Dr. Ariana Wall Postlethwait
Professor
Fall 2025 Office Hours
Tuesday 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Also by appointment (face-to-face or virtual). *It is best to schedule an appointment ahead of time (virtual or face-to-face) if you want to ensure that I am not meeting with someone else. Still, you are welcome to stop by unannounced.
Departments / Programs
Degree Information
- PHD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2005)
- MSW, Louisiana State University (1994)
- BS, Louisiana State University (1991)
Areas of Expertise
Research interests include
- Scholarship of teaching
- Service learning approaches to social work education
- Homelessness and related risk factors
- Agency-based research (e.g., program evaluation)
Experience with external funding agencies: National Institute of Justice; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Center for Substance Abuse Treatment; Department of Justice; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Publications
Refer to CV
Presentations
Refer to CV
Awards
Awards and Honors
Recognized at MTSU for teaching excellence, student mentorship, and public service. Highlights include:
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Certificates of Recognition from Phi Kappa Phi honor society students naming me as an “Influen...
Awards and Honors
Recognized at MTSU for teaching excellence, student mentorship, and public service. Highlights include:
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Certificates of Recognition from Phi Kappa Phi honor society students naming me as an “Influential Faculty Member” (2014–present)
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Faculty Fellow, Learning, Teaching, and Innovative Technologies Center (2013–2014)
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Participation in Professional Learning Communities on civic engagement and integrative learning (2013–2018; 2024 MT Engage Graduate PLC)
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Nominated for the MTSU Foundation Faculty/Staff Public Service Award (2024, 2025)
Research / Scholarly Activity
My research emphasizes the intersection of teaching, community engagement, and applied social work practice. Research interests include:
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Scholarship of teaching and learning
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Service learning approaches in social work education
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Homelessness and related social risk factors
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Agency-based research and program evaluation
In the Media
My work has been featured in outlets highlighting innovative teaching and community engagement. In 2016, my video Active Learning at Middle Tennessee State University was selected as a contest winner and published on STEM Central. In 2018, I was
Read More »My work has been featured in outlets highlighting innovative teaching and community engagement. In 2016, my video Active Learning at Middle Tennessee State University was selected as a contest winner and published on STEM Central. In 2018, I was interviewed by the USA Today Network–Tennessee about my participation in the Poor People’s Campaign and nonviolent protest for social justice. I also created a short instructional video, Logic Models in Social Work (YouTube, 2018), which—though informal—continues to be used by students and colleagues as a helpful teaching resource.
Special Projects
Since 2013, I have supervised more than 30 experiential learning projects in which BSW and MSW students partnered with many local agencies to analyze data and deliver reports. Past community partners include Habitat for Humanity, Blue Monarch, Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club, the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center, AncoraTN, Murfreesboro Cold Patrol, and Community Helpers of Rutherford County. Topics have spanned homelessness, healthcare access, reentry after incarceration, adv...
Read More »Since 2013, I have supervised more than 30 experiential learning projects in which BSW and MSW students partnered with many local agencies to analyze data and deliver reports. Past community partners include Habitat for Humanity, Blue Monarch, Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club, the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center, AncoraTN, Murfreesboro Cold Patrol, and Community Helpers of Rutherford County. Topics have spanned homelessness, healthcare access, reentry after incarceration, adverse childhood experiences, and poverty. These projects provide agencies with actionable data while training students to apply research skills in real-world contexts.
Courses
- Cultural Diversity (BSW)
- Data Analysis (BSW & MSW)
- Field Practicum (BSW & MSW)
- Human Behavior in the Social Environment (MSW)
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Research (BSW & MSW)
- Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- Substance Abuse
