Having graduated from Southern earlier this year in May 2025 with her Doctorate of Social Work (DSW,) Dr. Susan Cardillo-Cunningham (DSW, LCSW) is making great strides in her field both on and off campus! Dr. Cardillo-Cunningham is an accomplished social worker and adjunct instructor in the Department of Social Work at SCSU. Dr. Cardillo-Cunningham also recently had the honor of presenting her research “Strength Beyond the Playing Field: Exploring Protective Factors for Mental Health in College Athletes” at the 11th Annual Social Work in Sports Symposium, which took place September 30th – October 1st in New Orleans, LA.
On her time at Southern, she states:
“My experience in graduate school sparked a renewed sense of curiosity and purpose as a social worker who has been in the profession for almost 30 years. SCSU’s DSW program provided me with opportunities to refresh, reframe, and enhance my social work skills and practice while developing a supportive network with faculty mentors. The journey has brought me towards a new specialty – sport social work. I look forward to a future where I can continue to build on the
foundational understanding that I developed through my capstone research to connect and expand in this space.”
Congratulations to Dr. Cardillo-Cunningham on all of her achievements!
