritual Change.” The dissertation is a study of post-traumatic spirituality in the lives of homicide survivors — i.e. the loved ones of homicide victims. Johnson believes that her work will yield greater insights into the unique experiences of homicide survivors, and that a deeper understanding of spiritual change among practitioners will lead to more effective interventions.
“The Moore Fellowship’s namesake, Harry E. Moore, had an abiding interest in advancing public understanding of human adversity,” said Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director of the Hogg Foundation. “At the same time, the Hogg Foundation has an interest in furthering research that results in more effective mental health interventions. Shannon Johnson’s dissertation speaks to both of those concerns.”
Read an interview with Johnson in the HoggBlog.