Nicole Nicotera
Professor
https://portfolio.du.edu/nnicoter
Craig Hall, 2148 South High St. Denver, CO 80208
What I do
It is a joy to teach future social workers and social work researchers as they embark on their journeys as agents of change and social justice. Working with MSW students by engaging them in hands-on experiences with practicing social work skills and in finding their own paths toward maintaining health and wellness is incredibly gratifying. Challenging PhD students to use both qualitative and quantitative research methods to answer their important questions about social problems and social injustice is wonderful. My goal as a professor is to support all students in finding their unique paths in social work practice and/or research so they can be part of making the world a more just place.Specialization(s)
health and wellness, mind-body social work practice, clinical social work, diversity, equity, and inclusion, research methods, school social work, social justice
Professional Biography
Professor Nicole Nicotera, PhD, LICSW, has a long history of clinical social work practice with children, youth and families, and with using creative arts and experiential therapies in the process of facilitating healing. In the MSW program, she teaches clinical interviewing skills and mind-body social work practice. In the PhD program she teaches mixed methods research. She is committed to health and wellness for practicing social workers and social work educators. Nicotera is certified to teach an evidence-based mindfulness and stress reduction course called Koru (https://korumindfulness.org/).
Nicotera's research and scholarship focus on:
•promoting health and well-being across the life span
•mind-body practices to promote well-being and recovery from trauma
•mind-body practices as pathways to well-being
•interventions to enhance the health and wellbeing of social work practitioners, educators, and other helping professionals
•issues of unearned privilege and oppression in social work practice, education, and research
Nicotera is a community engaged scholar and collaborates with numerous community partners. She has expertise in conducting and publishing quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research.
In addition to her role as PI on research grants and related publications, she mentors and supervises MSW and PhD students in mixed methods and qualitative data collection, analysis, interpretation, peer-reviewed conference presentations and publications. She also supervises doctoral students in mixed methods dissertations and independent studies to support their preparation of mixed methods dissertation proposals.
Nicotera's research and scholarship focus on:
•promoting health and well-being across the life span
•mind-body practices to promote well-being and recovery from trauma
•mind-body practices as pathways to well-being
•interventions to enhance the health and wellbeing of social work practitioners, educators, and other helping professionals
•issues of unearned privilege and oppression in social work practice, education, and research
Nicotera is a community engaged scholar and collaborates with numerous community partners. She has expertise in conducting and publishing quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research.
In addition to her role as PI on research grants and related publications, she mentors and supervises MSW and PhD students in mixed methods and qualitative data collection, analysis, interpretation, peer-reviewed conference presentations and publications. She also supervises doctoral students in mixed methods dissertations and independent studies to support their preparation of mixed methods dissertation proposals.
Degree(s)
- BA, Hartwick College
- MSW, University of Washington School of Social Work
- Ph.D., University of Washington School of Social Work
Licensure / Accreditations
- Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)
- Certified Koru Teacher (Mindful Stress Reduction)
- Children’s Mental Health Certificate
- Child Development Associate
- Teacher's Certification
Professional Affiliations
- Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
Research
Nicotera is a community engaged scholar and collaborates with numerous community partners. She has expertise in conducting and publishing quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research.
Areas of Research
education
and research
Key Projects
- Civic engagement through the voices of Latino/a youth: Exploring definitions, supports, and barriers
- The Effects of Engaged Learning on Civic Development and Well being
Featured Publications
Presentations
(2020). Self-care, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and quality of Life: Associated factors among MSW students. . Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting . Viritual: CSWE.
. (2019). A qualitative study examining the lived experiences of stress among female sexual assault survivors in an 8-week trauma sensitive yoga intervention. Symposium on Yoga Research . Lenox, MA: International Association of Yoga Therapists.
. (2018). A study of MSW student self-care and wellness: Implications for Social Work Education. Annual Program Meeting Council on Social Work Education . Orlando, FL: Council on Social Work Education.
. (2017). The influence of a trauma informed yoga (TIY) intervention on emotion regulation and skilled awareness in sexual assault survivors. Society for Social Work Research. New Orleans, LA, USA.
. (2019). Operationalizing social justice skills: A template analysis of MSW course assignments. Annual Program Meeting Council on Social Work Education . Denver, Colorado: Council on Social Work Education.
. Awards
- Fellows of the Society for Social Work and Research, Society for Social Work and Research
- Public Good Faculty of the Year (2010-2011), University of Denver Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning
- Honorary Faculty member of Phi Alpha Honor Society, Phi Alpha Honor Society