Research, Rural Social Work, Dementia, Policy Advocacy – Nicole Ruggiano, PhD, MSW

Episode 3
Guest: Nicole Ruggiano, PhD, MSW
Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW

Dr. Nicole Ruggiano, Associate Professor at the University of Alabama School of Social Work, shares how her research on dementia led her to work with the Tuskegee community—a community with deep and justified distrust of researchers due to a history of unethical and racist practices. She discusses the challenges facing rural communities, the importance of supporting self-determination, and how researchers, academics, and practitioners can show up with accountability. Nicole also offers concrete examples of how to engage in policy advocacy.

In this episode:

• Dementia research and how it led to community-based work in Tuskegee
• The history of unethical and racist research practices and their lasting impact on community trust
• The unique challenges facing rural communities and the role of researchers and practitioners
• Supporting self-determination among individuals, families, and communities
• How to get involved in policy advocacy—with concrete examples

Email nruggiano@ua.edu

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Music credit
"District Four" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/