Our stories
Lori Thomas
M.S.W. and Ph.D. alumna and McGrath Morris Fellowship recipient
“It was probably one of my richest intellectual experiences in the Ph.D. program — a real gift.”
- Lori Thomas
Writing her dissertation has been a long and challenging journey for School of Social Work doctoral candidate Lori Thomas. With a part-time job at a local nonprofit organization and an adjunct teaching position in the school, Thomas has found little time to devote to her dissertation.
Thomas began working on her dissertation, which addresses the practice of lobbying by religious groups in the commonwealth of Virginia, in the spring of 2006. At Virginia Supportive Housing, where she was project coordinator for Greater Richmond Housing First, Thomas developed a program to help those who experience chronic homelessness and serious mental illness. Because she was so dedicated to her work with the school and Virginia Supportive Housing, Thomas often had difficulty focusing on her dissertation.
“Quite often, when I sat down to analyze, think and write my mind was racing with program start-up issues and lesson plans from these other aspects of my life,” she said.
In November 2007, Thomas was given the chance of a lifetime when she learned that she had been chosen as the first recipient of the McGrath Morris Fellowship in the School of Social Work. The fellowship was created in the fall of 2007 by VCU alumna Patty Morris (Ph.D.’05/SW) and her husband, James McGrath Morris, a professional writer.
“Jamie and Patty imagined creating an important refuge for writers, and now our doctoral students are the beneficiaries of that most generous reality,” said School of Social Work Associate Dean Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D. “It offers time to make sense of all that their dissertation experience has taught them.”
As writers themselves, Patty and Jamie both understand the importance of the opportunity they are offering. Jamie has spent some time at a writer’s colony to focus on his work. A portion of Patty’s dissertation, an analysis of social work as defined by Abraham Flexner’s 1915 speech “Is Social Work a Profession?” appears in the March 2008 issue of the Social Service Review.
“One of the reasons I wanted to start the fellowship was because, in looking back at the process of my dissertation research, I realized that my most productive and creative moments were when I was able to get away from my family and the routines and responsibilities of daily life,” Patty said.
She also pointed out that she had received such incredible support from the School of Social Work that she wanted to give something back.
During the retreat, the student in residence is required to give a presentation on his or her dissertation to a group of people, selected by Patty and Jamie, who are knowledgeable in the topic and can provide useful feedback. Thomas was nervous about this part of the retreat, but she said it proved to be a helpful learning experience.
“It was probably one of my richest intellectual experiences in the Ph.D. program — a real gift,” Thomas said.
In addition to this opportunity to discuss her work with people from many different backgrounds and gaining insight from their different perspectives, Thomas also got to spend time with the Morrises during her stay at the casita. They shared most evening meals and went on hikes together. The Morrises, she said, made sure her stay was pleasant and intellectually rewarding.
This year, the Morrises doubled their initial commitment of $1,000 in expense money so two students could take advantage of this opportunity.
“There were two students who the selection committee couldn’t decide between so we decided to provide the opportunity to both,” Patty said.
One of these students, John Cagle, recently returned from his two weeks at the Morrises’ casita. While he describes the casita as a charming cottage in a breath-taking location, Cagle says that the most inspirational part of his stay were the Morrises.
“They were really fostering creativity more than the environment,” he said.
Editor’s note: Lori Thomas currently is an assistant professor of social work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Story contributed by University Advancement.