Faculty and Staff Profiles

Lamont D. Simmons
Asst Professor, Social Work
Email: ldsmmons@memphis.edu
Office Location: 105 Browning Hall
Office Hours: By Appointment
Profile

Lamont D. Simmons is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee.  He received a Doctor of Education degree from the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences at the University of Memphis, and a Master of Social Work degree from the School of Social Work at Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois.  Prior to his role as an Assistant Professor, Dr. Simmons served 2-years as a Lecturer in the Department of Social Work at the University of Memphis.  Before that, he served 5-years as a Professional Development Specialist, providing in-service and specialty training to child welfare workers, supervisors, and foster parents from the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.

Besides his teaching and service responsibilities as an Assistant Professor, Dr. Simmons is developing a research agenda that centers on student experiences and development in social work education, transformational learning, academic persistence and retention, and child welfare.  Dr. Simmons currently serves as the Principal Investigator for the Defending Childhood Initiative/Network for Overcoming Violence and Abuse grant (DCI/NOVA) in Shelby County, TN, and is responsible for developing, coordinating, and delivering training resources for community agency partners who interface with children exposed to violence across many contexts.

Dr. Simmons began his professional social work career as a clinical case manager in child welfare.  Since then, he has worked with adults with chronically mental health issues, and has provided therapeutic services to children and adolescents in both school and community-based settings.  Dr. Simmons is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE).  He has been formerly affiliated with the Black Doctoral Network (BDN) and the Qualitative Inquiry Circle (QUIC) (a social and intellectual circle of graduate students with an interest in qualitative inquiry).  As an advanced graduate student, Dr. Simmons was awarded the 2011-2012 “Outstanding Student Award” by the Department of Leadership at the University of Memphis for exemplifying outstanding leadership qualities, scholarship, and professional accomplishments.  He also received from the Department of Leadership in 2011 the “Dempsey and Elvire Chalmers” Scholarship for his commitment to life-long learning and serving adults in the field of education.

Personal Motto

Commit (to the process), Strive (to the end), Persist (in spite of opposition), Succeed (beyond your intentions), and Share (what you've learned in the process).

Education
  • EdD Higher and Adult Education - University of Memphis - 2013
  • MSW Social Work - Aurora University - 1999

Work Experience
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work - University of Memphis - August 2014 - Present
  • Lecturer, Department of Social Work - University of Memphis - August 2012 - May 2014
  • Professional Development Specialist, Division of Social Work, Child Welfare Training Center - University of Memphis - April 2007 - June 2012
  • Therapist/Project Director, W. Memphis, AR - Life Strategies of Arkansas, LLC - February 2005 - April 2007
  • Alternative Education School Social Worker, Chicago Public Schools - Infinity School of Chicago - North - January 2003 - November 2004
  • Mental Health Counselor, Inpatient Psychiatry - Methodist Hospital of Chicago - June 2001 - December 2003
  • Clinical Case Manager, Neighbor to Neighbor Program - Hull House Association - July 1999 - February 2001
  • Therapist - MSW Intern, Yorkville, IL - Kendall Couny Department of Health and Human Services - September 1998 - June 1999
  • School Social Worker - BSW Intern, Aurora School District #132 - Bardwell Elementary School - September 1997 - May 1998
  • Program Director, Grand Boulevard Center - YWCA of Aurora - September 1995 - June 1999
Honors/Awards
  • Associate Graduate Faculty Member Status - University of Memphis, Graduate School - 2014
  • Outstanding Student Award - University of Memphis, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, Department of Leadership - 2012
  • Dempsey and Elvire Chalmers Scholarship - University of Memphis, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education - 2010

Teaching Experience
  • SWRK 7009 - Child Welfare Best Practices - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 4933 - Directed Independent Study - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 4841 - Integrative Field Seminar II - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 4840 - Integrative Field Seminar I (Invited Guest Lecturer) - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 3930 - Introduction to Social Work Research - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 3904 - Social Work Practice II (Families and Groups) - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 3902 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment - University of Memphis
  • SWRK 2010 - Introduction to Social Work - University of Memphis

Support
  • Network for Overcoming Violence and Abuse (NOVA) - United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) - $98,500 - October 2014 - September 2015

Outreach
  • DCS Title IV-E Evaluation Project - MSW/MSSW Title IV-E Participants - Ongoing - Tennessee Department of Children Services
Service
  • University of Memphis, Department of Social Work - BA Curriculum Committee - February 2015 - Present
  • University of Memphis, Leadership Programs - Campus United - Faculty Advisor - January 2015 - Present
  • University of Memphis, Undergraduate Programs - Undergraduate Curriculum Council, College of Arts and Sciences - August 2014 - Present
  • University of Memphis, Department of Social Work - Faculty Search Committee - April 2014 - June 2014
  • University of Memphis, Department of Social Work - Student Social Work Organization (SSWO) - Faculty Advisor - August 2013 - Present
  • University of Memphis, Leadership Programs - The LeaderShape Institute® - May 2013
  • University of Memphis, Department of Social Work - Faculty Search Committee - March 2013 - April 2013
  • University of Memphis, Department of Social Work - Faculty Governance Document Workgroup - September 2012 - May 2014
  • University of Memphis, Department of Leadership - Faculty Search Committee - April 2011 - May 2011
  • Journal of Negro Education - Reviewer (Manuscript ID# - JNE14141) - December 2014
  • Journal of Negro Education - Reviewer (Manuscript ID# - JNE11022) - July 2014
  • Journal of Negro Education - Reviewer (Manuscript ID# - JNE14058) - July 2011
Books Published/Reviewed

  • Simmons, L.D. (2015). Exploring teacher development through racial discourse [Review of the book Making Meaning of Whiteness, by A. McIntyre]. The Qualitative Report.

  • Simmons, L.D. (2013). Navigating the path toward graduation: A qualitative case study of African American male persistence at a predominantly white institution (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Proquest. (3586741)
Journal Articles
  • Simmons, L.D. (2013). Factors of persistence for African American men in a student support organization. Journal of Negro Education, 82(1), 62-74.
  • Simmons, L.D. (in preparation). The necessity of college-level curricula: Examining the importance of advanced placement on college persistence among undergraduate African American males.

  • Simmons, L.D. (in preparation). Persistence among African American male social work students: Exploring educational journeys toward becoming a professional.

Presentations
  • Simmons, L.D., Anderson, K., Lovins, S., & Neely-Barnes, S.L. (submitted). Strategies for promoting academic success among first-generation social work students. Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Denver, CO.
  • Simmons, L.D. (2015, March). Understanding and intervening with children diagnosed with behavioral disorders. University of Memphis Lambuth Campus, Department of Social Work, Mental Health Forum, Jackson, TN.
  • Simmons, L.D. (2014, March). African American male persistence at a predominantly white institution. University of Memphis Division of Student Affairs, Spring Break 2014 Professional Development Challenge. Memphis, TN.
  • Simmons, L.D. (2013, November). On being a successful college student. Undergraduate residents of Rawls Hall at the University of Memphis. Memphis, TN.
  • Walker, P.E., Stitts, R, & Simmons, L.D. (2012, May). Best retention practices for first-generation students. Memphis in May Student Affairs Conference. Memphis, TN. 
  • Simmons, L.D. (2011, September). Cultural awareness for resource parents. Tennessee Foster and Adoptive Care Association Grand West Regional Conference. Memphis, TN.
  • Simmons, L.D. (2010, October). Cultural awareness for resource parents. Tennessee Foster and Adoptive Care Association Shelby Regional Conference. Memphis, TN. 
  • Simmons, L.D. (2008, October). Behavior disorders in childhood. Memphis' Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Memphis, TN.
  • Schneider, G., & Simmons, L.D. (2008, September). Behavior and emotional disorders in childhood. Tennessee Foster and Adoptive Case Association Statewide Conference. Nashville, TN. 
Appendix B - Student Advising/Mentoring
  • 2014-            Doctoral Dissertation Committee Member for Jonathan Jones, Ed.D. Candidate, University of Memphis, In progress.
  • 2014-2015     Cherry Malone, LMSW - Teaching mentor with a focus on delivering the graduate course "Child Welfare Best Practices."
  • 2014-2015     Field Liaison for 4 undergraduate students.
  • 2013-2014     Field Liaison for 5 undergraduate students and 1 graduate student.
  • 2012-2013     Field Liaison for 4 undergraduate students and 2 graduate students.
Appendix C - Research/Scholarship/Creative Activities

  • The Uphill Climb - Media Interview
    In July 2012, I was interviewed by journalist Pearl Stewart from Diverse Magazine, and asked to give my perspective on how the presence of African American and Hispanic faculty in higher education impact student retention.  The interview can be found at Diverse Magazine, July 5, 2012, Volume 29, No. 11, p. 16, or from the following link: http://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?i=117394