The School of Social Work is happy to announce that Dr. Alma M. Ouanesisouk Trinidad became the School of Social Work’s new BSW Program Director on July 17, 2021.
Dr. Alma started as a tenure track, shared line Assistant Professor with the School of Social Work and University Studies in 2009. She was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor in 2016. She has taught across academic programs in the school, and served on multiple committees throughout the years. She was also part of the BUILD EXITO undergraduate research program’s leadership team.
As a first generation college graduate and professional, born and raised on the island of Molokai, Hawai’i with family roots of Filipino immigration through the sugar and pineapple industries, Dr. Alma describes her voyage of serving the people and community as becoming a Pinay (Filipina) scholar warrior and guardian of kapu aloha (sacred love)/mahalaya (love and freedom). She finds that in this new role, it will be no different — serving our students and communities at large.
She earned her PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Washington, Seattle, her MSW from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her BSW from the University of Hawai’i, Manoa.
Dr. Alma is a macro social worker and scholar activist. She brings an array of scholarly work and practice in community development and organizing, policy analysis, organizational culture and processes, and collective impact in the areas of health promotion and education among diverse communities, and building strong children, youth, and families.
Her scholarly work focuses on critical Indigenous pedagogy of place, youth empowerment, social determinants of health and education, youth and family participatory action research, social movements, and leadership and myntorship for social change. Other research and teaching interests include critical humanist design thinking, community practice, and culturally responsible research methods. Having myntored, informally and formally, youth to new colleagues in the field, Dr. Alma finds this work to be life changing and relational, always striving to build strong communities. Dr. Alma's publications are available to access in PDX Scholar.
At PSU, she currently serves on the Ad Hoc Faculty Committee to Add Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in University Promotion and Tenure Guidelines, and was a member of the Presidential Task Force on Asian-American, Asian and Pacific Islander Student Success in 2016–17. Dr. Alma has also served on multiple boards of directors (e.g., Catholic Charities of Oregon, Education Northwest, and Foundation of Philippine Progress), with areas that focus on human rights and serve the educational and health needs of refugees, immigrants, and other minoritized communities of color in the region.
On a personal level, Dr. Alma has a passion for the arts, creative work, nature, history, and spirituality. You may find her checking out different hikes to a waterfall, lavender and/or fruit picking in the region. She also enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends. Raising her two double digits kids keeps things real.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Alma Trinidad to her new position in the School of Social Work!