Texas Social Work mourns the sudden passing of U.S. Army Major and recent doctoral graduate Dr. Jose “Joey” Velasquez (Ph.D. ’23).
After serving as the behavioral health officer for 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) deployed to Afghanistan, he pursued a doctoral degree at The University of Texas at Austin with the goal of conducting research that could improve the quality and utilization of behavioral health services for U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers and their families.
“Joey was a tenacious student, researcher and social worker, but he was first and foremost a proud and doting father and a devoted husband,” said Allan Cole, dean of Texas Social Work. “This is a profound loss for our school as well as his family.”
Velasquez was described as a kind, generous, and a genuine individual that made him a beloved presence in the doctoral student lounge. He was a driven and conscientious student and research team member whose professionalism won him the respect and admiration of the faculty and staff.
He earned his LCSW through the U.S. Army’s MSW Program, which operates in partnership with Fayetteville State University. After completing his social work internship at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he became the Behavioral Health Officer for 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), functioning as the officer in charge for the behavioral health clinic.
He was a United States Army Social Work Officer, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and American Board of Clinical Social Work (ABCSW) certified diplomate (BCD). As a member of the UT Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT), Velasquez researched health behavior change alongside Dr. Mary Velasquez and Dr. Kirk von Sternberg.
Velasquez was laid to rest on Wednesday, February 26, at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.