Springfield College Professor, Student Visit Hong Kong
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College School of Social Work Professor Dr. Joseph Gianesin and master of social work student Rachel Hanson are visiting Hong Kong Baptist University this week, March 10-18, as part of a continuing exchange program involving faculty and students from the Springfield College School of Social Work and Hong Kong Baptist University. Frank Fu, associate vice president of Hong Kong Baptist University, funds the program.
Gianesin will lead a pair of presentations during his visit, including one focused on the “Assessment of Children and Adolescents in School Settings,” and a second discussion focused on “Trends and Challenges in the Practice of Social Work.”
Gianesin has been a member of the Springfield College School of Social Work faculty since 1996 and he has worked in the social-work field for more than 30 years, serving as a psychotherapist, school social worker, school administrator, and educational consultant. His research and publication interests are in male adolescent development, adventure therapy, school social work, and suicide prevention and intervention for children and adolescents.
During the 2015-16 academic year, a delegate from Hong Kong Baptist University visited the Springfield College School of Social Work and worked with faculty members, served as a guest lecturer in classes for graduate social-work students, participated in field agency visits, met with the Springfield College School of Social Work advisory board, and presented to post-master’s certificate program students.
The Springfield College School of Social Work has a long-standing relationship with Fu and Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2015, Springfield College School of Social Work Dean Francine Vecchiolla and faculty members Walter Mullin and Ann Roy had a chance to visit with Fu when they traveled to Hong Kong Baptist University to give a presentation at the Global Social Science Conference.
Fu has a strong connection with Springfield College, earning a master’s degree in 1973 and a doctorate in 1975, followed by serving as the director of the Springfield College Doggett International Center from 1978 through 1983.
