HBSE Sequence

The psychosocial perspective serves as the primary guide in shaping the human behavior in the social environment (HBSE) curriculum.

A faculty member sits in a classroom in conversation with three students.

Courses focus on bodies of knowledge and theory that help to explain the intimate and extended contexts that shape human development and experience, explore the inner lives and psychological functioning of children and adults and explain the complex interactions between person and context.

Content on individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, culture, social structure and political and economic forces—as well as on the relationships among various groupings—is all an integral part of the HBSE curriculum.

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Sequence Coordinators and Faculty
Shveta Kumaria headshot

Shveta Kumaria, M.A., Ph.D., LCSW

Assistant Professor | Practicum Seminar Instructor
Shveta Kumaria is an assistant professor in the School for Social Work. Kumaria’s research interests lie in psychotherapy research, more specifically therapist…
Brandyn-Dior McKinley smiles at the camera.

Brandyn-Dior McKinley, M.S.W., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Brandyn-Dior (Brandyn) McKinley is an assistant professor in the School for Social Work. McKinley’s scholarship uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine…
Peggy O'Neill headshot

Peggy O'Neill, Ph.D., LCSW

Associate Professor
Peggy O’Neill, Ph.D., LICSW, LCSW (she/her) identifies as a white cisgender woman and is a resident faculty member at Smith SSW. O’Neill was a senior lecturer…
Janae Peters stands next to a stone pillar in front of a brick building with a white front porch. She is smiling and laughing.

Janae Peters, M.S.W., LMSW

Director of Community Engagement and Student Support | Practicum Seminar Instructor and Sotomayor Fellow
An alum of the Smith School for Social Work, Peters graduated from the M.S.W. program in 2015. Her professional and personal focus has been on understanding how…