Brief Biography

Mary received her B.A. degree in Social Work from St. Olaf College in 1979, and a Master's Degree in Social Work in 1983 from the University of Washington, Seattle, with specializations in health care and aging.  She has worked in health care social work for nearly 30 years, in hospital, nursing home, hospice, and home care settings. She has been on the St. Olaf faculty since 1989 and in 2008 was promoted to full professor.

Mary teaches social work courses at St. Olaf and chairs the Department of Social Work and Family Studies.  Her primary courses are Social Policy, Social Work and Social Welfare, Human Behavior in the Social Environment and the senior seminar, Community Engagement in Social Work.  She has also co-taught Medical and Professional Ethics and Culturally Competent Practice.

Social work practice in end of life care and professional ethics are two of Mary’s primary professional interests. She serves on the Ethics Committee of NASW-Minnesota Chapter and on the Northfield Hospital Ethics Committee. She continues to consult with local agencies, particularly Northfield Hospice, HOPE Center and the Northfield Community Action Center.  Her professional experience includes helping to develop Clinic 42-an HIV Clinic in Minneapolis, where she worked with people with HIV disease, their partners, and family members.

Mary has published in the European Journal of Social Work, Intersections, and the Journal of Clinical Ethics. She is a co-author of International perspectives on social work: Global conditions and local practice (2006, Palgrave Press) with Karen Lyons, PhD and Kathleen Manion, PhD. In 2001-2002 she served as a Policy Fellow with the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.  During 2002-2003 she was a visiting scholar at the University of East London in England, where she taught International Social Work in the honors BA program.

Mary is active in community work. She has held office on the boards of the Northfield Community Action Center, The League of Women Voters, and the Minnesota Conference of Social Work Education.

Courses I Teach/Have Taught

On a Personal Note