Alumni

Brian McGhee

Brian has 25 years working with youth in Probation, Foster Care systems and Non-Profit Organizations such as West Oakland Health Center, Casey Family Programs, and Alameda County Social Services- Children & Family Services, & Alameda County Office of Education. Brian has spent the last 7 years working with Oakland Unified School District’s Office of Equity/African American Male Achievement Program as a Program Manager.

Brian was a student-athlete at UC Berkeley (Football 1985-89).

In his leisure time he enjoys traveling with his wife, reading, volunteering feeding...

Louis Labat

Louis Labat is a graduate of the UCB School of Social Welfare class of 1972. He was part of Mary O'Day's 2nd Gerontology focused program. Louis has worked in various positions as a result of his graduate experience, including setting up the first Gerontology program at the Univ of Nevada Las Vegas' Schoof of Social Services; Program Developer for the Senior Coordinating Council of Palo Alto; and Program Financial Specialist with the Alameda County Area Agency on Aging. He has been retired since 2003 and lives in Emeryville, Calif.

Louis joined the Alumni Board in order to contribute...

Cynthia Hecker

Cynthia Hecker became a social worker as her fourth career, after working as an attorney for Great Society community legal services programs in the 1970’s, as a mother in her adoptive family with Peter Hecker and two daughters, and as a nearly full-time school volunteer, with roles ranging from school management support at the small private Windrush School, to classroom support at Berkeley Unified School District’s King Middle and Berkeley High schools.

Her formal education consisted of public school in Collingswood, NJ (a small town near Philadelphia, PA), Wellesley College,...

Dorothy Graham

Dorothy Graham has had a 40+ year career working as an advocate, planner and administrator to improve the health care system so that low income and medically indigent communities could receive the care they so desperately need.

Dorothy graduated Phi Betta Kappa from UC Berkeley in 1972, majoring in Sociology. She was awarded an MSW from the UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare in 1974, in the Social Planning and Community Organization track which trained social workers as agents of social change.

While still an undergraduate, Dorothy and several other students founded a...

Mary Ann Hamamura-Clark

Mary Ann received her BA from UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare, Class of 1968. This time in history was pivotal in the formation of her career going forward. It instilled a desire to serve the public and provided inspiration for positive change. Those values which made such an indelible impression in 1968, hold true today. UC Berkeley continues to play a critical role in shaping awareness of social issues and elevating debate on matters of class mobility and human rights.

Mary Ann is committed to raising awareness of the School of Social Welfare as the nation’s premier...

She's on Fire: Esmeralda Cortez Rosales (BASW ‘19) wants to empower young women to find their political voice

May 13, 2020
Esmeralda Cortez Rosales wants to make young women aware of their political power. “If women are half of the population, we should be extremely close to — if not 50% of — all elected officials across the country.” Her path to activism started through a school-based program, IGNITE, which she now helps lead.

Aaron Cadore (MSW '12)

Aaron CadoreFor Aaron Cadore (MSW ’12), making an impact in the social-work field doesn’t necessarily mean following a single, pre-determined path. His interests in the profession lie precisely at the intersections of direct practice and administration, as well as the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.

As an undergraduate pursing an English degree at Berkeley, Cadore was very active...

Alumni in Action: Eve Ekman (MSW '06, PhD '14)

Eve Ekman (MSW '06, PhD '14): Cultivating Emotional Balance for Social Workers and Helping Professionals

Eve EkmanBerkeley Social Welfare alumna Eve Ekman (MSW ’06, PhD ’14) describes her research as focusing on the application of “emotion regulation and basic mindfulness and meditation techniques” — techniques that she is currently teaching to both medical-resident trainees and the general public as...

Alumni in Action: Ronald Maloney (MSW '80)

Ronald Maloney (MSW '80) explores his journey from a North Carolina orphanage to a social work career in Powerhouse Road

Ronald MaloneySince he was seven years old, Ronald D. Maloney (MSW ’80) has been aware of social services and the role of social workers.

It was at that tender age that a representative from North Carolina’s Burke County Department of Social...

Javier de Paz (BA '12)

Javier de Paz (BA '12) on understanding the access needs of English-language learners

Javier de PazWhen Javier de Paz (BA '12) moved to the United States at the age of 13, he had very limited knowledge of the English language, and – even more challenging – was separated from his mother, who stayed behind in their native El Salvador. Joining his father, who had arrived stateside before him, de...