Meet Our Researchers

Michelle S. Ballan, PhD Michelle S. Ballan, PhD
Professor & Associate Dean of Research, School of Social Welfare;
Professor, Family, Population and Preventive Medicine
Email: Michelle.Ballan@stonybrook.edu
 
Research Interests: Intimate Partner Violence, Medical Education, Bioethics, Reproductive Justice, Sexuality and Clinical Practice 
Melissa L. Bessaha, PhD, LMSW, MA

Melissa L. Bessaha, PhD, LMSW, MA
Assistant Professor
Email: Melissa.Bessaha@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-638-2514

Research Interests: Mental health and educational disparities among adolescents and young adults, Immigration and social determinants of mental health during the transition to adulthood, Influence of social relationships, Higher education equity, Social Work in higher education, Evaluating programs serving transition age youth

Melissa J. Earle, PhD, LCSW

Melissa J. Earle, PhD, LCSW
Clinical Assistant Professor
Director of Online Education
Email: Melissa.Earle.1@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-2138

Research Interests: Tele-mental health; technology in social work education and practice; online education; trauma; veterans; addiction: gender sensitive responses to co-occurring disorders

Iris Cohen Fineberg, PhD, MSW, OSW-C

Iris Cohen Fineberg, PhD, MSW, OSW-C
Associate Professor
E-mail: Iris.Fineberg@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-3164

Research Interests: Palliative and end of life care, oncology, family-oriented health care, interdisciplinary education and teamwork, advance care planning, clinical and research ethics, qualitative research methods, mixed methods, evaluation

Amy Hammock, PhD

Amy Hammock, PhD
Assistant Professor
Email: Amy.Hammock@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-3108

Research Interests: Intimate partner violence intervention and prevention; Community-based participatory research; Community practice with immigrant populations; Qualitative methods; Feminist theory and practice

R. Anna Hayward, PhD, MSW

R. Anna Hayward, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor
Email: Anna.Hayward@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-3177

Research Interests: Evaluating programs serving children and families; father involvement; developing services for men and fathers; children and families affected by incarceration; environmental justice and global environmental health

George Leibowitz, PhD

George Leibowitz, PhD
Professor; Doctoral Program Director & Chair
Email: George.Leibowitz@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-6369

Research Interests: Research on trauma and victimization among child welfare and juvenile justice involved youth; Addictions and public health issues in the criminal justice system; Assessment and Treatment with Sexually Abusive Youth; Global mental health 

Sana Malik, PhD

Sana Malik, PhD
Assistant Professor
Email: Sana.K.Malik@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-3691

Research Interests: Social determinants of health, international public health, health systems strengthening, health disparities among minority, immigrant, and refugee populations, health education & behavior, culturally and religiously tailored programming, maternal & child health and welfare, program design & evaluation

Kathleen Monahan, DSW

Kathleen Monahan, DSW
Associate Professor
Director of the Family Violence Education and Research Center
Email: Kathleen.Monahan@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-3152

Research Interests: Traumatic Brain Injury, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Domestic Violence, Trauma, Disability, Nonfatal Strangulation, Interprofessional Collaboration

Zachary A. Morris, PhD

Zachary A. Morris, PhD
Assistant Professor
Email: Zachary.Morris@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-2255

Research Interests: Disability policy; comparative social policy; social isolation; poverty; program evaluation; management and leadership in the nonprofit and public sectors

Carolyn Peabody, PhD 

Carolyn Peabody, PhD 
Clinical Professor
Assistant Dean for Eastern Long Island Sites
Email: Carolyn.Peabody@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-444-3165

Research Interests: Advocacy/empowerment theory and practice, feminist theory and practice, mental health, lesbian and gay issues, development of political identity among oppressed populations, impact of sexual abuse histories among mental health populations.