Ending America's Ambivalence in the War on Drugs Subject of O'Leary Memorial Lecture on October 26

The College of Social Work at The Ohio State University will host its 2009 Robert J. O’Leary Memorial Lecture on Monday, October 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Fawcett Center Auditorium, 2400 Olentangy River Road, in Columbus.

This year’s topic--Ending America’s Ambivalence in the War on Drugs--will be presented by Dr. Diana DiNitto, Cullen Trust Centennial Professor in Alcohol Studies and Education, and University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work.

Respondents to DiNitto’s lecture will be Dr. Keith Kilty, Professor Emeritus in the College of Social Work at The Ohio State University, and Lori Criss, Chief Operating Officer at Amethyst, Inc., a drug and alcohol treatment center in Columbus for women and their families. 

This year’s lecture will be followed by a reception at the Fawcett Center. Both are free and open to the public. Free parking is available in the Fawcett Center lot. Two complimentary CEUs (Continuing Education Units) or RCHs (Registered Clock Hours) are available to licensed social workers or counselors who attend.

The Robert J. O’Leary Memorial Lecture Series was established in 1985 in the College of Social Work through an unrestricted gift from the estate of Robert J. O’Leary of Ashtabula County, Ohio. The lecture series features noted American scholars who are asked to address various issues for the professional enrichment of social workers and other members of the social welfare community. 

To read the abstract of Dr. DiNitto's lecture, click here. For more information about the lecture, contact Lauren Haas at haas.168@osu.edu or (614) 247-7385, Frankie Jones-Harris at jones-harris.1@osu.edu or (614) 292-3540.


More about DiNitto
DiNitto received her bachelor’s degree in social welfare from Barry College and her master’s degree in social work and PhD in government from Florida State University. She currently teaches courses in social welfare policy, chemical dependency, research, and pedagogy. DiNitto is the author of Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy and coauthor of Chemical Dependency: A Systems Approach and Social Work: Issues and Opportunities in a Challenging Profession. Her research centers on alcohol and drug problems and violence against women. DiNitto began her social work career working in a detox center, halfway house, and outpatient services for people with alcohol and drug problems at Apalachee Community Mental Services in north Florida. She was previously on the faculty at Florida State University and has been a visiting professor at the University of Hawaii, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and the University of Sydney in Australia.
 

About the College of Social Work
First accredited in 1919, the College of Social Work is the oldest continuously accredited social work program in the country.  The College--through excellence in teaching, research, and service--prepares leaders who enhance individual and community well-being, celebrate difference, and promote social and economic justice for vulnerable populations. The college fosters social change through collaboration with individuals, families, communities, and other change agents to build strengths and resolve complex individual and social problems. As an internationally recognized College, it builds and applies knowledge that positively impacts Ohio, the nation, and the world. The College’s vision is to “embrace difference, seek justice, and be the change.”