Page Walker Buck, MSS, PhD, LSW
Professor, MSW Program
Anderson Hall 449
484-880-4931
pbuck@wcupa.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Degrees
- BA: Middlebury College
- MSS: Bryn Mawr College
- PhD, Social Work and Social Research: Bryn Mawr College
Main areas of interest
- Traumatic brain injury
- The human-animal bond
- Realities of field practicum
Inspiration
The first day I drove into the parking lot of my MSW program, I knew I was home. It was exactly where I belonged and has been so ever since. For me, being a social worker is a natural extension of my personal values. As a young kid, I was always interested in social and civic issues, especially women's issues. By the age of 8, I was suggesting that we have "family meetings" to address things that were going on at home. No one other than the dog and I were very interested in attending. I went on to pursue African Studies and French so that I could do women's work in northern Africa after college.
Although I never made it to Africa, my interest in social justice led me to work with adolescents in a residential setting and then to work with organizations in a community-based setting. My current social work practice is in higher education. I previously served as director of the MSW Program at West Chester University, a role in which I helped faculty and staff deliver the highest quality, most affordable MSW program in the tri-state area with the goal of training future agents of social change. I am proud to say that we were very successful in achieving this goal.
I am also actively involved in research and service. My research interests include traumatic brain injury and the realities of field practicum. I have published several articles on both topics. My service interests are in the human-animal bond, an exciting new field for social work. I am currently working on developing a graduate certificate in this area to help train social workers and other helping professionals on the role of animals in the healing and recovery processes.
Traumatic brain injury
One of my areas of research is mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), otherwise known as concussion. Once believed to be a rite of passage, concussions are now understood to be serious injuries with potentially life-threatening consequences.
Presentations
- Buck, P.W., Kirzner, R., Sagrati, J. & Laster, R. (2012, March). The challenge of mTBI work: Exploring the experiences of rehabilitation professionals. Presentation at the International Brain Injury Congress, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
- Buck, P.W., & Pierce, S. (2011, October). Mild traumatic brain injury: A silent epidemic. Presentation at the meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
- Buck, P.W., Sagrati, J., & Plaisted, C. (2011, June). Voices from the field: Working with mild traumatic brain injury. Paper presented at the meeting of the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania, Lancaster, PA.
- Buck, P.W. (2011, April). Concussions on campus: What faculty and staff in higher education need to know about this silent epidemic. Presentation at WCU Research Day, West Chester, PA.
Publications
- Buck, P.W., Sagrati, J., & Kirzner, R. (2013). Rehabilitation work with mild traumatic brain injury: A place for social work. Social Work in Health Care, 52(8), 741–751.
- Buck, P.W., Laster, R., Spencer, J.S., & Kirzner, R.S. (2012). Voices from the field: Working with mild traumatic brain injury. Rehabilitation Research and Practice, Special Issue-Mild Brain Injury.
- Buck, P.W. (2011). Mild traumatic brain injury: A silent epidemic in our practices. Health & Social Work, 36(4), 299-302.
The human-animal bond
Much of my current research is on humans' relationships with animals. I am studying how animal-assisted therapies are being utilized in treating children with autism and adolescent girls who are involved in the criminal justice system. West Chester University has granted me a semester-long sabbatical to develop a graduate certificate in Human-Animal Studies.
Presentations
- Buck, P.W., McDonald, S., Hoy, J., & Kim, C. (2016, November). Human-animal interactions: Implications for wellness and social work education. Panel discussion at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
- Hoy, J., Vincent, A., Buck, P.W., & Strand, E.B. (2016, November). Humans and animals: An emerging and promising collaborative practice. Workshop presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
- Buck, P.W., Adams, A., Brescia, L., & Green, L. (2016, November). Voices from the barn: Parent perceptions of animal-assisted activities for children with autism. Poster presented at WCU Research Day, West Chester, PA.
- Buck, P.W., Bamford, S., & Mendez, K. (2015, November). Integrating content on the human-animal dynamic into the MSW foundation curriculum. Presentation at the Veterinary Wellness and Social Work Summit, Knoxville, TN.
Publication
- Buck, P.W., Bean, N. & de Marco, K. Equine-assisted psychotherapy: An emerging trauma-informed intervention. Manuscript under review for Advances in Social Work Practice.
Realities of field practicum
Presentations
- Buck, P.W., & Sowbel, L. (2015, October). The reality of hours and supervision in field practicum. Paper presented at Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
- Sowbel, L., & Buck, P.W. (2014, March). Gatekeeping for 21st-century social work. Pre-conference workshop at annual meeting of the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors, Louisville, KY.
- Buck, P.W., Robb, L., & Fletcher, P. (2013, November). Reports from field directors: Seeking the “good enough” balance. Paper presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Dallas, TX.
- Bradley, J., Laster, R., & Buck, P.W. (2012, November). The new social service environment, through a Field Director lens. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Washington, DC.
- Buck, P.W. & Robb, L. (2012, November 2012). The ethics of competing demands in field education. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program meeting, Washington, DC.
Publications
- Buck, P.W. & Sowbel, L. Unethical shortcutting in social work: A workforce reality. Manuscript in progress.
- Bradley, J. & Buck, P.W. (2016). Roles and responsibilities of the field director. In C. Hunter, J. Moen, & M Raskin (Eds). Social work field directors: Foundations for excellence, Revised edition. Chicago: Lyceum Books.
- Buck, P.W. & Sowbel, L. (2016). The logistics of practicum: Implications for field education. The Field Educator, 6(1).
- Buck, P.W., Fletcher, P. & Bradley, J. (2015). Decision-making in social work field education: A “good enough” framework. Social Work Education, 35(4), 402-413.
- Bradley, J. & Buck, P.W. (2014). Roles and Responsibilities of the Field Director. In C.A. Hunter, J.K. Moen, & M. Raskin (Eds.). Social Work Field Directors: Foundations for Excellence(pp. 23-40) .Chicago: Lyceum Books.
- Buck, P.W., Bradley, J., Robb, L. & Kirzner, R.S. (2012). Complex and competing demands in field education: A qualitative study of field directors’ experiences. The Field Educator, 2(2).
Additional areas of research
Presentations
- Buck, P.W., Tennille, J., & Holbrook, A. (2015, October). Beyond implicit and explicit curricula: A third dimension for social work education. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.
- Buck, P.W., & Sullivan, T. (2014, October). Social justice by design: Administrative and programmatic choices in social work education. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Tampa, FL.
- De Hope, E., & Buck, P.W. (2014, October). Infusing neuro-bio and social-neurology content into the social work curriculum. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Tampa, FL.
- Homonoff, E., & Buck, P.W. (2013, November). Field education scholarship. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Dallas, TX.
- Gregorio, E., Bartell, K., Holiday, B. & Buck, P.W. (2011, October). Raising voices and defining values: The development of a student-led, open-access journal. Presentation at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Publications
- Buck, P.W., Tennille, J. & Holbrook, A. The practice of engaged research: building workforce capacity. Manuscript in progress.
- Buck, P.W. Anti-oppressive social work in an era of fiscal retrenchment. Manuscript in progress.
- Holbrook, A., Tennille, J., & Buck, P.W. Building capacity for evidence based practice together. Under review for Social Work in Public Health.
Community and service projects
- Member, Council on Social Work Education Council on Field Education
- Consulting Editor, Health & Social Work
- Reviewer, The Field Educator
- Reviewer, Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting
- Consulting member, PAWS for People
Recognition
- 100 Distinguished Alumni, Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research -- 2015