Department of Social Work

Education: 

• B.S.Ed., MSW, and Ph.D., The University of Georgia
• Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy, Appalachian State University

Specialties:

• Expressive arts
• Identity intersections - sexuality, gender, and religion / spirituality
• Individual and family therapy
• Leadership development

Biography: Denise L. Levy, Ph.D., LCSW, REACE is a Professor in the Department of Social Work; Affiliate Faculty in Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies; and a Research Affiliate with the Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services. She previously served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Beaver College of Health Sciences, the MSW Program Director, and the BSW Program Director.

Dr. Levy began working at Appalachian State University in 2008 and has taught courses in both the MSW and BSW Programs, including Advanced Social Work Practice with Families, Cultural Competence in the Helping Professions, Foundations of Social Justice Practice, and field seminars. 

Utilizing qualitative methods, Dr. Levy’s research focuses on how LGBTQIA+ individuals with a Christian upbringing resolve conflict between sexual/gender identity and religious beliefs. She has also co-facilitated a national survey of more than 700 diverse LGBTQIA+ individuals with a goal of understanding their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Levy is an ally and advocate, and believes in the power of bridge building and intergroup dialogue to foster understanding and acceptance. She has approximately 50 publications and has presented at more than 50 conferences or meetings.

When she is not working, Dr. Levy enjoys cooking, gardening, listening to music, spending time in nature, running, art-making (knitting, crafting hand-stitched journals, Gelli printing, creating lanscape quilts, making beaded jewelry, and more), traveling to Disney World, and spending time with her husband, Daniel, and their cat, Ruby. She likes to cheer for the Georgia Bulldogs, Atlanta Braves, New Orleans Saints and Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Curriculum Vitae: view