> Social Work > Faculty and Staff > Mary Ann Murphy

Mary Ann Murphy

Associate Professor
Cross-appointment on Aging (School of Social Work) and Sociology Program (Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences)

Educational Background

PhD (Health and Social Policy) Brandeis University
MSW (Social Administration) University of Calgary
BSW (Clinical and Community Development) University of Calgary
BA (General) University of Alberta

General Background

Mary Ann Murphy, Ph.D. (Health and Social Policy) has been a member of the School of Social Work since 1992, and chaired the BSW Program as it became the first school of social work in Canada to receive a full seven-year accreditation on its first application. During her time as Chair, she strengthened and developed curriculum, community relationships, student governance, alumni development and progam outreach. For the past few years, she has worked with a student aboriginal circle developed across the campus, and has served as one of only two official observers to the university’s Aboriginal Advisory Committeee. She co-organized the first Residential School Healing Conference ever held on this campus, in partnership with the local Ki-low-na Friendship Society.

Her practice background includes work as a juvenile probation officer, and numerous years as an interdisciplinary social planning and social research consultant working for firms such as Price Waterhouse Canada in Toronto and Ottawa. She has worked on over 30 major research and consulting projects for government, non-profit and private sector clients in areas including evaluation and strategic planning in health and social services. For example, she was the Research Consultant on one of the first major two-year national studies on the cost-effectiveness of home care, and served as the sole planner to a 500-bed chronic care hospital in Ottawa on the development of a complex strategic plan. Prior to coming to this university, she served as a Project Manager for a Assistant Deputy Minister of Social Services and as full-time staff to an ‘anti-poverty’ committee of 13 Deputy Ministers for the Ontario Government.

Her practice as an educator is based on theoretical frameworks for both aging and generalist practice, and on adult-learning principles. She believes that respectfully modeling the practice principles of the profession is integral to teaching and mentoring students to become ethical and confident practitioners who feel comfortable to engage in social change within a multi-level practice. Her teaching is also strongly based on connecting the praxis of excellence in education with community needs and realities. To achieve this, she actively involves community in curriculum development and classroom delivery in ‘knowledge exchange’ based on principles of mutual respect, co-learning, and sustainability.

Teaching Interests

Developed and coordinate the Aging Specialization, School of Social Work
Social Work Practice with Older Persons and their Families
Social Work Policy with Older Persons and their Families
Interdisciplinary Study of Aging
Developing proposal for Aging Major and Minor program within Arts, UBCO
Social Welfare Law and Human Rights: International Human Rights, Aging and Grey Power
Social Policy and Comparative Family Policy
Generalist Practice

Research Interests

Interdisciplinary applied regional research on aging with international significance
Aging and Culture/Diversity
Visual Sociology
Homelessness
Health and Social Services

Current Research Projects

Evans, Michael. (2005). Barriers and opportunities for health and social service delivery to the urban aboriginal communities of the Okanagan Valley. SSHRC funded Standard Research Grant. Dr. Murphy is one of the co-investigators on this interdisciplinary study.

Strategic Development Initiatives Fund. (2004-2006). Development of an interdisciplinary research agenda on aging at our university in collaboration with a University-Community Gerontology Consortia.

Publications and Reports

Murphy, MA, Helfand, F. (Fine Arts), Cash, P. (Nursing) & Scott, David (Earth and Environmental Sciences). (September, 2005). Firestorms: The museum as a community healing space in the face of natural disaster. Western Museums Association of America. (Co-presented with Renner, Nancy (San Diego Natural History Museum) and Hinton, Cheryl (Barona Indian Cultural Museum, California). Pasadena: September 29, 2005

Murphy, M.A. (June, 2005). Developing ‘needs-based’ educational and research agendas in aging: An example of a university-community collaboration. Paper presented at the 12th Biennial Canadian Social Welfare Policy Conference. Forging social futures. Fredericton, N.B.

Murphy, MA, Helfand, F. (Fine Arts), Cash, P. (Nursing) & Scott, David (Earth and Environmental Studies). (2004-2005). The Meaning of Home and the Okanagan Fires: Treasured memories of homes lost and thoughts of a new season expressed in image and voice. Interdisciplinary social research and photography exhibit. Kelowna Museum, August 2004-February, 2005. Sponsored by FORTIS BC.

Jennisen, Therese, McKenzie, Brad, Wharf, Brian and Murphy, Mary Ann. (2004). Teaching [social] policy: Are there Canada-wide best practices? Presented at the Learned Societies Congress, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Murphy, M.A., Sookraj, D. & Munden, B. (2004). Art for social change: A collaboration between fine arts and social work students. Presented at the Learned Societies Congress, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Murphy, M.A., Sookraj, D., & McCarthy, M. (May, 2003). Rural roots- A novel food security program and self-sustaining agriculture project: Using assistance of local ranchers to feed the poor. Paper presented at the International Conference on Human Services in Rural Communities, sponsored by St. Thomas University (Halifax.)

Murphy, Mary Ann. (1996-1999). (Editor). Proceedings of the Canada in International Perspective Conference on Globalization and Social Policy, hosted and published by The School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University. Sponsored by HRDC, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, IDRC, CIDA etc. Kingston: Queen’s University School of Policy Studies.

Zamparo, J. & Wells, Lisa. (1999). Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work: Anti-racist Training and Materials Project: A resource inventory. National Project Managers: Jo-Anne Zamparo, Mary Ann Murphy, Akua Benjamin, Malcolm Saulis, Dorothy Moore, Dixon Sookraj.

Gripton, J., Nutter, R., Irving, A, & Murphy, M.A. (1996). A state-of-the-art review of social work research in Canada. Major professional sectoral study sponsored by SSHRC. Ottawa: Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Francis J, & Murphy, M.A. (Research Director). (1995). Writing on the wall: Mayor’s Task Force on youth issues, Report initiated by Jim Stuart, then Mayor of the City of Kelowna, reporting to City Council

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Murphy, M.A. (November, 2007). Teaching aging, diversity, inequality and social change from global and comparative perspectives on grey power. Presented at the Gerontological Society of America 60^th Annual Scientific Meeting. Theme: The Era of Global Aging: Challenges and Opportunities. San Francisco, CA.

Murphy, M.A., Stanbury, J., Sookraj, D. & Teixeira, C. (November, 2007). Research that matters: A multi-method seniors' housing study depicts the future of aging in Canada. . Presented at the Gerontological Society of America 60^th Annual Scientific Meeting. Theme: The Era of Global Aging: Challenges and Opportunities. San Francisco, CA.

Murphy, M.A. (September, 2007). Hidden Issues in Aging: The Role of the Boomers in Influencing the Context of Nursing Practice. Keynote Address to the Gerontological Nurses Association of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC.

Public Presentations

Murphy M.A. (November, 2007). Ten new ideas on aging. Address to the Kelowna PROBUS Club, Kelowna, BC.

Murphy, M.A. (November, 2007). The Ages of Adventure: Growing Older and Better. Oral presentation at Mosaic Books Speaker's Series. Mosaic Books Re-imagine Discussion Series. Presented with Drs. Dorothy and David Counts, UBCO Professor Emeriti (Anthropology) on their book on the RV culture.

Murphy, MA. (October, 2007). Healthy aging in the Okanagan. Keynote speaker at the 16^th Annual Trade & Convention Centre, Senior's Fair, Kelowna, BC.

Murphy M.A. (September, 2007). Aging well in the Okanagan. Address to the Westside PROBUS Club, Kelowna, BC.

Murphy, M.A. (May, 2007). Aging well in the Okanagan: Implications of latest research in memory and cognition for Okanagan seniors and outreach health. Address to the AGM of the Westside Health Network, Kelowna, BC

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Participation in the invited roundtable 'Agenda for the future of the Okanagan: A roundtable discussion’ hosted and moderated by Okanagan Life Magazine. Rotary Center for the Arts, November 22, 2007. See related publication FORTHCOMING IN OKANAGAN LIFE MAGAZINE.

Community Service

Organizer of a 30 member University-Community Gerontology Consortia
Board Member, Kelowna Drop-In Center, (2000-2005).
Board Member, Society for Learning in Retirement. (2005-)
Presentations on Aging to the University Women’s Club and the BC Seniors Citizen’s Association AGM (2004).