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  “Because so many people are now on the Internet and using social media—especially young adults—it’s more important than ever for our profession to be present there.”

  Social Work Dean Nancy J. Smyth

By CHARLES ANZALONE

Published: February 7, 2011

The School of Social Work has recorded the 100,000th download to its “Living Proof” podcast series, a milestone the school’s dean calls “a sign UB’s School of Social Work’s entrance into cyberspace is here to stay.”

The podcast series was the first of its kind developed by a graduate school of social work in the U.S. Launched in 2008, the series is aimed at social work professionals, but available to anyone with basic download capabilities.

“Because so many people are now on the Internet and using social media—especially young adults—it’s more important than ever for our profession to be present there,” says Nancy J. Smyth, dean of the School of Social Work. “This is both to inform people about key social issues and to increase awareness about the social work profession.”

“Living Proof” emphasizes lifelong learning, promotes the use of the latest research in practice settings and encourages the generation of new knowledge as practice informs research, which is when researchers learn from the practical experience of professionals.

The podcast has been downloaded about 105,000 times by users from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 150 countries. Past podcast topics have addressed such pressing issues as the best approaches for parents and children affected by domestic violence, decision-making for those at the end of their lives, treating compulsive hoarding and, most recently, cyberbullying.

“Social work addresses the full range of critical social problems confronting modern society, and yet few people are fully aware of all we can bring to the table,” says Smyth. “Our podcasts cover the full range of contemporary social issues, from cyberbullying to human rights, and would be of interest to anyone wanting to better understand complex social problems and what can be done to ameliorate them.”

The name “Living Proof” comes from the School of Social Work’s motto, which states the school’s intention of making a real difference in people’s lives. The podcast is a bi-weekly series. New episodes are released every two weeks. Listeners can subscribe and have the podcast automatically delivered after each new release.