Happy Social Work Month!
All month long, we will spotlight the amazing faculty, staff and students who make up our Department of Social Work.
Meet Peggy Proudfoot Harman
Associate Professor
Hometown: Mill Creek, West Virginia
Tell me about your background – where did you go to school and work previously?
I went to Davis and Elkins College for my A.A.S in 1976; West Virginia University for my BFA in 1980; West Virginia University for my MSW in 1990; and University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work for my Ph.D. in 2006. My dissertation was titled, “Factors of Organizational Effectiveness in Kentucky Non-Profit Social Welfare Organizations” with Dr. Annatjie Faul as my Committee Chair.
Why did you choose the social work profession?
It actually chose me. I grew up during the War on Poverty in Randolph County WV. Our family ran a general store. It was central to our town and frequented by many. My mother, father, and grandmother taught me a great deal about things that people were going through such as illness and job loss. Then going through issues such as my father and grandmother having strokes, my daughter being born with cerebral palsy and being a teen bride were all formidable life issues for me – It was an early social work education.
Why Marshall? What made you want to come work here?
I have always wanted to work at Marshall and finally my wish came true!
What’s your favorite course to teach?
Research
Hobbies outside of work?
It is not a hobby – it is a registered business, but we enjoy the activity so much it sometimes seems like a hobby. My husband Jason and I have a small multi-media company and have been producing documentaries about stories that we were told as children growing up in north central West Virginia. George Rashid: The Leper of Pickens has been screened many times and won an award for the the Best Documentary Short at the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival in 2016 and The Tygart Valley Homestead Story was successfully screened in 2019 and will be presented at the spring Appalachian Studies Conference in Lexington KY.
Meet Debra Hunt Young
Assistant Professor
Hometown: Charleston, WV
- Tell me about your background – where did you go to school and work previously? I am a native WV/Appalachian and first time college student on my father’s side. All of my degrees are from WV public institutions. My B.S. in Education is from WVSU, my M.S.W. is from WVU and I obtained the Ed.S and Ed.D. from right here at Marshall. I have been a social worker since 1994 when I began working as a Weekend Recreation Specialist for teenagers in transitional living. I practiced for 14 years working primarily with families and children and later in consultation and program development. I came to academia while working on my doctorate and was the Program Coordinator for the WVU School of Social Work’s Charleston, Beckley, and collaborative WVU/WVSU MSW programs from 2008 until I came to Marshall in 2017.
- Why did you choose the social work profession? Social work chose me! As far back as I can remember, my life’s ambition was to be a teacher. After I received my B.S. in 1994, WV had a hiring freeze for teachers. I needed a job and didn’t want to move. My friend helped me get a job doing Family Preservation services at a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center. I had no idea what social work was, but managed to get the job and realized quickly I needed to get a degree in social work so I would have an idea of how I should be helping families! Long story short, my life’s plan was to be an educator, but the plan life had for me was to be a social worker. I have been fortunate enough to combine those two plans and be a social work educator for the last 12 years. I am living my dream, for sure.
- Why Marshall? I am a daughter of Marshall! Also, I was really excited by the opportunities the new M.S.W. program was offering for students in the metro area. Teaching new social workers is my passion, and I was really impressed by Marshall’s focus on teaching and student achievement. Additionally, social work is a practice degree, and helping students who may have accessibility or learning issues get the academic piece as well as fine-tune natural skills was intriguing. MU does a fantastic job working with students of differing abilities and I wanted to be a part of that initiative.
- What’s your favorite course to teach? I have two, Generalist Practice Methods and Family and Community Violence. I love Generalist Practice because the students in this class are often brand new to advanced social work education. They may be on a spectrum of experience, but the educational foundation is an equal starting ground for all of them. It’s exciting to see them grasp the practice behaviors and competencies they need for practice, develop their identities as social workers, and really become confident in their ability to be a graduate level social worker. I love Family and Community Violence because the material is so relevant to what’s happening in our society and impact media has on our perceptions of human behavior. Violence has no income bracket, societal class system, or systemic barrier; it affects all levels of life regardless of income, education, or family history. It’s important to convey the message that despite correlations with societal and adverse life experiences, committing an act of violence is a choice. Helping students understand those correlations and choices is vital to the work they do in the field
- Favorite book? My all-time favorite book is: Ramona the Pest, by Beverly Cleary. Ramona is my spirit child – inquisitive, naughty, empathetic, and full of life. I first read it when I was around 8 and felt like I finally had met someone like me. I love the book so much, I named my youngest daughter Beatrice, after Ramona’s big sister.
- Favorite song? Dream a Little Dream of Me. I sing it nightly to my daughter right before bedtime.
- Hobbies outside of work? I am a reader of fiction. I love a good mystery/thriller or a well-written romance. Some of my favorite authors are: Karin Slaughter, Michael Robotham, Robert Bryndza, and Kate Canterbary. I also like to cook, binge watch Netflix, and am a huge Star Wars fan.
- Anything else? I live in Charleston with my husband, Brian and youngest daughter, Beatrice (Birdie), and our two jerky cats, Pepper and Cinder. My stepdaughter is grown and lives in Huntington, so we see her often. My not-so-hidden talent is my ability to apply a song or movie quote to most situations.
Meet Kim White, EdD, LCSW
Assistant Professor
Hometown: Trimble, Ohio
Tell us about your background.
“I attended Ohio University and then joined the U.S. Navy. After military service, I completed my undergraduate degree in English Education at Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA and then onto the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS for my Master’s in Social Work and after years of working decided to go back to school at Marshall University to earn my doctorate in Education. I’ve worked in a wide variety of locations including schools, jails, in-patient psychiatric treatment, and in higher ed with people from all walks of life—and I love every minute of it.”
Why did you choose the social work profession?
“I chose social work because my personality is of someone who sees problems and advocates for solutions—and I’m a hard worker. I value relationships and get a thrill from working collaboratively on projects that help people thrive. I also love the diversity of this profession. We can go anywhere and work with anyone. Social work ethics and values mirror my own which means I rarely feel conflicted about what’s right and, as a social worker, I have permission, in fact, a mandate to act on those ethics and values.”
Why Marshall? What made you want to come here?
“I came to Marshall for the opportunity to work with college students because they are at a point in their life where they’re open to ideas, exploring their inner and outer worlds and making big choices that will set them on their life path. It’s a pivotal time when people are most open to possibilities so the work is exciting and you know you’re having an impact. Marshall is a great place to be. My husband, dear friends, respected colleagues, and my cozy office are on this campus so it’s home to me.”
What’s your favorite course to teach?
“That’s hard because I love them all and feel very invested in each course I teach. This semester, I’m teaching Social Work Policy, Theories of Child and Adolescent Development, and Military Mental Health and Trauma. In these courses we wrestle with real-life issues affecting our population in WV and we apply interdisciplinary theories to problems at all levels of social work practice. Everything we do in class has immediate real-world relevance.”
Favorite book?
“Too hard to answer. There are so many! I tend to read autobiographies, memoirs, and books from experts on a range of topics. I want to learn from others’ experiences and connect to my own. One of the most influential novels in my life is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I taught that book to high schoolers when l was a student teacher. Their projects were so creative because as a class we explored economic and social justice themes and those resonated deeply with the students.”
Favorite song?
“I need music to be happy and to feel alive so this is a very difficult question. I’m from the MTV generation so music is closely tied to some of my best growing up memories. I simply cannot choose, but on the spot, if I had to pick one song, just one…it would be Boys of Summer by Don Henley because that song is about looking back, and when I hear it, I am immediately transported back to some of my best summer time memories.”
What are your hobbies outside of work?
“I enjoy slowing down outside of work, meaning I make an effort to do the thing that pleases me in the moment. If that thing is nothing, that’s what I do. I also enjoy traveling, talking big ideas with friends and family, being outside, and watching Top Chef.”
What else?
“I’m married 23 years to Chris White in the History Department, and we have 13-year old twin boys who inspire us every day to be kind, fair, and compassionate. We’re a family of animal lovers, dogs and bees especially, and we watch The Office like it’s our job.”