Newton Resident Honored by the Rotary Club

On Wednesday, May 21st, 2014, Larry Haslam presented the Paul Harris Fellow medallion and lapel pin to his daughter, Hope Haslam Straughan, on behalf of The Rotary Club of Boston #7. The Paul Harris recognition was established in 1957 to show appreciation and encourage substantial contributions to the Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships

                As Associate Dean for Social Work, Leadership, and Policy and Associate Professor of Social Work, Hope Haslam Straughan leads Wheelock’s Social Work department, as well as the departments of Juvenile Justice and Youth Advocacy, Child Life and Family Studies, and Leadership and Policy. Rooted in Wheelock’s mission to improve the lives of children and families, students in these areas of study learn how to work collaboratively with clients and organizations, help identify and secure needed resources, and communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds. The approach to service is based on an appreciation of the strengths, resiliency, and capacity for empowerment of all client systems. Through course work and field experience, students develop a solid foundation of knowledge, values, and skills that provides immediate entry into a wide range of human service and health professional positions.

Straughan graduated with her Bachelor’s from Sanford University, Master’s from The Carver School of Church Social Work, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and her Philosophical Doctorate in social work from Barry University. She currently co-teaches a an interdisciplinary elective taught in the January intersession entitled "Spirituality in the Lives of Children and Families.” The majority of Straughan’s time is spent collaborating with the other administrative leaders in the programs mentioned above, in order to support and equip the full and part-time faculty and students in their human rights and justice-based projects, research, and teaching. Her research and scholarship interests include spirituality within social work assessment and intervention, justice-based social work, and foster care and adoption.

Many notable figures have also been named as Paul Harris Fellows, including U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and Jonas Salk.