Name: Sylvester Amara Lamin

Title: Assistant Professor

Brief Bio: A graduate from The Ohio State University College of Social Work, in Columbus Ohio, where he earned his Ph.D., MSW and a Certificate in AIDS Education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, and a Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours and a Master of Social Sciences with Honours from the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Sylvester has social work practice experience in community mental health, mental health recovery services and child welfare issues. His research interests focus on international social work and international social work education. Lamin’s dissertation topic is titled “International social work: A situational analysis of accredited CSWE institutions in mid-western USA”

Dr. Lamin has written two books: The Coconut Bond and Women and Development in Sierra Leone, published by Publish America Press in 2005 and 2007, respectively. He is currently working on his third book, An Introduction to International Social Work.

Dr. Lamin joined the Department of Social Work in the School of Health and Human Services in August 2012 and he teaches both undergraduate and graduate level courses and he is Faculty Field Liaison which gives him the opportunity to work with social workers in the city of St. Cloud and its environs.

Degrees and Certification

Ph.D., The Ohio State University

MSW: The Ohio State University

Cert. AIDS Ed: The Ohio State University

MSoc.Sc: The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

BSoc.Sc (Hons.): The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

Postgrad. Dip. Ed.: Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone

B.A.  Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone

Teaching Interests

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Field Seminar

Social Welfare Policy

Generalist Social Work Practice

Advanced Policy Practice

Areas of Expertise

International Social Work Education

International Social Work Practice

Qualitative Research Internationalizing the Social Work Curriculum

International Social Work and Social Development

Mental Health

Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

Women, State and Public Policy

Child Welfare in an International Context

Current Research

Book manuscript: An introduction to international social work.

Article: Teaching doctoral social work and collaborations amongst heads of doctoral programs

Article: Providing international social work education at CSWE accredited programs in Mid-Western USA.

Article: Unmasking the hidden identity of elderly African immigrants behind the African-American identity mask in the United States”