Annelise Mennicke recognized for her work as a social policy researcher
By Ava Torrise
Devoted violence prevention advocate and social work scholar, UNC Charlotte Associate Professor Annelise Mennicke, Ph.D. is the recipient of the 2026 Social Policy Researcher Award from the Society for Social Work and Research. She was recognized for her outstanding contributions to violence prevention policy, specifically for LGBTQ+ youth and youth of color.
The Society for Social Work and Research, a global organization dedicated to the advancement of social work, represents the scientific and scholarly interests of the profession. In conferring the award, the Society acknowledged Mennicke as an emerging scholar making notable research contributions that influence the direction, design, and implementation of social policy and its effects on marginalized populations.
“As social workers, we are called by our code of ethics to advance justice through our research, teaching, service and practice,” said Diana Rowan, Ph.D., director of the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work within the College of Health and Human Services. “Dr. Mennicke has an impressive record of making outstanding contributions to marginalized communities through policy advocacy.”
In addition to her role as social work professor, Mennicke serves as the associate director of research for UNC Charlotte’s Violence Prevention Center. Fueled by a passion for policy, she reimagines systems on a local, state, and national level. She shaped UNC Charlotte practices as the leader of a six-year Interpersonal Violence and Harassment Prevention Survey, the first campus culture survey to systematically document LGBTQ+ discrimination experiences. Survey findings resulted in the University hiring additional Title IX and wellness promotion staff, alongside the implementation of Green Dot, an evidence-based bystander intervention program.
In North Carolina, Mennicke’s expertise impacts local policy and practice. In response to surging homicide rates among black youth, she co-authored a report for the City of Charlotte outlining youth violence prevention strategies. Additionally, at the request of North Carolina Senator Ted Alexander, Mennicke co-authored a report for state legislators to envision a North Carolina Human Trafficking data repository.
Nationally, Mennicke’s research focuses on developing effective interventions to reduce interpersonal violence and its related consequences. Currently funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Women’s Health, National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, Mennicke is designing, implementing and evaluating bystander intervention programs to reduce child sex trafficking, alcohol use among college students, injuries and deaths among pregnant and postpartum people, and microaggressions and harm caused by implicit bias in academia.
Her research has been published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Social Work Education and Journal of American College Health among other publications.
Ava Torrise is the communications and outreach coordinator for the School of Social Work