Profiles of Recent Graduates: Brad Zodikoff

Name: Brad Zodikoff

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Adelphi University School of Social Work, Garden City, NY

CUSSW degree and specialization: M.S. 1993 and Ph.D. 2005 in Social Work. Concentration in Advanced Practice.

Dissertation title: Community Service Use Attitudes of Older Spousal Caregiver-Care Recipient Couples: Gender Differences and Dyadic Congruence.
Sponsor: Denise Burnette

Experience in the doctoral program:  "I entered the Columbia doctoral program with a strong background and commitment to social work practice. The Ph.D. program permitted me to bridge my practice background with my emerging interests in scholarship and research. I studied at Columbia with world-class faculty in my specific areas of interest — the fields of gerontology and health care, quantitative research methods, epistemology and practice theory — and took advantage of so many educational opportunities at Columbia that transformed me intellectually and professionally. In addition to studying with phenomenal social work faculty, I completed many enriching courses at the School of Public Health in the Division of Sociomedical Sciences that profoundly deepened my understanding of theory and research in my dissertation area. As a Ph.D. student, with critical institutional support from the doctoral faculty, I received an award from the John A. Hartford Foundation Doctoral Fellowship Program in Geriatric Social Work that funded my dissertation research and connected me to a national network of social work educators and researchers in the field of aging. During my studies, I participated in a research practicum with two social work faculty members that helped me gain hands-on experience with the secondary analysis of large data sets, resulting in a co-authored peer-reviewed journal publication. I served as a teaching and research assistant on several courses, projects and grants, and ultimately taught practice and research courses on an adjunct faculty appointment while completing my dissertation. By the time I was ready to enter the Ph.D. job market, I had developed the portfolio of skills, teaching, research experience, awards and publications necessary to secure a tenure-track assistant professor position at Adelphi in an outstanding academic environment that fits my professional goals, aspirations and values."

Description of current research:  "My research interests focus on the service utilization patterns and help-seeking pathways of older adults and their caregivers in health, mental health and community settings. Building on a preliminary study on geriatric mental health service barriers funded by the Mental Health Association of Nassau County, I am currently conducting a larger study of barriers and facilitators to geriatric mental health services in a suburban metropolitan context with a national award from the John A. Hartford Foundation Faculty Scholars Program in Geriatric Social Work. The current study examines the distinct perspectives of aging, mental health and health providers on the mental health service use issues of older adults utilizing concept mapping methodology. I have just completed a two-year training program with the NIA Institute for Social Work and Research (SSWR), the purpose of which is to provide technical expertise, mentorship and support to junior investigators submitting applications to NIA/NIH. Published work to date includes authored and co-authored articles and book chapters on: 1) social work practice in health and aging, 2) gender differences in the community service use attitudes of older spousal dyads, 3) gender, self care and functional status among older adults with heart disease, and 4) social work practice with LGBT older adults."

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