Directors and Faculty
Kevin Borders, Ph.D., MSSW, M.Div
Associate Professor
Dr. Borders earned his MSSW and Ph.D. from the University of Louisville, Kent School of Social Work, and his M.Div. from a local seminary. His areas of interest are in advocacy with older adults, community and organizational practice, program evaluation, and effective teaching. When not teaching research, critical thinking or working with field practicum students, Kevin works with local agencies involving program evaluation.
Glynita Bell, MSSW
Assistant Professor
Glynita Bell earned her undergraduate degree in psychological science from Ball State University and her master's degree from University of Louisville, Kent School of Social Work. She is a Ph. D. candidate at Walden University in Clinical Social Work. She holds the professional license of LCSW in the states of Indiana and Kentucky. Her areas of interest are in school based behavior intervention, mental health disorders and children and family therapy. When not teaching at Spalding, Ms. Bell owns a private practice, Heart 2 Heart Wellness Center, in southern Indiana.
Leslie Cairo, MSSW
Assistant Professor
Leslie Cairo is a graduate of the University of Louisville, Kent School of Social Work and has worked for nearly two decades in the field. His primary teaching interests are in the areas of social justice; research; direct social work practice; administrative practice; and policy and program development, implementation and evaluation. Leslie has an extensive background in social service and educational research and has worked at the Child and Family Services Agency, the U.S. Department of Education and the Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children. He has also worked as a researcher at the Appalachian Educational Laboratory and at Eastern Kentucky University. Leslie is interested in working with and on behalf of individuals from economically and developmentally challenged backgrounds and with those who have the greatest needs. He is an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership candidate at Spalding University.
Shannon Emory Cambron, EdD, MSW, CSW
Chair, Professor
Dr. Cambron earned both an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) at Spalding University where she received the Mary Angela Shaughnessy Leadership Education Award in 2013. As a practitioner her focus is on equity in public education and healthcare as well as institutional and systemic racism. As an educator, her focus and research interests centers on support for non-traditional students and degree completion/retention strategies for adult students. Shannon serves on the advisory boards of numerous local agencies and consults with regional faith communities on women and children’s issues. In addition, she serves as the National Conference Chair for the Baccalaureate Program Directors Association, the national organization for undergraduate social work education.
Barbara Carter, MSSW
Field Director
Barbara Carter comes to Spalding from the administration at Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ Department for Community Based Services. She is currently the Coordinator for the PCWCP (Public Child Welfare Certification Program) in the BSSW program and is the Director of Field Education for both the BSSW and MSW programs.
Cynthia Conley, Ph.D., MSW
Coordinator of Graduate Studies, Assistant Professor
Dr. Conley received her Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Louisville, her MSW from Indiana University, and her B.A. from Purdue University. She has worked with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young adults and their families since the late 1990’s in community settings, organizations, and at the university level. Her research expertise includes parental concerns about having gay or lesbian children, and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors of sexual minority youth. Some of her published work has appeared in The Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, The Journal of Homosexuality, and Perspectives on Social Problems
Laneshia Conner, Ph.D., MSW
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Laneshia Conner earned her BASW from the University of Kentucky, College of Social Work, her MSW from the University of Georgia, School of Social Work, and her Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Louisville, Kent School of Social Work. Her research areas focus on reducing HIV stigma, particularly among older adults, and increasing HIV knowledge among older adults through behavioral interventions. Reducing risk behaviors is the core of her work, and she is heavily involved in developing a translational research program that focuses on HIV implementation science. Her funded research reflects adapting best-practice HIV behavioral interventions for older women. Her areas of interest include HIV education and prevention, gerontology, health status and healthcare access of older persons who identify as transgender, research, and principles of andragogy for social work education. Some of her published work has appeared in The Journal of Aging and Women, The Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, Advances in Social Work, and The Journal of Aging and Policy.
Stacy Deck, Ph.D., MSSW
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Associate Professor
Dr. Deck earned her MSSW and PhD from the University of Louisville, Kent School of Social Work, and has a BS in Education. Her areas of interest include poverty, welfare reform, affordable housing, homelessness, aging, health social work, advocacy, policy and applied research/program evaluation. Stacy serves on the Board of Directors for the Coalition for the Homeless and the Emerging Workforce Initiative, and she is a consultant to the KY Cabinet for Health and Human Services. She is actively involved in political organizing at the local, state and national level.