MSW Social Work

Amanda Panniello, MSW ‘19, started volunteering in the Lions Low Vision Center in her first year out of a passion for working with the aging population.

“If there is anything I can do for this population, I’ll do it,” Panniello said.

An interprofessional clinic, Lions provides occupational therapy and social work services to older individuals struggling with vision loss. Working alongside faculty and certified social workers, Panniello helps clients address the emotional issues associated with vision loss, such as social isolation, depression and anxiety.

“Each person’s needs are different, and we get to know them as best we can,” she said.

By her second year, Panniello was conducting social work assessments on her own and began co-facilitating a monthly low vision support group with Professor Laura Mutrie. 

“Amanda is eager to learn and grow as a professional social worker,” said Mutrie. “Her passion and energy for this work are truly inspirational to me as a mentor and teacher.“

Panniello’s passion for her work even led to the opportunity to assist with research on the effects of social isolation in older adults and a subsequent trip to one of the nation's foremost gerontological conferences.

“I genuinely love this, and I feel thankful for all of it,“ Panniello said.

Assistant Professor of Social Work Amber Kelly was instrumental in bringing 3 formerly incarcerated women to campus to share their health care experiences in state and federal prisons.

Beatrice Codianni and Carol Soto, who were incarcerated at the same time as Piper Kerman, author of “Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison,” inspired characters in the book and hit TV show. The women discussed their experiences at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, and offered insight about how their access to, and experiences in, the health care system impacted them during their time inside.

They were joined by Jaclyn Lucibello, who was incarcerated for three years and ultimately gave birth in the York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut, the state’s only female correctional facility.

The initiative was co-sponsored by Quinnipiac University’s College of Arts and Sciences, School of Health Sciences, School of Law, School of Medicine and School of Nursing, along with other university departments and centers.

Today, Amber Kelly continues to work closely with Beatrice and other formerly incarcerated women through the New Haven Women’s Resettlement Working Group, as well as with incarcerated individuals across Connecticut through Quinnipiac University’s Prison Project.