Laurie
Blackman
Wurzweiler School of Social Work
2495 Amsterdam Avenue, Room 926
New York, NY 10033
PhD, University of Utah
MSW, Howard University
MS, Howard University
BS, Howard University
BA, Concordia University
Laurie Blackman, PhD, LMSW, ASW-G is a Clinical Associate Professor and Sequence Chair for Cultural Diversity and Human Behavior at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. She currently teaches courses on aging, cultural diversity, human behavior, and policy. She is a certified Aging-in-Place Specialist with over 25 years of specialized training in gerontology. Laurie began her career in Washington, DC developing and implementing programs for older adults focused on fitness, socialization, in-home care, job re-entry, and learning in retirement. Through her research and teaching, she remains committed to providing support and resources to older adults and their families with an emphasis on addressing racial inequities. Most recently, Dr. Blackman successfully completed the Motivational Interviewing Certificate Program through the University of Maryland and has been assisting therapists, caseworkers, and administrators on how to effectively use MI in their work with clients.
Dr. Blackman's areas of interest are focused on racial inequities, caregiving issues, and health disparities among older adults.
Blackman, L. (2025). A Thief in the Night: Poetry as Self-Care. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 31(3), 84-85.
Blackman, L. (2024). “Please don’t ask!”: A first-person narrative of coping with loss. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 30(2), 83-87.
Blackman, L., Wang, D., Krase, K., Roberson-Steele, J., Clarke-Jones, A., & Attis, L. (2023). Adaptability of Older Adults at the Onset of COVID-19. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 1-15.
Blackman, L., Krase, K., Wang, D., Cambridge, M., & Hill, A. (2023). Examining the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black/African American adults. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, L(3).
Blackman, L., Krase, K., Wang, D. (2023).The experiences of older adults in Haiti and the United States at the onset of Covid-19. Innovation in Aging, 7(Suppl 1), 1133.
Castillo, J., Lundahl, B., Moleni, K., & Blackman, L. (2022). Op-Ed: Failing to Bend the Arc of the Moral Universe? Dr. King, Newton, Piaget, and Social Work. Critical Social Work, 23(1).
Presentations
Roberson-Steele, J. & Blackman, L. (2026, August 29-30). The role of spirituality in recovery from substance use: A focused look at older African Americans. [Poster presentation]. NAADAC 2026 Annual Conference. Kansas City, Missouri.
Blackman, L. (2023, November 11). The experiences of older adults in Haiti and the United States at the onset of COVID-19. [Poster presentation]. GSA 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting. Tampa, Florida.
Blackman, L. (2021, November 10). The adaptability of older adults at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. [Poster presentation]. GSA 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting, Virtual.
Blackman, L. (2021, June 10). Loss of self during the Pandemic: Reimagining new opportunities. The Association of Caribbean Social Work Educators 2021 Webinar Series, Virtual.
Blackman, L. (2020, November 3). COVID-19 and older adults: The early experiences. The 3rd Annual Advancing Diversity in Aging Research Summit,Virtual. https://www.populationsciences.berkeley.edu/population-center/programs/…;
Wurzweiler School of Social Work
2495 Amsterdam Avenue, Room 926
New York, NY 10033