Simmons University’s School of Social Work Programs welcomed four new faculty members this academic year, with expertise in addiction treatment, hospice and bereavement support, racism-based trauma, and military social work.
Curtis Davis, Associate Professor of Practice and Associate Director of the online Doctorate of Social Work (DSW)
Dr. Curtis Davis holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Mississippi, a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Alabama, and a PhD in Social Work from Tulane University.
Dr. Davis is an active and devoted “prac-ademic,” a blend of an academic and practitioner. With a focus on relieving stressors from structural oppression, Dr. Davis enjoys blending lessons on applied methodologies, considerations to salient identities, policy, and other knowledge to educate students and the community. More specifically, his practice and scholarly experiences range from examining how racism-based trauma is conceptualized to exploring the socioeconomic and racial disparities impacting harmful birth outcomes.
Among the awards and accolades received, Dr. Davis is the inaugural awardee for the Faculty Award for Early Career Achievement in Social Work Doctoral Education given by the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work. Whether virtually or in-person, this award embodies Dr. Davis’ belief in the importance of fostering healthy and nurturing spaces for matriculating Social Work students and education stakeholders.
Patricia Galán-Cisneros, Professor of Practice and Director of Online Bachelor of Social Work Degree (BSW) Practicum Education
Patricia A. Galán-Cisneros joins the social work program at Simmons University as Professor of Practice and Director of Online BSW Practicum Education, where she is committed to creatively and meaningfully supporting students in their formation as social workers. In her role, Patricia focuses on training the next generation of social work professionals to engage in transformative and impactful practice through a social justice lens.
A Ph.D. candidate at The Catholic University of America, Galán-Cisneros holds a Master of Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from the Oblate School of Theology. Her extensive practice experience includes hospice social work, community education on end-of-life issues, bereavement support, and interventions for vulnerable populations such as the homeless, at-risk youth, and adolescent offenders. Her research explores disparities among Latino populations, educational mobility, spirituality, mental health, and bereavement. She has taught various social work courses and is also a certified National End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium trainer.
Samuel Odom, Associate Professor of Practice
Samuel Odom is an Associate Professor of Practice within the School of Social Work. Dr. Odom earned his PhD in counseling from the Capella University Harold Abel School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, an MPH from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, an MSW in Administration, Planning & Organizing/Health & Mental Health from Southern University at New Orleans and a BA in Philosophy and Religion from Dillard University.
Dr. Odom is a veteran leader, clinician, and military social work scholar with more than two decades of professional experience in the field of combat social work. He is the editor of Journal of Military Social Work and Behavioral Health Services: An International Journal of Theory, Practice & Research. And he is the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Steering Committee Co-Chair for the CSWE Specialized Practice Guide for Military Social Work, 3rd Edition (2024), the CSWE Track Co-Chair for the Military Personnel and Veterans, First Responders, and Their Families and Communities Track. Dr. Odom's research interests are at the intersection of military social work, international military social work, uniformed social work officers’ lived experiences including US Army social work officers' lived experiences, coping strategies, moral injury and behavioral health.
Jennie Sucilsky, Associate Professor of Practice
Dr. Jennie Sucilsky is a dedicated social worker who has been in practice for 18 years. As an Associate Professor of Practice at Simmons University, she brings her extensive experience in substance use and mental health treatment, program management, and clinical education to empower the next generation of social work leaders.
A hallmark of Sucilsky’s career is her ongoing commitment to combating the opioid crisis. While earning her PhD from Stony Brook University, she studied unregulated recovery housing, and her career in the non-profit sector included program development and interprofessional leadership in the addiction treatment sector. Alongside her work at Simmons, she maintains a private therapy practice serving individuals and families impacted by addiction. She is also a certified Opioid Overdose Prevention Trainer and provides overdose prevention training and education in her community.
“I am excited about teaching in the Doctoral Social Work program at Simmons because I have the opportunity to work with dedicated social workers from all over the country and all scopes of practice as they take the next steps on their professional journeys,” says Sucilsky. “The Simmons School of Social Work is a space where faculty and students merge their passion, skills, and creativity to make lasting contributions to the social justice mission of our field.”