Noelle C. Dimitri, PhD, LICSW, brings more than 20 years of healthcare leadership, direct practice and mentorship in healthcare settings to both her teaching and research. In her previous role as a medical social worker, Dr. Dimitri enjoyed working with adults and families navigating chronic disease and developed a passion for patient advocacy and addressing the needs of patients marginalized in the healthcare system. Dr. Dimitri’s research interests are focused on racial equity and health as it relates to the social determinants of health (SODH). Dr. Dimitri draws from qualitative and participatory approaches in her work, focusing on the priorities of community members and those most impacted by chronic disease. Dr. Dimitri’s research centers on Black women’s collective experiences navigating type-2 diabetes and draws from critical pedagogy and an intersectional approach to critical race theory and feminist theory. Since joining the Simmons community, Dr. Dimitri’s research interests in experiential learning and health equity has expanded to include clinical simulation in the classroom, interprofessional collaboration, and harm reduction approaches
Dr. Dimitri’s philosophy as an educator has been shaped by her research and practice experience as a clinical social worker: “My teaching is centered on facilitating collaborative relationships and equitable group process emphasizing shared power and decision making reflected in the work of Paulo Freire (1970), and the development of mutual trust and respect. Teaching the next generation of social workers is critical to ensuring that marginalized populations access the best services available.” Dr. Dimitri is committed to inviting student interests and experiences into the classroom to best support their growth and development.
Education
- PhD, Boston University School of Social Work
- MSW, Boston University School of Social Work
License/Certifications
- LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker)
Area of Expertise
Health social work, chronic disease, health promotion interventions in the community; community based participatory (CBPR) research; advancing health equity, interdisciplinary training and collaboration, clinical simulation in the classroom
Courses
Dr. Dimitri’s teaching interests include clinical and health-care practice. Specifically, Dr. Dimitri teaches the foundation clinical practice course on the ground and an advanced health care practice course.
Research/Special Projects
- Health and Public Health
- Racial Health Equity
- Social Determinants of Health
- Qualitative Methods
- Participatory Approaches
Publications
*Asterisks denote student co-author
Published
Dimitri, N., Collin, C.R., Halmo, R. S., Wright, E. S.*, & Dodilet, N.* (2024). MSW student experiences with the OSCE: Advancing holistic competence for emerging social workers. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 44(3), 309-327.
Dimitri, N., Lerman Ginzburg, S., Ron, S., Xu, D., Angali England, S.*, Lowe, L., Botana Martinez, P., Araujo Brinkerhoff, C.*, Haque, S., Brugge, D., Sprague Martinez, L. (2022). Advancing environmental justice in the community using charrette: A case study in Boston Chinatown. Environmental Justice, 00(00), 1-12.
Buitron de la Vega, P., Dimitri, N., Stern, A., Miselis, H., Garg, P. S., Sarfaty, S. & Sprague Martinez, L. S. (2022). Virtual reality simulated learning environments: A strategy to teach interprofessional students about social determinants of health. Academic Medicine, 97(12), 1799-1803.
Lerman Ginzburg, S., Dimitri, N., Araujo Brinkerhoff, C., Angali England, S., Haque, S., & Sprague Martinez, L. S. (2022). Exploring intergroup conflict and community-based participatory research partnerships over time. Research for All, 6(1),1-15.
Augsberger, A., Toraif, N., Young, A., Dimitri, N., Bautista, R., Pierre, J., Le, C., Idahor, O., Jusme, C., & Gergen-Barnett, K. (2022). COVID-19 shines a light on health inequities in communities of color: A youth-driven photovoice inquiry. Journal of Community Psychology, 10.1002/jcop.22866. Advance online publication.
Presentations
Dimitri, N. Photovoice as an integrated social determinants of health (SDOH) intervention for diabetes providers. (2024). Oral presentation. Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, D.C.
Dimitri, N., Carolan, K., Rippey, L., & Charles, D. Teaching MSW students about the social determinants of health (SDOH) using critical pedagogical strategies. (2023). Workshop. Annual Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Atlanta, Georgia.
Dimitri, N. Changing the frame: Black women’s experiences with type-2 diabetes to inform providers. (2023). Oral presentation. 19th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana, IL.
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
- Council on Social Work Education 2018-present
- National Association of Social Work 2000-present
- Society for Social Work in Research 2018-present