Alicia M. Sellon

Dr. Alicia Sellon is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work. She earned in PhD in Social Work from the University of Kansas and has been at UNCW since 2018. Community engagement is central to her research, teaching, and service. Dr. Sellon's research centers on promoting the well-being and social inclusion of older adults through civic engagement and intergenerational programming. Grounded in principles of design thinking and social innovation, her research emphasizes the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs that empower older adults as active participants in their communities—whether through volunteer roles or co-creation initiatives that bridge generational divides. Dr. Sellon's research also includes a focus on developing reserach mentorship and training opportunities for emerging gerontological scholars. Across these focus areas, her work is grounded in participatory and mixed-methods approaches. Dr. Sellon's teaching interests and specialization focus on generalist and advanced macro social work practice, with a focus on organizational and community practice. She also teaches teaching courses that are focused on policy practice and applying theory to understand human behavior in the social environment. Across her courses, Dr. Sellon emphasizes community-engaged and applied learning approaches that connect classroom concepts to real-world contexts.

Education

PhD in Social Work, University of Kansas, MSW, University of Pennsylvania, B.A. in Biology, Grinnell College

Specialization in Teaching

SWK MSW Macro Capstone Course
Generalist Practice with Communities and Organizations (undergraduate and graduate level)
Policy Practice
Human Behavior in the Social Environment
Introduction to Social Work
Social Work Practice with Older Adults

Research Interests

Civic engagament and volunteerism among older adults, Active aging and aging with disabilities, Co-creation and social innovation, Intergenarational co-creation, Interprofessional education, Research mentorship, Scholarship of teaching and learning

Community Engagement

Most of my teaching adn research is community-engaged. Currently, I run programs and applied learning experiences that provide opportunities for students and older adults to learning design thinking strategies and develop innovative solutions for local organizations.

Honors & Awards

Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award. 2025. University of North Carolina Wilmington
Deb Bowen Service Award. 2022. School of Social Work, University of North Carolina Wilmington