Sarah Slates

Sarah Slates
Sarah Slates, MA, MSSW, LSW received her degrees in social work, gender studies, and a graduate certificate in Latin American and Latinx Studies from the University of Louisville.

Sarah’s practice experiences range from direct service and crisis intervention to project management and policy analysis. She is currently employed full-time at the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research (GSSWSR) in student support services as a career counselor and writing coach.

Her teaching experience includes introductory social work courses for undergraduates and research methods, ethics, and academic and professional development courses for master’s level social work students.

Sarah’s dissertation research focuses on undergraduate college students’ experiences of validation and sense of belonging on campus and, in turn, how these experiences shape mental health and academic performance. Her recently published work focuses on macro social work education and microaggressions in the social work classroom.

Research and Scholarly Interests

First-generation and historically underrepresented college students’ experiences of validation and sense of belonging, social work education, student support services, pedagogical partnerships.

Dissertation Topic

Dissertation title: The Role of Validation Experiences and Sense of Belonging in Academic Self-Concept and Intent to Persist Among Four-Year College Students