Department of Social Work

Degree: MSW, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Education:

BA in Psychology and Spanish, Appalachian State University

MSW, Direct Practice with Children and Families, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Specialities:

• Social Work Services for Latinx Immigrant Communities 
• Higher Education Opportunities for Latinx Youth
• Cultural Humility for the Helping Professions

Biography:  Sarah Donovan first taught in the Department of Social Work at Appalachian State as an Adjunct Faculty Member in 2008. She joined the Social Work Faculty as a full time Lecturer in 2016. Ms. Donovan completed her undergraduate studies at Appalachian State University from 2000-2004, during which time she studied in Santander, Spain for one semester. She went on to earn her MSW from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill in 2006, and had the unique opportunity to spend a month in Mexico learning about the push factors of immigration during the summer of 2005.

Latinx immigrant youth and families have been and continue to be at the center of Ms. Donovan's social work practice, research, teaching, and advocacy work. She previously worked as a Bilingual Parent Educator for the Children's Council of Watauga County, Maternity Care and Child Services Coordinator for the Watauga County Health Department, Bilingual Home Visitor with Durham Early Head Start at the Center for Child and Family Health, and Program Coordinator/Hispanic Outreach Liaison for the GEAR UP Appalachian Partnership.

Ms. Donovan has been involved in research related to educational opportunities for Latinx youth, especially in new destination states for immigrant settlement. She is also interested in creating opportunities for university students to learn through experiential research opportunities, service learning, and consciously-designed study abroad and service away programs.

Curriculum Vitae: view