DIRECTORY LISTING

Biography

Dr. Mohan Vinjamuri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at Lehman College, City University of New York, where he teaches in both the BA and MSW programs. He is the former President of the New York State Social Work Education Association (2019-2023). Dr. Vinjamuri teaches courses in social work practice, social welfare policy, research methods, and an elective on social work with LGBTQ+ communities. Dr. Vinjamuri has been an educator for over thirty years. His research and scholarship have centered on pedagogy and teaching in social work, and social work practice with LGBTQ+ communities. Dr. Vinjamuri is the co-author of A Guide for Sustaining Conversations on Racism, Identity, and Our Mutual Humanity (Cognella).
A common thread throughout Dr. Vinjamuri’s work is the importance of cultivating self-reflection and genuine dialogue and creating truly inclusive spaces in the classroom and in institutions. Dr. Vinjamuri sees teaching and teaching social work, in particular, as an opportunity to promote social justice – by challenging norms of what constitutes valued and legitimate knowledge and ways of knowing; by creating spaces where those who have felt silenced can speak and be heard; and, by discovering our mutual humanity as we take risks to learn more about ourselves and others.

As a social worker, Dr. Vinjamuri’s primary area of practice has been child welfare. He has worked in various capacities in different social service agencies, including a child welfare agency for medically fragile children, a residential program providing substance abuse treatment for adolescent boys, and a group home for gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescents in foster care. Dr. Vinjamuri has provided training and consultation to child welfare agencies and other agencies serving youth and adolescents. He is currently working on a book about compassionate teaching in higher education and is assisting with the development of a DSW program at Lehman College.