Approximately 70 faculty, staff and friends of Texas Social Work gathered on Thursday, Jan. 23, for the Spring 2025 Research Showcase presented by the OADR and the Moritz Center for Societal Impact.
The agenda included presentations from the Moritz Center’s 2024 Projects for Societal Impact grantees, the Heart Galleries of Texas, the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellness and selected oral and poster presentations from the Society for Social Work and Research annual conference.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Elisa Borah, director of the Moritz Center and the Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness, emphasized the Moritz Center’s mission to be a place for anyone to get support for interdisciplinary research that addresses critical social problems and the importance of community partners in that mission.
Dean Allan Cole underscored Dr. Borah’s remarks, noting that research lies at the core of our mission at Texas Social Work, with a “small but mighty” group of institutes and centers.
Focusing on Child and Family Wellness
Two of those organizations presented during the showcase. Dr. Monica Faulkner, director and co-founder of the Texas Institute for Child and Family Wellbeing, shared highlights of their work to develop and refine knowledge to improve how systems interact with children and families.
Kori Gough, director of the Heart Galleries of Texas, recapped the organization’s recent activities to efforts to support local adoption efforts across the state. Last year, the Heart Galleries completed an important milestone of establishing a Heart Gallery in all 11 child welfare regions in Texas to support adoption efforts and post-adoption support for families.
To further encourage engagement, participants had a chance to play “research bingo” as they talked to colleagues. A “speed collab” led by Dr. Jillian Landers with the Health Behavioral Research and Training Institute enabled participants to quickly share research interests.
The event was capped with a reception featuring refreshments and live music from Austin-based singer/songwriter Caroline Hale.
As a reminder, proposals for the 2025 Projects for Societal Impact are due this Friday, Jan. 31. Research teams can receive up to $50,000 per project. More details are available on the Moritz Center website.