Kristen Leigh Hohn

Kris L. Hohn, MSW, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She teaches across the BSW and MSW programs, focusing on macro practice and research methods. Her teaching emphasizes student leadership and connects classroom learning to real-world community needs.

She serves as Assistant Director of the Coalition for Leadership, Interdisciplinary Mentoring, and Belonging (CLIMB), where she mentors MSW interns as they co-develop and pilot research-based training modules. These student-led efforts are grounded in social work ethics and foster meaningful, community-centered mentoring practices. Through this work, Dr. Hohn prepares students to become facilitators, researchers, and advocates who lead interdisciplinary, trauma-informed initiatives.

Dr. Hohn’s current work focuses on well-being, mental health, and spirituality. She has examined suicide prevention, identity development, and the role of belief systems in how individuals make sense of their lives. She is also expanding her study of end-of-life experiences, an area she has explored for several years.

Dr. Hohn integrates the arts into her teaching, research, and engagement. She supported a student-led art exhibit that invited students, faculty, staff, and community members to explore storytelling and identity through creative work. The exhibit featured submissions including poetry, visual art, video, and music. She also contributed to the Be Kind to Your Mind mental health fair, where she facilitated a community mural inviting participants to share what brings them joy.

Above all, she believes in the power of creativity, connection, and collaborative transformation.

Education

PhD in Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington
MSW in Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington
BA in Psychology and Art, Guilford College