Many faculty are focusing research on the effective and equitable use of technology in health systems and social work education

The School of Social Work is fast becoming a leader in the rapidly growing area of study at the intersection of social work, technology, and health systems. Among the many faculty conducting research in this domain are the following faculty members.

Steve Anderson, dean emeritus and professor

“My technology interests focus broadly on digital divides facing selected societal subgroups,” Anderson says. “Digital access and the literacy required to use technology well increasingly are critical to obtaining health care as well as other social benefits.”

With Yali Feng of the University of Illinois Library, Anderson published an article in a 2024 edition of Families in Society that described issues facing several groups, including low-income, elderly, veterans, minorities, rural residents, incarcerated persons, and those with disabilities or language barriers. “The 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act took important steps to stimulate digital equity efforts nationally for those groups,” Anderson says. “We looked at the strengths and limitations of the federal legislation and the roles social workers can play in promoting digital equity.”

Tuyet-Mai Ha Hoang, assistant professor

Tuyet-Mai Ha Hoang and Yali Feng presented a paper at the 2025 Society for Social Work and Research Conference on a study they conducted on how GPT applications can be used as educational tools to aid the critical thinking skills of social work students engaging in mental health clinical case studies. “Although generative AI holds promise for mental health diagnosis and education, concerns remain about potential biases and the risk of reinforcing disparities,” Hoang says. Using ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4.0, Hoang and Feng found that the chatbots can foster critical thinking and awareness about mental health diagnoses, but they aren’t suitable for making diagnoses themselves.

Fan Yang, assistant professor

“My work focuses on integrating emerging technologies such as AI health tools and mobile phone apps into social work practice to address health disparities,” Yang says. “By bridging the gap between technological innovation and social work practice, my work helps identify new ways to support effective, inclusive, and equitable care.”

Yang’s research has also shaped policy at both national and international levels. Her research has informed digital inclusion strategies and evidence-based health policies adopted by international organizations such as UNICEF, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Center for Global Development. In the US, her research on mobile health applications for Alzheimer’s care helped shape a national framework for evaluating digital health tools.

Julie Muñoz-Nájar, clinical associate professor

“I created a CEU Tech Series that drew participants from 47 different professional sectors and equipped attendees with ideas to turn simple digital tools into powerful solutions rooted in equity, efficiency, and collaboration,” says Muñoz-Nájar.

Muñoz-Nájar also developed an immersive experience where students used virtual reality headsets to explore seven local housing sites in 360 degrees, accompanied by interviews with community experts. “This experience allowed them to witness firsthand the everyday realities and structural forces that shape housing access,” she says. “It will help them enter internship opportunities equipped with deeper empathy and understanding of housing inequities in our communities.”