Congratulations to GW alumnus Tural Mammadli who recently received the student of the year award at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). Every fall, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) dedicates one week to commemorating their rich history and celebrating the future they’re building together. Among the highlights of Founders Week is recognizing the extraordinary work of their faculty, staff, and students with awards that signify outstanding accomplishment in entrepreneurship, research, public service, education, and academics. Congratulations Tural!
Tural Mammadli
Tural Mammadli is a fourth-year PhD student from Azerbaijan who has exhibited tremendous academic and leadership skills at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW).
As the former president and a current member of UMSSW’s International Student Association (ISA), Mammadli guides international students and helps them acclimate to the United States. Under his leadership, ISA has conducted events for international students from across UMB to support their professional development and celebrate their cultural diversity. He also is co-chair of UMSSW’s Queer Community Alliance, working to support future LGBTQ+ social workers.
For three years, Mammadli was a member of the research team of Nalini Negi, PhD, MSW, associate professor, working on projects to build upon his research and skills. He’s now on the research team of Darren L. Whitfield, PhD, MSW, associate professor, focusing on research projects aimed at improving the well-being of LGBTQ+ persons of color.
As a research assistant, Mammadli has engaged in mixed-methods data analysis and co-authored papers on the health of minoritized communities including sexual and gender minority (SGM) persons, foreign-born populations, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the SGM community. He also has studied the impact of immigration policies and experiences on the mental health and substance use of refugees and immigrants and evidence-based interventions to address their needs.
Since starting the PhD program, Mammadli has earned three honors: the Donna Harrington Fellowship from UMSSW, the New Investigator Panelist Award from the National Hispanic Science Network, and the Early Career Preventionists Network Award from the Society for Prevention Research.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from The George Washington University in 2017 and his Master of Social Work degree from UMSSW in 2020.