Dr. Chowa is a Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work and founding director of GSDI. Dr. Chowa leads the center’s initiatives on economic security, financial inclusion, and workforce development. Dr. Chowa has more than 20 years of professional and research experience that have focused on tackling social, economic, and health issues in low-resource countries. Dr. Chowa holds a bachelors degree in social work from the University of Zambia, and masters and doctoral degrees in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Chowa currently resides in Chapel Hill, NC, and had also lived in Botswana, St. Louis, and Zambia….
Faculty & Staff
Rainier Masa, PhD, MSW
Dr. Masa is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work. Dr. Masa leads the center’s initiatives on health. His professional and research experience has centered on addressing the intersection of economic security and health outcomes in low-resource settings. Dr. Masa holds a bachelors degree in legal management from the University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines), a masters degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, and a doctoral degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
David Ansong, PhD, MSW
Dr. Ansong is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work and a Research Associate at the Center for Social Development (CSD). His areas of research expertise include economic and educational disparities, youth asset development, and international social development. He has been particularly involved in international research on asset development for low-income households and youth. His current research examines the impacts of youth savings accounts on in-school behavior and academic performance…
Ankur Srivastava, PhD, MSW
Dr. Ankur Srivastava is an assistant professor in the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work, and a core faculty with the Global Social Development Innovations Center. Dr. Srivastava has an active domestic and international research agenda focused on reducing behavioral health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ*) persons. His research is informed by nearly a decade of community-based work with nonprofits in India and the United States. Dr. Srivastava’s research is invested in examining multiple minority identities, issues of identity management and their associated experiences of stress from a developmental framework. His scholarship is heavily influenced by intersectionality, critical race, and minority stress theories, underscoring the nuances and diversity of experiences among LGBTQ* persons negotiating multiple minority identities.
Amy Locklear Hertel, PhD, JD, MSW
Amy Locklear Hertel is a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and a descendant with close ties to the Coharie Indian Tribe. She is currently the Executive Vice Provost at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNC School of Social Work. Hertel’s research and practice centers indigenous knowledge and values as an asset to inform social and political action, leadership, and community development, as well as inclusion and engagement across cultures.
Annagrace Saufley, MS
Annagrace is the Research Project Manager for Global Social Development Innovations (GSDI) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work. She manages and coordinates the implementation of GSDI’s work. Annagrace is passionate about improving the lives of children and families through community-centered and purpose-driven research. Annagrace holds a Bachelor of Science in Family and Community Services and a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science, both from East Carolina University.
Hsun-Ta Hsu, PhD, MSW
Dr. Hsun-Ta Hsu is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving on the faculty of both the School of Social Work and the School of Data Science and Society. Dr. Hsu is also a core-faculty at the Global Social Development Innovations (GSDI). Dr. Hsu’s research adopts a multi-level perspective to promote health and housing outcomes among individuals experiencing homelessness. Dr. Hsu holds a BSW degree from the National Taiwan University, a MSW from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, and a doctoral degree in social work from the University of Southern California.
Adam Milano, DSW, MSSW
Dr. Adam Pierson Milano is a Clinical Instructor in the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work, Coordinator for the Global Engagement Office, and core faculty with the Global Social Development Innovations Center. His background in Military Social Work, Student Affairs, and Performing Arts fuel his interests in mental health, embedded support, and loneliness/belonging. Dr. Milano holds a doctoral degree from the University of Southern California, masters degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University, and a bachelor degree from Middlebury College.