Social Work Student Miguelina Leon Receives Eileen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship

Washington, DC – The National Association of Social Workers Foundation is pleased to announce that Miguelina Leon is the recipient of the Eileen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship for 2009-2010.  This Fellowship Program provides partial support to social work doctoral students who are engaged in dissertation research in welfare policy and practice.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic among women in the US disproportionately affects African American and Latina women, who are often poor. Leon’s research will examine the relationship between socio-economic status, social capital and HIV-related sexual risk behavior among these women. 

Ms. Leon hopes that the results of this study will shed light on the effects of social capital on sexually transmitted infections, particularly HIV/AIDS. She hopes to inform the development of more effective prevention interventions that address the different needs of African American and Latina women.  

For more information about the NASW Foundation or the Eileen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship, please visit www.naswfoundation.org or e-mail foundation@naswdc.org.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.