Harrison Central graduate earns doctorate in social work

Alicia Atkins-Melnick, a 2001 graduate of Harrison Central High School, has earned her doctorate in social work from Walden University.

Melnick began her academic journey as a first-generation college student at Mount Union College, where she studied psychology, sociology and theater, graduating in 2006. After working in children’s mental health, she continued her education at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned her Master of Social Work in 2009. While at Pitt, she was selected for the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education, a nationally recognized fellowship that prepares social workers to serve older adults.

Following graduate school, Melnick began her career as a psychiatric social worker at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh. In 2013, she was promoted to social work supervisor at UPMC Passavant Hospital, where she managed a team of social workers while continuing clinical work throughout the hospital, particularly in intensive care settings.

In 2017, she returned to academia, joining the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work in the Field Education Department. Within a year, she transitioned into a faculty role and currently serves as an assistant professor, where she teaches and mentors graduate students preparing for careers in social work while supporting partnerships with hundreds of community organizations throughout the region.

In addition to completing her doctorate, Melnick was recently selected for a one-year postdoctoral teaching fellowship through Walden University focused on preparing scholars to teach in online programs. She also received Walden University’s Leadership Excellence Award and was awarded the Social Determinants of Health in Distance Education Research Grant, which supports scholarship focused on educational equity and student success.

Melnick credits her pursuit of education to the example set by generations of her family. Her grandmother, Hazel Scott, a local teacher who taught in one-room schoolhouses in rural Ohio, inspired a deep appreciation for learning. As a first-generation college graduate, Melnick said that example helped shape her determination to continue her education and contribute to the field of social work through teaching, research and mentorship.

Her father, Andy Atkins, and brother, Scott Atkins, still reside in Jewett. Her mother, Sue Atkins, died in 2012.

Melnick currently lives in the North Hills of Pittsburgh with her husband, Jesse Melnick, and their children, Abigail, 11, and Jacob, 9.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate her achievement at an open house reception March 29 from 2-5 p.m. at the Hopedale American Legion.