
Widian Nicola, DSW, LCSW
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Department of Sociology Anthropology Social Work and Criminal Justice
(973) 275-4874
Email
Arts and Sciences Hall
Room 215
Widian Nicola, DSW, LCSW
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Department of Sociology Anthropology Social Work and Criminal Justice
Dr. Widian Nicola is a practitioner-scholar interested in narratives of the lived human experience, particularly those affected by social inequalities. Through the use of her own clinical work, Dr. Nicola is chiefly interested in building and strengthening the bridge between social work education and social work practice. Further, Dr. Nicola's scholarly aim is to contribute to better clinical practice and a more engaged social work profession.
In the classroom, Dr. Nicola invites students to bridge clinical theory to practice and practice to theory as a means of honoring the unique nature of individual experience. By expanding traditional models of learning, Dr. Nicola employs innovative tools inside and outside the classroom, which have proven to profoundly enhance the connections students make to their work.
To unveil the often complex nature of the shared human condition, as well as to disseminate new knowledge that complement, challenge, or expand relevant studies in social work, Dr. Nicola created, produced, and published the Lived Experience Project, a narrative social work podcast show that explores unique and evocative stories rarely heard in mainstream media.
Education
- D.S.W., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- M.S.W., Eastern Washington University
- B.A., Western Washington University
Classes Taught
SOWK 6511 - Behavior and Environments I
SOWK 6512 - Behavior and Environments II
SOWK 7513 - Cultural Competence
SOWK 7911 - Substance Abuse Practice
SOWK 1111 - Introduction to Social Work
Scholarship
Jaffe, M., Nicola, W., Floersch, J., Longhofer, J. (Eds.) (2020). Spirituality in mental health practice: A narrative casebook. Taylor and Francis.
Nicola, W. (2020). Introduction: Making the case for podcasts. In Jaffe, M., Nicola, W., Floersch, J., Longhofer, J. (Eds.), Spirituality in mental health practice: A narrative casebook (pp. 1-12). Taylor and Francis.
Nicola, W. (2017). Living 'illegally': On the phenomenology of an undocumented immigrant. Clinical Social Work Journal, 45 (4), 293–300.
W. N. (2016, May 01). Lived Experience Project [Scholarly project]. In www.livedexperienceproject.org.
Accomplishments
- Teacher of the Year, College of Arts and Sciences, 2019
- University Teaching Fellow, 2018-2019