Tamara Hicks, PhD

Tamara Hicks, PhD – Clinical Assistant Professor School of Social Work University of Maryland Baltimore 

Tamara K. Hicks, PhD, MSW, BA Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Maryland Baltimore Dr. Tamara K. Hicks is a Clinical Assistant Professor specializing in macro social work practice and community-based participatory research. With over 20 years of pre- and post-MSW experience, her work bridges direct practice with vulnerable populations and the exploration of systemic issues affecting marginalized communities. Dr. Hicks holds a BA in Psychology from Spelman College, an MSW from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a PhD in Social Work from the same institution. Her teaching philosophy integrates critical thinking and cultural competency, encouraging students to analyze how power, privilege, and oppression shape both the lives of clients and the role of social workers as change agents. Dr. Hicks’s research interests focus on the social determinants of health, chronic caregiver stress, health disparities, gentrification, and forced displacement. Her scholarship includes exploratory studies on homelessness, social mobility, and the impact of gentrification in Charlotte, NC. In addition to her professional expertise, Dr. Hicks is a dedicated advocate in the autism community. As the mother of Skylar, a 15-year-old who is nonverbal and autistic, she brings a deeply personal understanding of navigating complex social service systems. This lived experience profoundly informs her teaching and advocacy, allowing her to challenge students to consider the intersections of ability, power, and access to resources. She encourages students to explore how they can “lend power” to clients during vulnerable times and emphasizes the importance of recognizing multiple identities—both their own and those of the clients they serve. Dr. Hicks’s published work includes contributions to Social Science & Medicine and Aggression and Violent Behavior, where she has explored racial disparities in healthcare and the effectiveness of domestic violence services. And most recently in 2022, a joint work published in the Journal of Social Work Education, that centered around academic mothering during the Covid pandemic. She has held academic positions at Johnson C. Smith University, North Carolina State University, and North Carolina Central University, where she fostered student engagement in critical discussions and applied research to address structural inequalities. Through her work, Dr. Hicks continues to amplify the voices of marginalized communities while inspiring future social workers to approach their practice with empathy, critical inquiry, and a commitment to social justice.