Widian Nicola , DSW, LCSW
Associate Professor
Department of Social Work
(973) 275-4874
Email
Arts and Sciences Hall
Room 215
Widian Nicola, DSW, LCSW
Associate Professor
Department of Social Work
Dr. Widian Nicola is a practitioner-scholar interested in narratives of the lived human experience, particularly those affected by social inequalities. Through the use of her own clinical work, Dr. Nicola is chiefly committed to building and strengthening the bridge between social work education and social work practice. Through the use of phenomenological inquiry, Dr. Nicola's scholarly aim is to contribute to better clinical practice and a more engaged social work profession. Her interests include mental health, social justice, and universal human rights.
In the classroom, Dr. Nicola invites students to bridge clinical theory to practice and practice to theory as a means of honoring the unique nature of individual and collective experience. By expanding traditional models of learning, Dr. Nicola employs innovative tools inside and outside the classroom, which have proven to profoundly enhance the connections students make to their work.
To unveil the often complex nature of the shared human condition, as well as to disseminate new knowledge that complement, challenge, or expand relevant studies in social work, Dr. Nicola created, produced, and published the Lived Experience Project, a narrative social work podcast show that explores unique and evocative stories rarely heard in mainstream media.
Education
- D.S.W., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- M.S.W., Eastern Washington University
- B.A., Western Washington University
Classes Taught
SOWK 6511 - Behavior and Environments I
SOWK 6512 - Behavior and Environments II
SOWK 7513 - Cultural Competence
SOWK 7911 - Substance Abuse Practice
SOWK 1111 - Introduction to Social Work
Scholarship
- Jaffe, M.1, Bembry, N.1, Nicola, W.1 (Social Work Writing Collaborative). Reading and writing instruction as anti-racist pedagogy in schools of social work. 1-15. Critical and Radical Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1332/204986021X16554589377161
- Nicola, W. (2022). Enhancing student social work practice skills and critical thinking through podcast production. International Journal of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education. 33(2), 242-247. https://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE3903.pdf
- Nicola, W. (2021). On a theology of social work: Historical teachings in contemporary clinical applications. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work. 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1939226
- Nicola, W. (2020). Self-determination and safety: An ethical crossroad. Critical and Radical Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1332/204986020X15945756984655
- Jaffe, M., Nicola, W., Floersch, J., Longhofer, J. (Eds.) (2020). Spirituality in mental health practice: A narrative casebook. Taylor and Francis.
- Nicola, W. (2020). Introduction: Making the case for podcasts. In Jaffe, M., Nicola, W., Floersch, J., Longhofer, J. (Eds.), Spirituality in mental health practice: A narrative casebook (pp. 1-12). Taylor and Francis.
- Nicola, W. (2017). Living 'illegally': On the phenomenology of an undocumented immigrant. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45 (4), 293–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-017-0618-5
- W. N. (2016, May 01). Lived Experience Project [Scholarly project]. In www.livedexperienceproject.org.
Accomplishments
- Teacher of the Year, College of Arts and Sciences, 2019
- University Teaching Fellow, 2018-2019