Two new doctoral graduates of UT Social Work have successfully defended their dissertations and will graduate on Saturday, May 9, signifying the newest generation of doctorates who will impact social work and social work education. UT Social Work congratulates Dr. Madison Haiman and Dr. Nicole Kim on defending their dissertations and wishes them great success in their future careers!
DR. MADISON HAIMAN
Dr. Madison Haiman focuses her research on evidence-informed policy to improve reproductive and maternal health. She will be taking a position this fall at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work as a tenure-track faculty member.
Madison’s research draws on qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches — including community-based participatory research and implementation science — to address systemic barriers in reproductive and maternal health. Her work spans preconception and perinatal health, with a current focus on prenatal substance use policy amid intersecting substance use crises in the United States.
Since starting her Ph.D. program, Haiman has been awarded the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 2023-2024 Doctoral Policy Fellowship, the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2024-2025 Maternal and Child Health Section Student Fellowship, and the AcademyHealth Spring 2025 Health Policy Fellowship. Additionally, she has been appointed to the Centers for Disease Control Preventing Chronic Disease Student Scientific Writing and Review Training Committee.
Her dissertation, entitled Mapping Complexity: A Legal Epidemiology Study of the Variation and Recent Shifts in Prenatal Substance Use Policy, was supervised by Dr. Mary Velasquez.
“UT Social Work will always hold a special place in my heart,” said Haiman. “I am deeply grateful to have been a part of a community that supported, challenged, and inspired me. Not only did my time as a doctoral student shape who I am as a scholar today, but it also strengthened my commitment to advancing meaningful policy and structural change through my research. As I move forward, I will carry the lessons I learned here into my next chapter.”
DR. NICOLE KIM
Dr. Nicole Kim focuses her primary area of research in child welfare related issues and policy, including foster care, preventative services, and child and family well-being. She will be taking a position as a research fellow at SMU following graduation.
Her research and career are guided by her past experience as a foster parent and foster care caseworker in Texas. Following this experience, Dr. Kim focused her studies on child welfare research and policy. She served as a clinical research assistant, and gained further experience as a child welfare policy intern at Children’s Rights and the Center for the Study of Social Policy where she was later hired as a policy analyst. In this role, she was part of a team monitoring child welfare systems facing class-action litigation. Additionally, Nicole supported the Youth Thrive initiative, which worked to better support the development and well-being of youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Her dissertation, entitled Marisol A. v. Giuliani: Class Action Litigation and Child Welfare System Reform, was supervised by Dr. Monica Faulkner and Dr. Diana DiNitto.
“The School of Social Work has given me a strong foundation for a career in research, and I am deeply grateful for the guidance, encouragement, and support I have received from my professors, mentors, and peers,” Kim said. “I have been privileged to work alongside and learn from students, faculty, and staff across campus, as well as with community members in Austin. I am proud to graduate as a Longhorn, and I look forward to bringing all that I have learned into my role as a research fellow at SMU.”