Rising Stars: Meet Dr. Kendall Morris

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kendall Morris. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Dr. Kendall Morris received her Ph.D. from Boston University School of Social Work. Her research focuses on the impact of community and trauma in Black neighborhoods. She developed this interest during her MSW field placement at the city morgue in Detroit, MI where she provided support to families and individuals who lost loved ones to sudden death. She will be a Dean’s Research Associate at the Michigan State School of Social Work beginning in August 2022. She has a love and passion for helping the community and giving back. To enhance the work being done in the community, she also provides several services such as mentoring for students interested in graduate school education, consultation for research projects based in underserved communities, and speaking engagements for a variety of events focused on empowering and uplifting the community. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The journey has been long and hard to get to this point. My original career goal was to become a physician, however, during undergrad, I made the choice to pivot careers to social work due to struggles with pre-medical courses. I also have faced difficulties with some course work in graduate classes, but have still come out successful 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have extensive experience in qualitative data from inception of research projects to data analysis. I also have extensive experience with community-engaged research, which includes partnering with community agencies and empowering individuals within the community to be involved in every stage of the research process. I also have extensive leadership experience, which includes leading organizations focused on creating community for Black women social workers, and serving as the student representative for doctoral students in the school of social work. I am most proud of my work raising awareness about the dangers of community violence in Black neighborhoods. 

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned is to utilize the community of people around you. The more genuine support you have and people in your corner, the further you will go 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://drkmorris.wordpress.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kendallthemodelscholar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kendallthemodelscholar
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kendall_31
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KendallTheModelScholar

Image Credits
Marissa Grootes Christina