AOSW Connections

Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief
Amy Colver, MSSA, MA, LISW, OSW-C

Editor
Katherine Easton, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C

AOSW Communications Director
Brittany Hahn, LCSW

Managing Editor
Patricia Sullivan

Contribute Today!

To submit a story or information for inclusion in a future issue of AOSW Newsletter, contact Amy Colver or Katherine Easton on the list above.


2025 Themes

February: Workplace & Culture
May: Therapeutic Techniques

August: Palliative Care

November: Caregivers 

KUDOS! AOSW Members Achievements

June 1, 2018
Brittany Moore-Nwachuku, EdD, LCSW, LISW, OSW-C
Kudos
Member Spotlight

Please congratulate and cheer on the AOSW members who are featured in this KUDOS column! We are excited about the wonderful work that is being highlighted and look forward to showcasing more members in our next issue.

  • Geena Festa, MSW, LCSW (FL), obtained her LCSW licensure earlier this year. She is an oncology social worker for the Blood & Marrow Transplant Center at Florida Hospital in Orlando, FL.
     
  • Siobhan Gibson, MSW (CA), was chosen to present at the first National Symposium on Oncology in San Francisco. Her topic focused on the use of medical marijuana with chemotherapy to alleviate side effects and dependence on opioids.

And congratulations to the following recipients who received a 2018 AOSW Annual Conference Scholarship:

  • Lisa Barnes, MSW, LCSW-C, OSW-C (MD)
  • Deborah Carey, CSW (NY)
  • Elizabeth Flamm
  • Teri Freeman, LCSW
  • Brittany Moore, LSW, OSW-C (PA)
  • Jill Randall, MSW, LICSW (KY)
  • Colleen O’Connor, LCSW (ME)
  • Carolyn Ruggles (KS)

Additionally, please congratulate these AOSW members on receiving these awards:

  • Amanda Budai, the LLS Hematology/Oncology Social Worker of the Year Award
  • Mary Lynn Hemphill, LCSW (GA), the Oncology Social Worker of the Year Award
  • Eva Morse, MSSW, CSW, Reiki Master (KY), Pain, Palliative Care, and End-of-Life Scholarship
  • Phillip Odiyo Ouma, MA, PhD Cand. (Kenya), the Naomi Stearns Conference Scholarship
  • Wendy Walters, LICSW, OSW-C (AL), the Leadership in Oncology Social Work Award
  • Vice President Joe Biden, the American Cancer Society Quality of Life Award

Lastly, at the 2017 AOSW Annual Conference, the AOSW Board of Directors decided to explore establishing a Fellow status for the Association. The Awards Committee developed a proposal and presented it to the Board in October 2017, recommending creation of this honorary status, and suggesting eligibility criteria and selection procedures. The purpose of AOSW Fellowship is to recognize and honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the science and practice of psychosocial oncology. Membership in the Fellowship is not purely honorific; however, it carries an expectation of ongoing contributions to and leadership within AOSW. The inaugural cohort of 2018 AOSW Fellows is comprised of past presidents of AOSW:

  • Catherine Credeur, LMSW, OSW-C
  • Alison Mayer Sachs, MSW, OSW-C
  • Penny Damaskos, PhD, LCSW, OSW-C
  • Iris Cohen Fineberg, PhD, MSW, ACSW, OSW-C
  • Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C
  • Ann Fairchild, LCSW, OSW-C
  • Lisa Marquette Porat, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C
  • Carolyn Messner, DSW, BCD, ACSW, LCSW
  • Kimberly Lawson, MSW, LCSW
  • Katherine Walsh, PhD, MSW
  • Karlynn BrintzenhofeSzoc, PhD, MSW
  • Virginia Vaitones, MSW, OSW-C
  • Carol P. Marcusen, MSW, LCSW, BCD
  • Joyce Herschl
  • Marie M. Lauria, MSW, LCSW
  • Susan Hedlund, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C
  • Susan M. Stensland, LCSW
  • Matthew Loscalzo
  • Victoria N. Kennedy, LCSW
  • Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, OSW-C
  • James Zabora
  • Naomi Stearns, MSW, BCD
  • Grace Christ, DSW, PhD

About the Author

Brittany Moore-Nwachuku, EdD, LCSW, LISW, OSW-C
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Alliant International University
Dr. Brittany Nwachuku is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW-S), Board-Certified Oncology Social Worker (OSW-C), and Qualified Administrator (QA) of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). Dr. ...
Read Full Author Bio
Brittany Moore-Nwachuku, EdD, LCSW, LISW, OSW-C
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Alliant International University

Dr. Brittany Nwachuku is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW-S), Board-Certified Oncology Social Worker (OSW-C), and Qualified Administrator (QA) of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). Dr. Nwachuku received her Doctor of Education degree from the University of Pittsburgh and Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees from the University of Louisville’s Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work. She has numerous years of experience in medical and mental health settings. Dr. Nwachuku’s clinical experience of working with diverse populations includes, juvenile probation, foster care youth, school social work, private practice, and oncology healthcare settings. In addition, she has provided clinical and administrative supervision to social work students, interns, and professionals, while facilitating a wide range of cancer support groups, educational lectures, and professional development to staff on best practices for diverse and underserved patient populations. Presently, Dr. Nwachuku is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Alliant International University. She serves as a member of the Ethics Committee for the National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter (NASW-OH) and the President-Elect for the Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW). Her research specialties include equity and inclusion, psychosocial oncology care, grief and bereavement, and women's health disparities. 

Articles