PhD candidates and recent graduates on the market
Introducing Outstanding PhD Candidates and Graduates from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto is pleased to share exceptional PhD candidates and recent graduates currently on the job market.
Graduates of FIFSW’s Doctor of Philosophy program are united by a shared commitment to advancing social justice, equity, and community well-being. Their work is deeply informed by rigorous academic training, interdisciplinary collaboration, and meaningful engagement with community-based, governmental, and grassroots organizations. Through mentorship from internationally recognized faculty and access to the broader University of Toronto scholarly community, these candidates have developed cutting-edge research that addresses urgent social, economic, and health challenges.
As future leaders in social work research, education, and practice, these scholars bring a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and dedication to their work. They have published in top-tier journals, demonstrated excellence in teaching, and shown a strong commitment to bridging research, teaching and practice.
We invite you to learn more about these outstanding individuals and the transformative contributions they are poised to make in academic, policy, and practice settings across Canada and beyond.
PhD Job Candidates — at a glance
Click on the names below to learn more about each PhD candidate or recent graduate on the job market.
Marci Gray, PhD Candidate, MSW, RSW
Research Interests:
- trauma informed mental health,
- psychological safety at work
- anti-Black racism impacts
- mental health stigma
Viveka Ichikawa, PhD, MSW, RSW
Research Interests:
- Mixed-race identity
- Critical Clinical Social Work
- Critical international social work
- Social Work with migrants, refugees and diaspora
- Anti-racist social work practice and pedagogy
- Trauma-informed social work practice, research, and pedagogy
- Cross-cultural couple counselling
Rachael Pascoe, PhD MSW, RSW
Research Interests:
- Adolescent sexual offending interventions
- Child and youth maltreatment and trauma
- Sexual violence prevention
- 2SLGBTQ+ youth mental health needs and interventions
- Intervention research for historically underserved youth
- Substance use treatment and nicotine cessation
Kai Zhizhong, PhD MSW, RSW
Research Interests:
- The techniques, theory and innovation of psychotherapy
- The integration of AI and psychology research
- The application of high-tech in mental health service
- Mental health social worker practice
- The development of intelligent software and hardware
- Gamification Design