PhD Students

PhD Students

With over 300 graduates of our doctoral program, Berkeley Social Welfare produces top-notch professors and researchers for some of the best social work schools and policy centers throughout the country and around the globe. We are proud of the rigorous conceptual mentoring our students receive and how they have each drawn extensively on the larger intellectual assets of the world's leading public university. They have conducted research, published in leading journals and have significant teaching experience in undergraduate- and/or graduate-level courses. Each one of these emerging...

Congratulations to our Fall 2024 student awardees!

December 16, 2024
Berkeley Social Welfare is excited to honor students who strive for excellence, build community, and exemplify social work values. Congratulations to our Fall 2024 student award recipients! Meet the Bridge Builder Award Winners

The Bridge Builder Award recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional ability in fostering connections, collaboration, and understanding across diverse communities and groups. We celebrate these students’ commitments to bridging divides and promoting inclusive and equitable social environments....

Demond Hill

Headshot of Demond Hill

Education PhD (2024 Expected)

University of California, Berkeley, School of Social Welfare

Dissertation: “Emotions at Play: Exploring the Social Dimensions of Emotions among Black Children across Educational Spaces”

Committee: Bianca Baldridge (co-chair), Susan I Stone (co-chair), Dacher Keltner, Nikki Jones, Kris Gutierrez, and Linda Burton

M.A. Educational Policy...

Valentín Quiroz Sierra, Jr.

Headshot of of Valentín Quiroz Sierra, Jr.Education Ph.D. (expected 2024)

University of California, Berkeley, School of Social Welfare

Dissertation Title: An Analysis on the Perceptions of Youth Suicide and Risk Assessment Tools in Sacramento's Native American Community

Committee: Dr. Adrian Aguilera (Chair), Dr. Paul Sterzing, Dr. Peter Nelson

MSW (2020)

University of California, Berkeley...

Luyi Jian

Headshot of Luyi Jian

Education PhD (2024 Expected)

University of California, Berkeley, School of Social Welfare

Areas of Focus: Intervention for At-Risk and Justice-Involved Youth

Policy Evaluation in Juvenile and Criminal Legal Systems

Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Science, awarded by the School of Information, UC Berkeley

M.S.W. (2019)

Washington University in St....

Ivy Hammond

Headshot of Ivy HammondEducation Ph.D. (expected 2023)

University of California, Berkeley, School of Social Welfare
Dissertation Title: Identifying Patterns of Child Welfare System-Involvement and Socioeconomic Marginalization Prior to Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Statewide Case Study
Committee: Dr. Jill Duerr Berrick (Chair); Erin Kerrison, Cecilia Hyunjung Mo...

Nehal Eldeeb

Headshot of Nehal EldeebEducation Ph.D. (expected 2024)

University of California, Berkeley, School of Social Welfare

Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Science

Dissertation: Centering Parent Voice: Exploring Parents’ Needs and Preferences Using Online Parenting Information

Committee: Valerie Shapiro (Chair), Adrian Aguilera, Jill Duerr Berrick, David...