Pier Cicerelle, LSW, MSW, DSW
Assistant Professor
PCicerelle@wcupa.edu
Degrees
- BA Anthropology: Penn State University
- MSW: West Chester University
- DSW: The University of Pennsylvania
"The educator has the duty of not being neutral" - Paulo Freire
Main areas of interest
- Social work practice in medical settings
- Social determinants of health, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and trauma-informed care
- Academic freedom and the impact of educational gag orders in social work education
- Disparities in the social work licensure process
Bio
Dr. Cicerelle's background in cultural anthropology drives her commitment to examining how power, culture, and social context shape social work practice and ethics. With 15 years in emergency rooms and trauma ICUs, she has supported individuals and families facing crisis after illness, accidents, interpersonal violence, and suicidality. Her teaching and scholarship orient students to advanced practice through an anti-oppressive and anti-capitalist lens, emphasizing intersectionality, harm reduction, and community care. Her dissertation explored the relationship between community-level ACEs and adherence to preventive healthcare. Her current research focuses on inequities within the social work licensure process and the growing threats to academic freedom in social work education.