Lincoln University of Missouri Students Attend Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors 41st Annual Conference

Senior Makayla Williams and sophomore Alicia Malone presented their research at the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors’ 41st Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Two Lincoln University of Missouri social work students — Makayla Williams and Alicia Malone — participated in the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors 41^st Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, in March 2024.   

The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD) was founded in 1975. It is a voluntary, individual membership association that represents the interests of undergraduate education and practice in social work. At the conference each year, students present their research to attendees and poster judges.

Sophomore Alicia Malone participates in a panel at the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors 41^st Annual Conference. 

Williams, a graduating senior, and Malone, a sophomore, were accepted to present their research proposals. Williams’s proposal was titled, Are there differences between adults who have autism and children who have autism? Malone’s proposal was titled, The impact of food insecurity on health outcomes. Malone also participated in the social work panel discussion, “The Impact of Student-Driven Initiatives in Social Work Education in the 2020s.”

In addition to presenting research, students listened to a session on embracing the aging future — social work practice with older adults, as well as heard from keynote speaker Maria Pacheco on “Embracing Vulnerability: Navigating Imposter Syndrome and Cultivating Belonging in BSW Programs.” Students also participated in a debate and were recognized for their excellence in social work education.