Master of Social Work
Page Buck
Contact UsMaster of Social Work
West Chester Campus
Address:
Reynolds Hall
650 Reynolds Alley
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: 610-436-2664
PASSHE Center City
Address:
701 Market Street, Concourse Level
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 267-436-2664
Dr. Page Walker Buck, MSS, LSW, PhD
Program Director, Department Chair, Associate Professor
Graduate Social Work
Reynolds Hall, Room 103
610-430-4171
pbuck@wcupa.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Main Areas of Interest: Traumatic Brain Injury; The Human-Animal Bond; Realities of Field Practicum
Inspiration
The first day I drove into the parking lot of my MSW program, I knew I was home. It was exactly where I belonged and has been so ever since. For me, being a social worker is a natural extension of my personal values. As a young kid, I was always interested in social and civic issues, especially women's issues. By the age of 8, I was suggesting that we have "family meetings" to address things that were going on at home. No one other than the dog and I were very interested in attending. I went on to pursue African Studies and French so that I could do women's work in northern Africa after college.
Although I never made it to Africa, my interest in social justice led me to work with adolescents in a residential setting and then to work with organizations in a community-based setting. My current social work practice is in higher education. As director of the MSW Program at West Chester University, my role is to help our faculty and staff deliver the highest quality, most affordable MSW program in the tri-state area with the goal of training future agents of social change. I am proud to say that we have been very successful in achieving this goal.
I am also actively involved in research and service. My research interests include traumatic brain injury and the realities of field practicum. I have published several articles on both topics. My service interests are in the human-animal bond, an exciting new field for social work. I am currently working on developing a graduate certificate in this area to help train social workers and other helping professionals on the role of animals in the healing and recovery processes.
Links
- Care should be a right, not a privilege. Neurology Now, 6(5),48.
Awards and Recognitions
- West Chester University, Granted a Sabbatical for Spring 2016 to develop a graduate certificate in Human-Animal Studies
- Provost's Award, West Chester University, Winter Session 2015: Awarded 3-credit AWA for strategic planning Strategic Planning for the MSW-Philadelphia Program: Increasing Retention to Support Enrollment Growth
- American Foundation for Research and Consumer Education in Social Work Regulations: Awarded $10,000 for 2-year mixed-methods study of unethical shortcutting Summer 2013-Summer 2015
- College of Business and Public Affairs, West Chester University, Summer 2013: Awarded 3-credit AWA for research and publication support
- Faculty Grants Development Fund, West Chester University, July 2010 - June 2011: Awarded $3,886 for study of brain injury workers' experiences
- Sponsored Research Fund, West Chester University, Summer 2010: Awarded $2,000 for study of mTBI
- Bryn Mawr College: Selected as Convocation Speaker in 2008
- Bryn Mawr College: Awarded the Saul Rivitz Award for outstanding dissertation proposal in 2007
- Bryn Mawr College: Awarded the Mary Patterson McPherson Award for excellence and service to the community in 2007
Traumatic Brain Injury
Dr. Buck's current research focus is mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), otherwise known as concussion. Once believed to be a rite of passage, concussions are now understood to be a serious injury with potentially life-threatening consequences.
Presentations
- 2012: Ninth International Brain Injury Congress
- 2011: American Public Health Conference
- 2010: Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania
- 2010: North American Brain Injury Association
Publications
- Buck, P.W Laster, R., Spencer, J., Kirzner, R.S. (2012). Voices from the field: Working with mild traumatic brain injury. Rehabilitation Research and Practice: Special Issue-Mild Brain Injury.
- Buck, P.W. (2011). Mild traumatic brain injury: A silent epidemic in our practices. Health & Social Work, 36(4), 299-302.
- Buck, P.W. (2010). Care should be a right, not a privilege. Neurology Now, 6(5),48.
Neighborhoods and Housing
Dr. Buck's primary area of practice is with communities, in collaborations and organizing. After eight years working in a residential setting with adolescents, she began community organizing work. Dr. Buck was a founding member of Community Partnerships in Action, a campus-community partnership between Bryn Mawr College and the varied communities of the greater Norristown area. She has presented and published on neighborhoods, housing, and communities.
Presentations
- Buck, P.W., The Danger of Dense Ties: Adolescent Perceptions of Neighborhood Safety in Closely-Knit Neighborhoods. Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management: November 2007.
- Buck, P.W.Low-Income Homeownership: The Pathway to Prosperity and Well-Being? Virginia Commonwealth University Policy Conference: June 2006.
Publications
- Buck, P.W. (2008) Growing up in the Ownership Society: Exploring links between housing tenure and adolescent self-perceptions. Unpublished manuscript. UMI/Proquest: Michigan.
- Vartanian, T.P., Buck, P.W.,and Gleason, P. (2007). Intergenerational neighborhood mobility: Examining differences between Blacks and Whites. Housing Studies 22(5):833-856.
Field Education
Dr. Buck has continued her research on Field Education; a fundamental part of all accredited social work programs.
- Buck, P.W. & Sowbel, L. (October 2015). The Reality of Hours and Supervision in Field Practicum. Council on Social Work Education: Denver, CO.
- Buck, P.W., Tennille, J. & Holbrook, A. (October 2015). Beyond Implicit and Explicit Curricula: A Third Dimension for Social Work Education. Council on Social Work Education: Denver, CO.
- Bradley, J. & Buck, P.W. (2014). Roles and Responsibilities of the Field Director. In C.A. Hunter, J.K. Moen, & M. Raskin (Eds.). Social Work Field Directors: Foundations for Excellence (pp. 23-40) .Chicago: Lyceum Books.