Sheara Williams Jennings

 Sheara Williams

Associate Professor • Ph.D. Program Director
Email: swilliams3@uh.edu
Room: 414 Social Work Building
Phone: (713) 743-8120
Current Curriculum Vitae

Personal Statement:

Successful teaching is critical in that it allows for the preparation of competent and effective social work practitioners. Because a strong set of core skills is required for successful and effective social work practice, I incorporate various methods into my teaching, such as experiential learning experiences, lectures, technologies, discussions, and insight from the practice community. I strive to model professional values and ethics in the classroom with an emphasis on diversity and the needs of vulnerable and oppressed groups. Last, I believe it is very important to incorporate current research and literature into course readings and lectures because it demonstrates the interconnectedness of practice and research, and how one must inform the other.

Likewise, research to is critical to the social work profession in that it should be used to the benefit of those in need through the generation and testing of knowledge. It is my goal to generate ethical, well-designed, and relevant research that can be used by social work practitioners to improve their effectiveness and benefit children and families. More broadly, I am interested in the development, delivery, and implementation of effective interventions that enable and empower families to influence and promote positive life course outcomes for their children.

Education:

B.S. (Rehabilitation Psychology), Southern University A & M, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1992
M.S.W. (Social Work), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1994
Ph.D. (Social Work), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2004

Licenses and Certifications:

Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)

Areas of Specialization:

Children’s Behavioral and Mental Health, the Academic Achievement Gap, School-Based Interventions and Cultural Diversity Training.

Courses Taught:

Assessment in Social Work
Child Abuse and Neglect
Introduction to Social Work Practice
Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups
School Social Work

Research Interests:

Dr. Jennings' research has focused on the interrelatedness of minority children’s behavior, social skills and family factors with their school readiness and academic achievement; and limited English proficiency as an acculturative stressor. Her current research activities focus on the delivery, evaluation and effectiveness of an evidence-based curriculum to prevent teen pregnancy and STIs, including HIV/AIDS. Additionally, Dr. Jennings has an interest in secondary data analysis with large scale data sets.

Publications:

Click here for curriculum vitae with selected publications.