Social Work Students to Host Panel Talk on Veterans

Media contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
gobrien@saintmarys.edu

March 17, 2015 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—The Saint Mary’s College Department of Social Work and Gerontology will host a panel discussion entitled “The Battle after the War: Veterans on Their Lives and Struggles” on Tuesday, March 31 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Carroll Auditorium, Madeleva Hall. Members of the community are invited to join students, faculty, and staff from Saint Mary’s College for this free and informative event. Click for a campus map.

For the past 11 years, social work students enrolled in the course Human Behavior and the Social Environment II at Saint Mary’s have organized this annual community forum. Students in the course choose an issue that holds relevance and importance to the South Bend community. This year students will focus on veterans and have assembled experts on the subject. Past forum topics include human trafficking, homelessness, violence, and issues facing the elderly.

Three well-known local experts will participate on a panel to discuss community topics relevant to veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, homelessness, policies, laws, and services that challenge and impact veterans’ lives. The panel represents influential leaders and organizations that help veterans overcome these challenges.

Panelists include:

• South Bend Mayor Peter Buttigieg (D) took a seven-month leave of absence in 2014 to serve as an officer in Afghanistan with the U.S. Navy Reserve, earning the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his counterterrorism work.
• US Rep. Jackie Walorski (R), a member of House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, helped write a bipartisan law to combat military sexual assault and supported the violence against women act.
• Kent Laudeman, Lieutenant Colonel retired, US Army Reserves and director of Robert L. Miller Sr. Veteran’s Center at the Center for the Homeless in South Bend, earned his doctorate of education and worked in counseling in higher education before bringing his military and veteran experience to the Veteran’s Center.

Brooke Fowler ’15, a religious studies major with minors in social work and justice education, will moderate the forum. Chair of the Department of Social Work and Gerontology Professor Frances Kominkiewicz, who teaches the course, discusses the importance of honoring the veterans of the South Bend community and working together to increase awareness of the daily issues veterans face.

“Veterans have given so much service to our country. The social work students wanted to give them something in return and honor veterans by helping in any way. My father and father-in-law were WWII veterans, and we are so proud of their service. The community forum was organized to bring together the most knowledgeable individuals to talk about policies and assistance available to veterans. We invite veterans and other community members to join us at the forum."

The community forum is generously co-sponsored by the Collegiate Speaker Series through the Career Crossings Office at Saint Mary's College and Sodexo Dining Services at Saint Mary’s College. Please contact Frances Kominkiewicz by phone (574) 284-4515 or email kominkie@saintmarys.edu for further information.

About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. By the fall of 2015, pending accreditations anticipated in the spring, Saint Mary’s College will offer two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2015 published by U.S. News & World Report.

~Molly Briody '16, a psychology major and a social work minor, wrote this press release as part of her responsibilities for this student-led community forum.