Faculty

Practice Areas/Research Areas:

• Homelessness
• Policing in Minority Communities
• Leadership and Executive Management
• Macro Social Work
• Professional Social Work

Dr. Cassandra Scott joined Alabama A&M University (AAMU) as an Assistant Professor in 2020. She is Coordinator of AAMU’s PhD in Social Work Program and HBCU’s first fully online social work PhD, launched in 2024.

A macro social worker for over 30 years, Dr. Scott led agencies addressing homelessness, hunger, intimate partner violence, and family law, providing childcare for survivors of intimate partner violence.

She taught for Simmons College Online (2014–2016) and as a campus-based and online instructor at Barry University (2009–2022).

Dr. Scott served on local and state boards advocating for social, economic, and financial justice, and helped lead the realignment of Michigan’s legal services catchment areas (2001–2002). She earned a management of human services master’s degree from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, a PhD from Barry University (2017), and became a Certified Financial Social Worker in 2020.

cassandra.scott@aamu.edu

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Dr. Akosoa McFadgion is a Research Psychologist, Clinical Social Worker, and Professor.

With almost 30 years of experience, she has conducted research that examined early childhood education, the intersection of HIV, Substance Abuse, and Domestic violence, and the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries among survivors of intimate partner violence.

Dr. McFadgion’s experience in higher education includes Director of Field Education, Committee Lead for Research Sequence for CSWE Accreditation, and Director of Interpersonal Violence Prevention. Courses taught include Critical Thinking, Social Work Research Methods, Social Welfare History, Human Behavior & Social Environment, Health Policy, Substance Use Disorders, Mental Health in the African American Community, and Race & Oppression courses.

Dr. McFadgion is Owner of Jamii (jah-may) Counseling & Consulting. She provides workshops and training on violence prevention, healthy relationships, and systemic oppression. Dr. McFadgion is a skilled research methodologist. She creates process and program evaluation systems for non-profit organizations; and also provides database consulting and data analysis support as well. Dr. McFadgion provides psychotherapy from an African-Centered Perspective, to individuals, couples, and families.

Practice Areas/Research Areas:

• Intimate Partner Violence
• Trauma
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• African Centered Approaches to Research and the Clinical Setting
• Building Healthy Relationships

Publications

• Bent-Goodley, T., & McFadgion, A.L. (2023). The Campus Response to Interpersonal Violence. In Bent-Goodley, T. (editor) Interpersonal Violence: The Social Work Response. NASW: Washington, DC.
• Campbell, J.C., McFadgion, et al. (2016). Intimate partner violence & indications of health disparities among African Caribbean Women in the Virgin Islands and African American Women in Baltimore, Maryland. In TA. LaVeist (editor) Legacy of the Crossing: Life, Death and Triumph Among Descendants of the World’s Greatest Forced Migration. Claybridge Media: Baltimore, MD.
• Bent-Goodley T.B., Henderson, Z., & McFadgion, A.L. (2014). Domestic Violence among African Americans. In L.E. Ross (Ed). Continuing the War Against Domestic Violence. CRC Press.
• Sabri, B., Bolyard, R., McFadgion, A.L. et al. (2013). Intimate partner violence, depression, PTSD and use of mental health resources among ethnically diverse Black Women. Social Work in Health Care 52(4) 351-369.
• Various Paper Presentations on Intimate partner violence and related health outcomes among African Caribbean and African American women. The impact and secondary mechanisms of traumatic brain injuries in abused women. Social and cultural factors that influence the prevalence of intimate partner violence among African American Women.

Akosoa.McFadgion@aamu.edu

202-365-2285 

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Dr. Jenice Thompson is a dedicated educator, practitioner, and leader in the field of social work with over two decades of experience. She holds a BSW and MSW from East Tennessee State University and a DSW from Simmons University. Dr. Thompson has served in key academic leadership roles, including Assistant and Acting Program Director, where she led curriculum development, CSWE accreditation processes, and program innovation. Her work centers on equity, faith-based engagement, trauma-informed care, and student-centered education. Known for her collaborative spirit and strategic vision, she is passionate about advancing online learning and empowering the next generation of social work scholars and leaders. Dr. Thompson brings a unique blend of administrative expertise, teaching excellence, and clinical insight, making her an asset to Alabama A&M’s mission of social justice and academic distinction.

Practice Areas

• Clinical Mental Health & Wellness (with a focus on BIPOC clients)
• Faith-Based Counseling & Healing
• Child Welfare, Therapeutic Foster Care, and Family Systems
• Community Intervention & Systems Advocacy

Areas of Expertise

• Social Work Education (BSW, MSW, PhD levels)
• Curriculum Design & CSWE Accreditation (2022 EPAS)
• Strategic Program Innovation & Distance Education Leadership
• Inclusive, Trauma-Informed, and Anti-Oppressive Practices
• Leadership Development, Student Mentoring, and Faculty Support

Research Agenda & Scholarly Interests

Dr. Thompson’s current research agenda focuses on:

• Racial trauma and systemic oppression in higher education
• Healing-centered engagement for African American clients
• Cultural humility in diagnosis and treatment
• Narrative justice and Black resilience
• Online pedagogical design and inclusive learning environments

 

Publications & Research Contributions

Published Book:

• Thompson, J. (2024). The Audacity to Be Resilient.
  This work explores holistic healing beyond systemic adaptation, inviting social workers to embody methods of restoration, identity, and cultural truth in their practices.

Excerpt Highlight:

“The Audacity to be Resilient engages in extensive dialogue on the concepts that define us as holistic practitioners and individuals, no longer bound by systematic oppression but by healing methods over adaptation.”

Upcoming Publications:

• Thompson, J. (in press, 2026). Racial trauma and Black faculty in predominantly White institutions.
  In P. Copeland & R. Culley (Eds.), The Social Science of the Black Family: Models for Human Development, Cultural Identity, and Economic Mobility. IGI Global.
• Thompson, J. (in press, 2026). A DSM-5-TR Companion on African American Mental Health: What Happens in This House. Springer Publishing.

jenice.thompson@aamu.edu

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Christa C. Gilliam (PhD, MSW) is an accomplished social work educator with a strong commitment to social justice and leadership development. I have worked in higher education advancing the mission of social work through teaching on both undergraduate and graduate levels since 2005. I have had extensive experience working with diverse communities in both the public and private non-profit sectors, serving children and their families.  Through research, I am committed to educating students, scholars, and the practice community about the opportunities and challenges facing the profession.  In my spare time I enjoy quilting as a form of self-care and a means of storytelling. My creative pursuits reflect my holistic approach to leadership and a commitment to integrating personal and professional growth. 

Research Interest:

My research interests focus on social justice–oriented social work and community-based interventions that address structural and environmental inequities. I am particularly interested in social welfare policy and practice in urban communities and the social work workforce, with an emphasis on leadership development, sustainability, and equity-driven practice.

christa.gilliam@aamu.edu 

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Dr. Katina Lang-Lindsey, LMSW, holds degrees from Jackson State University and Mississippi State University. She is an Assistant Professor in the Social Work Department at Alabama A&M University. Prior to this role, she worked extensively at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) as both a behavioral health researcher and a nephrology social worker.

Dr. Lang-Lindsey's research is deeply rooted in behavioral health, specifically focusing on peer patient engagement among populations with chronic diseases. Her work aims to integrate behavioral health and primary care interventions to improve overall health outcomes and quality of life for these populations. She continues to employ and develop psychosocial interventions that address the unique health disparities and social determinants of health affecting patients with chronic illnesses. Her research contributes to understanding how these factors influence patient outcomes and seeks to develop effective strategies to mitigate these challenges.

•  Practice Areas/Research Areas:
• Behavioral Health
• Psychosocial Interventions
• Peer-to-Peer Interventions
• Health Disparities
• Quality of Life
• Chronic Disease Management

katina.lindsey@aamu.edu

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My research focuses on service delivery outcomes for individuals with multiple problems (drug abuse, mental health, neglect, family violence, housing, etc.). This research revolves around three main areas: the relations of service delivery to treatment outcomes for individuals with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health problems; the relations of service delivery to child welfare and treatment outcomes for parents with co-occurring problems; and the relations of service delivery for minority families including immigrants and refugees.  Although those areas deal with different sub-populations and thus have different practice and policy implications, they emphasize the limited-service access and utilization and require an integrated service response to deal with multiple problems simultaneously.

 Practice Area/Research Areas:

• Drug Abuse and Mental Health
• Child Welfare
• Health Disparities
• Service Delivery and Integration  

sam.choi@aamu.edu

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Dr. Samson Chama obtained his graduate degrees from the University of Georgia in Athens (UGA) and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond (VCU). He has over 20 years of practice experience that involved work and collaboration with several national and multinational organizations, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). He is currently a full professor of social work at Alabama A&M University, where he continues to engage in several areas of research interest. Some of his research projects include exploring the impact of HIV/AIDS on young people's social, health, and economic well-being, the criminal justice system and its impact on minority college students, social justice and human rights, and global social work and study abroad. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters. He is also actively involved with several local and international institutions including non-profit organizations.

Practice Area/Research Areas:

• HIV/AIDS and youth well-being (social, health, and economic impacts)
• Criminal Justice 
• Social justice and human rights
• Global Social Work
• Inequality and Marginalized Populations
• Public Health and Social Policy
• International Development and Social Welfare Systems

samson.chama@aamu.edu

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