Faculty and Staff

Dr. Denise Davis-Maye Dr. Denise Davis-Maye, PhD, LICSW, Professor and Interim Department Chairperson, is a licensed clinical social worker and native New Yorker. With over 25 years of experience in Social Work practice and 17 years in Social Work Education, Dr. Davis-Maye is an alumnae of Clark Atlanta University. She completed graduate work at Hunter College of the City University of New York, and the University of Alabama. Her research interests include well-being, and cultural, community and familial impact on the emotional development of adolescent girls of African ancestry, the history of social welfare policy development, and the global implications of leadership development of women and girls of color.
   
Dr. Tabitha Brookins

Dr. Tabitha Brookins, received her BS in Medical Sociology and BA in Community and School Health Education from California State University, Long Beach (2009), MSW from California State University, Stanislaus (2010) and Ph.D. in Social Work from Jackson State University, Mississippi (2016). She is a Licensed Social Worker with solid experience in geriatrics, palliative, hospice and hospital care. She serves as a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW), National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW) and Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).

In 2016, Dr. Brookins joined Alabama State University as an Assistant Professor, where she teaches and performs research in Complementary Therapy with an Emphasis on Cancer and other terminal illnesses, Healthcare Social Work, Veterans Mental Health Services, Rural Areas and Communities, Community Organization, and Service Delivery. She is a reviewer for the
 
   
Dr. Leon Chestang

Dr. Leon Chestang, Associate Professor, is a distinguished social work educator specializing in human behavior, race and culture and child welfare. Dr. Chestang has broad experience and almost every area of social work education and practice having served on the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education, and he has chaired numerous accreditation site visit teams. A noted author, lecturer and social work scholar, Dr. Chestang has been invited to lecture on the campuses of many major universities across the country. His career is distinguished by many firsts including being selected as the first African-American Dean of social work At Wayne State University, publishing the first article on transracial adoption in the United States, and serving as the first social worker to offer expert testimony As a United States District Court.
   
Ms. Iva Davis

Ms. Iva Davis,

Adjunct Instructor
   
Ms. Janice Dennis

Ms. Janice Dennis,

Adjunct Instructor
   
Ms. Riane Hinton-Smith

Ms. Riane Hinton-Smith,

Instructor, BSW Program Director
   
Ms. Debra Hickey

Ms. Debra Hickey,

Administrative Assistant
   
Ms. Kai Mumpfield

Ms. Kai Mumpfield,

Instructor, Director of Field Education, MSW Coordinator
   
Dr. Dawna Nelson

Dr. Dawna Nelson,

Assistant Professor, MSW Program Director
   
Ms. Tracy Pressley

Ms. Tracy Pressley,

Assistant Professor
   
Ms. Rene Ross

Ms. Rene Ross,

Adjunct Instructor
   
Ms. Tonya Scott-Williams

Ms. Tonya Scott-Williams,

Administrative Assistant
   
Ms. Shanae Shaw

Ms. Shanae Shaw,

Instructor
   
Ms. Johndlyn Strong

Ms. Johndlyn Strong,

Adjunct Instructor
   
Ms. Jessica Withers

Ms. Jessica Withers,

Instructor, BSW Field Coordinator