Alumni Association Board Member Profiles

Roxanne Alvarez, AM '00 is the Grants Manager on the Women and Population team at the United Nations Foundation, based in Washington, D.C.

Roxanne earned a B.A. in psychology from American University and her Master's degree from SSA in 2000, where she was on the administrative track and focused on policy and program development related to violence against women issues. While at SSA, she interned as a counselor at the YWCA Women's Services first year and then as a program associate at the IL Attorney General's Violence Against Women office in her second year. Besides studying at SSA, she worked in the SSA Dean of Students' office with former Dean of Students and Lecturer Penny Johnson, served on the development board and published a paper in the school's Advocates' Forum, and after graduation was a field researcher for Melissa Roderick, the Hermon Dunlap Smith Professor.

Roxanne has applied her SSA degree in a variety of professional ways in the nonprofit sector, focusing on areas such as mental health counseling, social policy and program research, university grants development, and online training and education. Most recently, after completing a Master's degree in economics at George Mason University, Roxanne worked as an independent consultant focused on social entrepreneurship and microfinance.

Roxanne is a native of Washington, D.C. but has lived in and traveled independently to many parts of the world. In the virtual world, you can find her on Twitter @microfinanseer.

Kristen Anderson, AM '08, LCSW, is the Manager of the University of Chicago Eating Disorders Program in Chicago, Illinois. Kristen serves as a therapist for several eating disorders research studies, and is also involved in the Center for the Surgical Treatment of Obesity as well as the Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome program. Kristen obtained her B.A. from the Honors Program in Psychology at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and was awarded her A.M. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago in 2008. Kristen currently serves on the Networking and Professional Development Committee of the SSA Alumni Association.

Eric Brown, AM '08, LSW, works as a Research Analyst with the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago, Urban Education Institute. His current research projects include an evaluation of an out-of-school program where teens learn how to utilize digital media tools and an initiative that bridges education research with practice by providing data to schools within the context of a framework that can help drive school reform efforts. His previous research projects at the Consortium involved an examination of the transition from middle school to high school and an evaluation of a pilot program for teacher evaluation in Chicago Public Schools. Eric also works as a part-time staff therapist providing therapy to children and families in the child welfare system and he consults with a non-profit organization helping them to develop evaluation and assessment tools for their network partners.

Eric received his BA, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa in Liberal Arts/Social Sciences from the City University of New York (CUNY) and an AM in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Eric was also a 2008 recipient of SSA's Solomon O. Lichter Memorial Prize given to graduating masters' degree students for scholarship and professional leadership.

Eric was active as a student at SSA serving on the African-American Students Association (AASA), the Diversity Committee and as an organizer for the 2008 class gift campaign. His involvement with the SSA alumni board is an extension of this commitment to improving the SSA community and experience for students. Eric works with the Networking and Professional Development subcommittee on the SSA Alumni Board, providing networking opportunities for alumni and current SSA students.

Mary Byrne, AM '77, PhD, LICSW, is on the faculty of the School of Social Work, Salem State College, where she has served as MSW Program Director as well as MSW Field Education Coordinator. Mary has had a seasoned practice career in Family and Children's Services and served as Director of Community-based Programs for Family Continuity Program in the 1990's and formerly served as Social Services Director at prior Massachusetts agencies. Mary's academic and professional interests involve developing pro-resilient practices for child and family social workers and organizations and collaborative work with multi-stressed families.

She serves on statewide public, private, and community boards and was a founding member of the Massachusetts Family-Based Provider's Association. She is also a member of the Department of Children and Family Services Statewide Advisory Board to the DCF Commissioner and the Massachusetts Child Welfare Institute Collaborative. Mary received her AM degree from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration and her PhD from the Graduate School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. 

Jacob Dancer, III, AB '89, AM '04, President, has been working for Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network (UCAN) since 1994 when he started as a residential treatment specialist working with juvenile sex offenders in UCAN’s residential program.  Immediately upon graduation from SSA in June 2004, Jacob began working for UCAN’s Clinical and Counseling Services (CCS) as a full – time psychotherapist.  At UCAN, Jacob has also served as the coordinator the CCS/Family Works After School Program and managed a staff of 15 employees.  He is currently serving as the Program Supervisor for the UCAN 360° Model and HomeWorks programs.  Jacob’s expertise includes providing individual therapy for youth with exposure to trauma, violence and loss as well as providing in–home services for families of students at risk of dropout, suspension or expulsion due to truancy, academic or behavioral problems.  Jacob has also provided in–service training and clinical consultation for teaching staff on exposure to trauma.  Jacob has received a number of awards and recognition throughout his career. Most recently, he received the UCAN Employee of the Year in 2011 for his exceptional work in UCAN.

Geneva Dodson, AM '08, is a licensed social worker and outpatient care manager for AdvocateCare a new division of Advocate Health Care. In her current role, Geneva is assigned to serve as a member of Advocate’s primary provider care team to collaborate in the management of the high-risk Blue Cross Blue Shield patients. As a Care Manager, Geneva performs timely coordination of quality healthcare services to meet an individual's specific healthcare needs in a cost effective manner to promote positive outcomes. Prior to accepting this new role at Advocate, Geneva was a clinical director, qualified service provider and therapist for Individual Advocacy Group. She has extensive experience as a counselor from her work with the Gateway Foundation at the Pre-Release Center at Cook County Jail and the City of Chicago Department of Health. Additionally, she has served as a community mental health worker with the City of Chicago Department of Health. Geneva has a certificate in health administration and policy from the University of Chicago graduate program in health administration and policy. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Loyola University Chicago. Geneva serves as a member of the professional development committee of the School of Social Service Administration Alumni Board at the University of Chicago. Geneva is also a board member of the Society of Social Work Leadership in Health Care, Chicago District.

Peter Gaumond, AM '93, is responsible for leading the activities of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) Recovery Branch. The newly created branch engages the recovery community on a range of policy issues, seeks to bring recovery to the center of national drug policy, and fosters the development of recovery-focused systems and services. Mr. Gaumond has more than 20 years experience in the treatment and recovery field. Prior to joining ONDCP, he served as a Senior Associate at Altarum Institute, where he provided technical assistance to states and tribes under the SAMHSA/CSAT Access to Recovery Program, and at Abt Associates, where he served as Project Manager for the SAMHSA/CSAT Partners for RecoveryInitiative. Before that, Mr. Gaumond served as the Administrator of Program Development for the Illinois Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. In that role, he was charged with improving systems and services, overseeing a wide range of initiatives, programs, and projects budgeted at approximately $30 million annually. Before joining the State of Illinois, he served as a program director, family educator, and counselor in the addictions treatment field, as an English and French instructor, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina-Faso, West Africa.

Mr. Gaumond holds an AM from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration and a BA in English from Marquette University. He also studied at the Université de Paris V (Académie Rene Descartes) and at the Université de Paris IV (La Sorbonne).

Crystal Gonzales, AM '09 is the Career Program Manager with the Posse Foundation. Crystal graduated from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago in 2009 with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. While at SSA, she served as a co-chair of the Latino/a Student Association and worked as a program officer intern at the Polk Bros. Foundation and in the Latino Counseling Services department at the Lakeview Counseling Center. She received her Bachelor's in Sociology and Spanish from the University of New Mexico. Prior to SSA, Crystal taught fourth and fifth grades for four years in Houston, TX through Teach for America, a national corps of college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools, and has also supervised after-school and summer literacy programs through the Albuquerque Community Schools Project. 

Katherine Gregg Suberlak, AM '07, LCSW, has been the Director of Behavioral Health at PCC Community Wellness Center since 2007. Here, her position includes a hybrid of clinical and administrative responsibilities such as supervision, program development and direct patient care. Katherine is bilingual and offers psychotherapy to Spanish and English speaking patients. Katherine was first introduced to PCC after completing undergraduate education at University of Michigan, when she worked with them as an AmeriCorps member in 2004-2005. This experience influenced her decision to pursue a Master's degree at the School of Social Service Administration at University of Chicago with an added certificate in Health Administration and Policy.

Prior to working with PCC, Katherine completed internships with Access Community Health Network and Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic (CCJCC). Through her work at the CCJCC, she wrote an article entitled "A Proposed Treatment Plan for Incarcerated Male Juveniles Who Experience Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" that was published in Advocates' Forum. Katherine currently serves as a Board member for the Alumni Association of the University of Chicago, Social Service Administration and is the Co-chair of the Networking and Professional Development Committee

Nicole Hrycyk, AM '04, is a team leader and program analyst with the US Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Evaluation and Inspections. She conducts evaluations of programs within HHS, mostly related to Medicaid & Medicare. Beginning her Federal career as a Presidential Management Fellow, she also worked in the Department of Labor in grants management.

At SSA, she studied community development and policy. During her second year, she was co-chair of the Community and Economic Development Organization. Nicole joined the Alumni Board in June 2007 and has served as the Vice President since June 2009. In addition to her role as Vice President, she is the chair of the Awards committee for the Alumni Board.

Nicole received a BS in Psychology from North Central College in 2000. 

Valerie McDaniels, AM '97, has had more than 30 years of experience in both the Private and Public Sector and is in a position that would allow her to use her skills, values, and strengths to enhance a Department which is already looked upon as the forefront in the nation. As a Statewide Investigation Practice Administrator she provide a variety of social services assistance to various Divisions such as facilitating training and support to Child Protection staff statewide regarding the handling of investigations. She also lends support to the Appeals Units responsible for reviewing, overturning and/or amending cases statewide; approving translation of case files from various languages.  Her other duties include monitoring DuPuy case assignments and providing internal reviews with Legal staff and the State Central Registry regarding DuPuy cases, working closely with the Advocacy Center and the Director's Office responding to stake holders, client complaints; following-up with written responses. As the Associate Deputy in another capacity,  she oversaw all units of operations, with approximately 600 staff, for the Cook County Division. These units included Investigations, Chicago Child Advocacy Center (CCAC), Intact Services, Child Welfare and Screening Units and she assisted with writing policies and procedures as needed. In addition, she developed working relationships with other DCFS Divisions, stakeholders and the community at large and maintain working relationships with other DCFS Divisions, stakeholders and the community at large.

Patricia Molloy, AB '05, AM '09, LCSW, is a Clinical Case Manager at the Children’s Home + Aid, Rice Child + Family Center. She provides comprehensive case management, treatment planning, and transition services for children residing in a severe-level residential treatment center. Patricia has been a member of the Alumni Board since June of 2010, and Secretary since June of 2011. Patricia is currently an SSA Field Instructor. While at SSA, Patricia pursued the clinical track and focused her studies on family systems, child law, and diagnosing and treating children and adolescents.

Patricia obtained her AB in Psychology from the University of Chicago.

Wesley Mukoyama, AM '72, is a retired social worker and an advocate for services for the elderly, particularly for seniors of color. He is also a lay Buddhist Chaplain advocating for re-entry services through faith based and county services to released inmates from incarceration, in order to prevent recidivism. He also volunteers for the Red Cross Disaster Mental Health.

From 2003-2009, he was the Executive Director of the Yu-ai Kai/Japanese American Community Senior Service. He managed 30 full time and part time staff and oversaw 1400 volunteers. During that time, the organization raised more than $3 million for program and capital funding. He also supervised social services staff and assisted in managing and created 10 fundraising events per year.

From 2001-2003, he served as a psychiatric social worker in a veteran outpatient clinic. His duties included outreach to homeless veterans and placement into rehabilitative employment and housing, outpatient intake assessments, and ongoing counseling for individuals and groups.

Previously, Wesley has also served as Country Director for Peace Corps Solomon Islands, Community Care Program Director for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania.

June A. Price, AM '08, obtained her B.A. from DePaul University School for New Learning, and earned her A.M. from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

June currently works for the City of Chicago as a Coordinator of Social Services through the Department of Family and Support Services in an administrative capacity. She is chiefly responsible for supervising a fleet of mobile units dispatched to the streets to address issues related to homelessness, crisis intervention, prevention, outreach, shelter placement, domestic violence intervention, senior well being checks, food box delivery and supportive services.

Presently, she is an active member of the SSA Alumni Board as well as the African American Alumni Committee for the second term. She looks forward to another fulfilling year.

Osiris Rojas, AM '10

  Alison Weston, AM '08, is the assessment research administrator at Rush University where she conducts institutional research aimed at continuous quality improvement. Prior to her work at Rush, Alison was an Analyst in the Community Health Department at FirstHealth of the Carolinas, where she helped realigned departmental strategy to better meet the needs of low-income and disparate populations. Prior to FirstHealth, Alison was the Health Policy Coordinator at the American Lung Association where she advocated for the successful Smoke Free Chicago and Smoke Free Illinois campaigns.

Alison graduated from the University of Chicago in 2008 with a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration. While at SSA, she studied administration and participated in the Graduate Program in Healthcare Administration as a Brown Fellow. Alison holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, and a certificate in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina Chapel  Hill. 

Alison joined the SSA alumni board in 2012 and serves on the awards committee. Alison is committed to promoting networking among social workers to strengthening our partnerships with each other and improve our collective ability to serve our communities and clients.

Monico Whittington-Eskridge, AB '92, AM '96, serves as the Statewide Program Administrator of Field Support for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and Chicago State University, Supervisory Training to Enhance Practice (STEP) Program.

Ms. Eskridge received her A.B. in Psychology from the University of Chicago, and her A.M. from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. In her lifelong commitment to support alumni, she now serves as a member on several SSA alumni committees: the Alumni Board of Directors, the African American Alumni Committee and the Professional Development sub-committee for the African American Alumni Committee. Ms. Eskridge believes that becoming a board member in 2009 has allowed her to strengthen the relationships between the SSA Alumni Board, University of Chicago Alumni Association, and the administration, faculty, students and alumni of SSA. As a former employee of the University Tele-fund during her undergraduate studies at the College, she also recognizes the importance of ongoing alumni financial support and sought the opportunity to make a greater, more tangible contribution to SSA.

Ms. Eskridge is a native of Chicago and has been active in the field of Social Service for over 18 years working with victims of abuse and neglect in various roles within the public child welfare and private domestic violence communities. Ms. Eskridge has been a State of Illinois certified trainer for over 12 years and has received numerous awards, including being presented with the Department of Children and Family Services African American Advisory Council's "Outstanding Achievement Award" for her work serving the children and families of the State of Illinois.