Tom Felke's Profile

Felke, Tom (Ph.D., MSW)

Director/Professor

Marieb College of Health & Human Services

239-590-7841

tfelke@fgcu.edu

MERWIN 0134A

Social Work Research | Social Policy Analysis

CV/Resume

Dr. Tom Felke serves as a Professor and the BSW Program Director in the Department of Social Work. He has previously served as Associate Dean for Academics in the Marieb College of Health & Human Services and as Chair of the Department of Social Work. He is also the Founding Director of the Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging. Dr. Felke received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Elementary and Special Education from Providence College. Afterward, he completed coursework and research assistantships at New York University and Yale University. He completed his graduate education at the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Social Work, where he earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with concentrations in administration, policy, and international issues. He also attended UConn to complete his Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Work, conducting his dissertation research in Armenia with ethnic Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

Dr. Felke worked previously at Catholic Charities of Southern Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Social Services, and the Connecticut state university system. The focus of his teaching and research is on macro social work issues including but not limited to the needs of seniors, affordable housing, and food insecurity. He routinely conducts spatial analyses on these and other topics using geographic information systems (GIS) technologies. He is active as a member of several boards and committees in Southwest Florida as well as for national social work organizations.

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Professional Affiliation:

National Association of Social Workers : Member
Council on Social Work Education : Member
Society for Social Work and Research : Member
Baccalaureate Program Directors : Member
International Social Work : Reviewer
Advances in Social Work : Reviewer
British Journal of Social Work : Reviewer

Education
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- Ph.D. in Social Work, University of Connecticut
- MSW in Social Work Administration & Policy Planning, University of Connecticut
- B.A. in Elementary & Special Education, Providence College
Specialties
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- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Mixed Methods Research
- Policy Analysis
Research and Teaching Interests
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- Dr. Felke focuses his primary research on the application of technology to social work practice and evaluation, specifically the use of GIS to map local gaps and assets. He has published articles on the use of GIS in social work practice and co-authored a book chapter on the use of distance education technologies to internationalize the social work curriculum. More recently, Felke has focused on issues of food insecurity, affordable housing and the needs of older adults.
Courses Offered
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- Social Work Research
- Social Policy Analysis
- Macro Social Work Practice
Publications
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Felke, T. (2024). ArcGIS Survey 123: A case study using spatial technology to examine food access. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 42(1), 25-40.

Felke, T. (2023). Social work technology. In K. Zgoda (Ed.), Active learning lessons, activities, and assignments for the modern social work educator (286-319). New York, NY: Routledge.

Felke, T. (2019). The use of geographic information systems (GIS) for social work education, research, and practice. In L. Goldkind, L. Wolf, & P. Freddolino (Eds.), Digital Social Work: Tools for practice with individuals, organizations, and communities (145-167). Chicago, IL: Lyceum.

Felke, T. (2019). Exploring communities using the American Factfinder. In L. Hitchcock, M. Sage, & N.J. Smyth. Teaching Social Work with Digital Technology. Alexandria, VA: CSWE Press.

Felke, T. (2018). Competency 4: Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice. In B. Friedman, S.H. Rome, & T. Soska (Eds.), Specialized practice curricular guide for macro social work practice (71-86). Alexandria, VA: CSWE Press.

Jani, N. & Felke, T. (2017). Gender bias and sex-trafficking in Indian society. International Social Work, 58(4), 1-16.

Felke, T. (2015). The use of geographic information systems (GIS) in conducting a needs assessment of seniors in Collier County. Advances in Social Work, 16(1), 140-153.

Felke, T. (2014). Building capacity for geographic information systems (GIS) in social work: Educating students on its potential uses. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 32(1-2), 81-92.

Felke, T. & Menon, G. (2012). Using technology for international education and research. In L. Healy & R. Link (Eds.), Handbook on International Social Work (349-355). London: Oxford.

Felke, T. (2006). Geographic information systems: Potential uses in social work education and practice. Journal of Evidence-based Social Work Practice, 3(3/4), 103-113. Published simultaneously in J. Dunlop & M. Holosko (Ed.), Information Technology and Evidence-based Social Work Practice. New York: Haworth Press.

Felke, T. & Healy, L. (2002). Creating connections through distance education technologies. Caribbean Journal of Social Work, 3(1), 142-158.
Conference Presentations
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Felke, T. (October 2025). Addressing the desire to age in place: The senior care partner program. Presentation delivered at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Denver, CO.

Felke, T & Hage, D. (October 2024). Using ArcGIS Survey 123 for data collection: A food insecurity case study. Presentation delivered at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Kansas City, MO.

Felke, T. (October 2024). Using ArcGIS Survey 123 for data collection: A food insecurity case study. Presentation delivered at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Kansas City, MO.

Felke, T. (October 2024). The Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging: An interdisciplinary hub to support older adults. Presentation delivered at the Florida Geriatrics Society Annual Symposium, Clearwater Beach, FL.

Felke, T. (October 2023). Addressing the desire to age in place: The senior care partner program. Presentation delivered at the Annual Conference of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP), Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Felke, T. (April 2023). Using geographic information systems (GIS) for data collection & resource sharing: Case examples from Southwest Florida. Presentation delivered at the Baccalaureate Program Director’s Annual Conference, Birmingham, AL.
Grants & Awards
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- Lifetime Achievement Award in Social Work – 2024
  National Association of Social Work – Florida Chapter
- Chair Excellence Award – 2021
  Office of the Provost – Florida Gulf Coast University
- Excellence in Teaching – 2017
  National Society for Leadership & Success – Florida Gulf Coast University Chapter
- Social Work Educator of the Year – 2016
  National Association of Social Work – Florida Chapter: Southwest Unit
- Journey of Hope Program Implementation & Analysis
  Save the Children $200,000
  September 2018 – August 2019 Title/Role: Project Manager
- Lee County Gaps Analysis
  Lee County Human & Veteran Services $100,000
  October 2018 – August 2019 Title/Role: Principal Investigator
- Community Housing & Transportation Assessment for Sanibel, Florida
  Charlotte County Parks and Recreation Division $20,000
  December 2014 – May 2015 Title/Role: Co-Principal Investigator; GIS Analyst

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Felke, Tom (Ph.D., MSW)

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