Monica Leisey

Dr. Monica Leisey, MSW, PhD is a graduate of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. She has been a National Institute of Health, National Library of Medicine Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Award Fellow and served as the MSW Program Coordinator for the Salem State University (SSU) School of Social Work where she is currently serving as the Chairperson. Prior to being promoted to Full Professor, Monica served her university as Interim Dean for the School of Graduate Studies, Co-Chair for the University’s reaccreditation process, and Co-Chair for the President’s Sustainable Path Forward Task Force. A believer that social workers are change agents, Monica’s social justice focus informs the work that she does both in and out of the classroom. Her scholarship foci include domestic violence and Social Work education and leadership. Dr. Leisey also serves as the SSU Faculty Fellow for Inclusive Excellence, an Associate Editor for Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, an Executive Board member for the Special Commission to Advance Macro Social Work, a Co-chair of Advancing Critical Anti-Racism Dialogue for Action (ACARDA) and a Convener for the Governance Committee of Advancing Social Change Through Community Practice (ACOSA).

Areas of Scholarship:

• Anti-Oppressive & Anti-Racist Practice & Pedagogy
• The teaching of social work
• Social Work leadership

Professor & Chairperson School of Social Work

Faculty Fellow for DEI, and co-Director Center for Equity, Education and Belonging, Office of Inclusive Excellence

O’Connor, M.K., Leisey, M., Cole, P.L., Hopkins K., Jones, J.L., Kim, Y., Mulroy, E., Netting, F.E., Rotabi, K.S., Thomas, M.L., Weil, M.O., & Wike, T. (in print). A collective biography: Women social work academics. Sage Research Methods Cases. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Netting, F.E., O’Connor, M.K., Cole, P.L., Hopkins, K., Jones, J.L., Kim, Y., Leisey, M., Mulroy, E., Rotabi, K.S., Thomas, M.L., Weil, M.O., & Wike, T. (in print). Reclaiming and Reimagining macro social work education: A collective biography. Journal of Social Work Education.

Keyser-Marcus, L., Alvanzo, A., Rieckmann, T., Thacker, L., Sepulveda, A., Forcehimes, A., Islam, L., Leisey, M, Stitzer, M., & Svikis, D.S., (in print). Trauma, gender, and mental health symptoms in individuals with substance use disorders. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

O’Connor, M.K, Netting, F.E., Cole, P., Hopkins, K., Jones, J.L., Kim, Y., Leisey, M., Mulroy, E., Rotabi, K.S., Thomas, M.L., Weil, M.O., & Wike, T. (2014) Voice and community in the corporate academy: A collective biography.  Affilia.

Leisey, M., Mulcare, D., Comeford, L., Kudrimoti, S. (2014). Exploring Team-Basesd Learning at a State University. Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning. Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning, 4(3), 172-185.

Leisey, M., Cole, P.L., Hopkins, K., Jones, J.L., Kim, Y., Mulroy, E., Netting, F.E., O’Connor, M.K., Rotabi, K.S., Thomas, M.L., Weil, M.O., & Wike, T. (2013). On the making of female macro social workers. Reflections: Narratives of the Helping Professions, 19(1), 30-45.

Leisey, M., (2013). Effective Responses to Older Women Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: A Collaborative Training Project, Evaluation Report, Year Two, Boston, MA: Executive Office of Elder Affairs

Leisey, M., (2012). Effective Responses to Older Women Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: A Collaborative Training Project, Evaluation Report, Boston, MA: Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

Leisey, M., Holton, V. Davey, T., (2012). An Impact Assessment of University-Community Seed Grant Programs: Positive Unanticipated Outcomes. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship.

Secret, M., Leisey, M., Lanning, S., Polich, S., Schaub, J. (2010). Faculty perceptions of the scholarship of teaching and learning: Definition, activity level and merit considerations at one university. The Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 11(3), 1-20.

Boykins, A., Alvanzo, A., Carson, S., Forte, J., Leisey, M., Plichta, S., (2010). Minority Women Victims of Sexual Violence in the Emergency Department: Disparities in Incident History. Journal of Women’s Health, 19(3), 453-461.
Leisey, M.R., Kupstas, P., & Cooper, A. (2009). Domestic Violence in the Second Half of Life. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 21(2), 141-155.

Leisey, M.R (2009). The Journey Project: Providing Health Information to Mitigate Health Disparities. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 97(1), 30-33.
Leisey, M.R (2009). Qualitative Inquiry and the IRB: Protection at all Costs? Journal of Qualitative Social Work, 7(4), 415-426.

Leisey, M.R. (2007). Viewpoints from a Social Work Information Specialist in Context: Thoughts for Consumer Health Librarians. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, 11(4), 15-22.

Leisey, M.R. & Shipman, J.P. (2007). Information Prescriptions: A Barrier to Fulfillment. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 95(4), 435–438.

Lukens, J.M. Leisey, M.R. (2014, October). Teaching first principles of social justice: Building the foundation for policy practice.  Paper presentation at the 60th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Tampa, FL.

Leisey, M.R. (2014, October). Incorporating a Team-Based Learning Model into an MSW research Lab: Lessons Learned.  Paper presentation at the 60th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Tampa, FL.

Leisey, M. (2014, May). Social Work Leadership: Finding Our Voice.  Paper presentation at the 25th Annual Network for Social Work Management Conference in Boston, MA.

Leisey, M.R., Brady, S., O’Connor, M.K. (2013, November). Utilizing Formal Practice Theory as a Framework for Teaching Community Organizing.  Poster presentation at the 59th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Dallas, TX

Mulcare, D., Comeford, L., Everit, A., Krebs, L., Kudrimoti, S., Leisey, M. (March, 2013). Implementation and Assessment of TBL across a Variety of Disciplines at a State University.  Presentation given at the 2013 Team-Based Learning Collaborative Conference in San Diego, CA

Leisey, M.R. (2012, November). Assessment in field education: the role of field seminars.  Poster presentation at the 58th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Washington, DC

Howell, M.L., & Leisey, M.R. (2012, November). MSW students and metacognition: What do they think about how they think?  Poster presentation at the 58th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Washington, DC

Howell, M.L., & Leisey, M.R. (2011, October). Does Stimulating Metacognition Improve Learning In Social Work Research Courses?  Poster presentation at the 57th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Atlanta, GA (tab)

Leisey, M.R. (November, 2011). The Politics of Successful Aging: Excavation or Storying? Presentation at the 12th Annual Transforming Social Work Practice, Education & Inquiry Conference. Burlington, VT

Leisey, M. (2011, May). On Becoming an Academician: An autoethnography. Paper presentation at the 7th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Leisey, M.R. (2007, April). A Constructivist Inquiry into the Meaning of the Term Domestic Violence.  Paper presentation at the Third International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Leisey, M.R. (2007, April). Attending to the Politics of the “Politics of Research”.  Paper presentation at the Third International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Leisey, M.R. Cooper, A., Kupstas, P.K. (2006, November). Domestic Violence in the Second Half of Life.  Paper presentation at the first International Conference on Violence against Women, Montréal, Quebec.

Howell, M., Leisey, M. Hurst, C.G. (2006, May). Co-creating Social Justice in the Classroom: A Gadamerian Approach to Teaching. Paper presentation at the 2nd International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Urbana-Champaign, Il.

Howell, M.L., & Leisey, M.R. (2011, October). Does Stimulating Metacognition Improve Learning In Social Work Research Courses?  Poster presentation at the 57th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Atlanta, GA

Leisey, M.R., & Secret, M. (2011, October). Research in the Classroom: Is It scholarship?  Presentation at the 57th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Atlanta, GA

Leisey, M. & Keyser-Marcus, L. (2011, January) Increased Family and Social Problems for Women with Alcohol and Cocaine or Opiate Dependence. Poster Presentation at the 15th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research. Tampa, FL.

Davey, T.L.,Holton, V., & Leisey, M.R. (2010, October). Community Engagement Grants: What are they good for?   Poster presentation at the 56th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Portland, OR.

Leisey, M.R. (2010, October). Exploring Urban Professional Preparedness in Responding to Abuse Among Older Adults.   Poster presentation at the 56th Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. Portland, OR.

Leisey, M.R. (2007, October). The Multiple Meanings of the Term Domestic Violence: A Constructivist Inquiry.   Paper presentation at the 53rd Annual Council on Social Work Education Program Meeting. San Francisco, CA.

Leisey, M.R. & Shipman, J.P. (2007, May). The Journey Project.   Poster presentation at the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, PA.