C.W. Post Graduate Student and Professor Named Social Worker and Social Work Student of the Year

Brookville, NY— The Nassau County chapter of the National Association of Social Work (NASW) has awarded C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University graduate student Nikki Stiefel and Adjunct Professor Mindy Perlmutter the honors of Social Work Student of the Year and Social Worker of the Year, respectively.

The Social Work Student of the Year Award honors a current B.S.W., M.S.W., D.S.W., or Ph.D. student who demonstrates commitment to the community, the social work profession and academic study. The award for Social Worker of the Year honors an NASW member who has achieved outstanding accomplishments in the practice of social work through current and recent work. The NASW also bestows awards for Public Citizen of the Year and Agency of the Year.

Stiefel, who has a GPA of 3.84, also is the president of the Master of Social Work Graduate Student Association. Through the MSWGSA, Stiefel has participated in several community events including a Lupus Walk, Veterans Stand Down and Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics; held an educational forum on interdisciplinary helping professions, and organized various drives to collect candy and Christmas presents for children. MSWGSA also participated in Social Work Appreciation Day at Central Nassau Guidance and the dating violence awareness Red Flag Campaign at C.W. Post. This fall, Stiefel will intern in the social work department of the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

“My main mentor in the field of social work is Dr. Elissa Giffords, a professor of Social Work at C.W. Post,” said Nikki Stiefel. “With her guidance and a motivated group of graduate students, we were able to accomplish much during the school year and hope to continue this next year. I couldn't have done anything without the support of my fellow students and the guidance of Dr. Giffords and our other professors' ongoing support such as Mindy Perlmutter and Dr. Ilene Nathanson, the head of our department.”

Professor Perlmutter, who has taught at C.W. Post as an adjunct professor for the past 5 years, also is the director of education at the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a not-for-profit organization that offers information and services related to domestic violence, violence in dating relationships, abuse of the elderly, children who witness family violence and sexual assault.

Posted: August 24, 2009