Texas Social Work welcomes three new leaders to the Moritz Center for Societal Impact, who will advance the Center’s newly established arts and humanities and health and technology program areas. Their work will integrate creative expression and innovative technology into interdisciplinary social work research and programming that addresses critical needs in health, behavioral health, and community well-being.
Texas Social Work names first artist in residence, Travis Foster
Travis Foster joins the Moritz Center as the first artist in residence for Texas Social Work. Through music and creative expression, Foster will nurture personal and professional growth among our faculty, staff and students, while cultivating collaborative relationships and a stronger sense of community within Texas Social Work.
This appointment follows similar residencies, such as the St. Elmo Arts Residency within the College of Fine Arts and the songwriter-in-residence program at The University of Texas at Austin, which have been part of the University’s efforts to expand experiences while integrating the campus community into Austin’s vibrant arts community.
“Foster brings exceptional expertise in how music can enhance well-being and quality of life,” said Allan Cole, dean of The University of Texas School of Social Work. “His leadership will open new avenues for programming that explore creative expression as a tool for healing, connection, and personal and professional growth.”
A Berklee College of Music graduate, Foster has spent over two decades as a music educator, performer, and multi-instrumentalist. As music director at School of Rock Austin, he oversees educational programming and leads student ensembles that perform at festivals such as Austin City Limits. His performance background includes touring with the homegrown Ian Moore Band and the Blue Man Group.
“For me, music has always been a powerful tool for building connections and fostering healing,” said Foster. “I’m thrilled to bring my experience as a musician and educator to Texas Social Work, where we can explore how creative expression addresses complex social challenges. The beauty of music is that it speaks a universal language — it can reach people in ways that traditional approaches sometimes can’t.”
Leading psychologist Dr. Aaron Rochlen joins as program director
Aaron Rochlen, Ph.D., joins the Moritz Center as the program director for arts and humanities.
A clinical professor and psychologist at The University of Texas Department of Educational Psychology, Rochlen teaches several undergraduate Signature courses, including “Music and Mental Health” and “Movies and Mental Health.” Affectionately known as ‘Doc Rock,’ Rochlen literally rocks his psychology classes, using music and film to help students understand complex mental health concepts. His “Under the Rock” concert series explores the intersection between music and psychology, exemplifying the type of cross-disciplinary work the Moritz Center aims to advance.
Rochlen has co-published over 70 studies examining fathering, non-traditional work and family roles, help-seeking patterns, and technology in counseling. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and previously served as President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities.
“I’m extremely excited about this new position. The people at the Moritz Center believe in some of my favorite words — collaboration, creativity, community, and connection,” said Rochlen. “And they do all of these so well. I’m looking forward to bringing in new ideas, building bridges, and helping make a difference.”
Baker Hamilton leads health and technology innovation
Baker Hamilton, MD, MMSc, joins the Moritz Center to focus on the intersection of medicine, health and technology.
His unusual combination of emergency medicine, cybersecurity expertise, and passion for Austin’s music scene reflects the innovative, interdisciplinary thinking that Texas Social Work and the Moritz Center value. This diverse background informed his recent work as part of a street medicine team that provided health care to Austin’s unsheltered population.
He holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, completing his residency in emergency medicine at New York University and the Bellevue Hospital Center. He also holds a Master of Medical Sciences from Harvard University and was an NIH-funded fellow at the Biomedical Informatics Research Training program. His thesis was based on research conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Laboratory of Computer Science, where he developed a mobile expert diagnostic system to assist in bedside clinical decision making.
Hamilton has also worked professionally as an information security consultant, achieving an Offensive Security Certified Expert certification, one of the most challenging and respected credentials in penetration testing and ethical hacking. In addition, Hamilton has published several novel software vulnerabilities through MITRE’s CVE program, the industry-standard system for cataloging and identifying security vulnerabilities in software and hardware.
Hamilton served as a physician in Queens, New York, during the pandemic and returned to his native Austin in 2022. He enjoys the city’s live music scene as a drummer when he’s not working to advance health equity through technology and continuing to serve on CommunityCare’s street medicine team.
“Technology has incredible potential to break down barriers to healthcare, but we have to be intentional about ensuring it serves everyone equitably,” said Hamilton. “My work with Austin’s unsheltered population showed me firsthand how creative approaches can reach people who don’t connect with traditional systems. At the Moritz Center, I’m excited to explore how we can harness technology not just to improve health outcomes, but to genuinely advance human well-being and remove the obstacles that prevent people from accessing the care they deserve.”
These three appointments represent a significant expansion of the Moritz Center’s capacity to address complex social challenges through innovative, interdisciplinary approaches and signal Texas Social Work’s leadership in integrating creative and technological approaches into social work education, research, and practice.
“These leaders bring exactly the kind of innovative thinking the Moritz Center was designed to foster,” said Elisa Borah, Ph.D., MSW, director of the Moritz Center for Societal Impact. “From music and creative expression to health technology solutions, they’ll help us explore new approaches to addressing critical social challenges and advancing community well-being.”