Social Work Faculty

Dr. Amy Preston Page is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work. Page’s research interests are military spouses and families, behavioral health education, and children’s behavioral health. Page’s combination of practice and research experience provides her with a unique perspective on the experiences of military spouses and families. Before coming to Mason, Page was an adjunct instructor with the OnlineMSW Program at Fordham University and a part-time lecturer with the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. Prior to that she worked for several years providing direct services to children and families in a range of settings.

Dr. Li-Mei Chen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work since Fall 2023. Chen’s teaching and research focuses on dementia and aging, productive aging, intersectionality and role of lifecourse in older ethnic minorities, community gerontology, and social policy. She teaches BSW SOCW 312 Knowledge Building for Helping Professionals.

Dr. Jacqueline Guevara is a native of Washington DC, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both Virginia and DC, and has been in the social work field for over 13 years. She has extensive experience working in various agencies within child welfare (including Child Protective Services, Preservation Services, and Foster Care), school social work, juvenile court, and community mental health. Her areas of research and interest include racial inequity, stigma in the LatinX community including the impact of machismo and marianismo, juvenile justice, trauma/PTSD, and cultural stress.

Stress of neighborhood poverty and community violence affects Black adolescents' mental health, according to a study from Assistant Professor of Social Work Melissa Villodas. 

As a United Nations Commissioner for the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), assistant professor of Social Work Evelyn Tomaszewski met with United Nations agencies and other international health and humanitarian organizations to promote and discuss how social work plays a key role in improving the lives of people worldwide. 

Dr. Prieto joined Mason in the fall of 2023. His research interests focus on aging and sexual health among older adults. He is passionate about advancing the discussions concerning sexual satisfaction and health disparities among older LGBTQIA+ populations. Prieto has published in several health-related journals such as Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. He earned his B.S. in Sociology/Criminal Justice at Central Michigan University, M.S.W. at the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. at Michigan State University.

Faculty from all five academic units have earned tenure and promotions, effective fall 2023. Faculty emerita is effective June 2023.

Substance use disorder affects more than 40 million Americans according to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Recovery can be a difficult path, but an interdisciplinary team led by Holly Matto, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, aims to make it a little easier through a recently patented technology-based therapy. 

Transition To Adulthood Brings Mental Health Declines For Black Youth Who Interact With Juvenile Justice System

A new study from Assistant Professor Melissa Villodas shows that connectedness is a protective factor against declining mental health.