Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work & Criminal Justice

Varner Hall Room 518
371 Varner Drive
Rochester , MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2420
fax: (248) 370-4608
[email protected]

Social Work
Varner, Room 513
371 Varner Dr.
Rochester, MI 48309-4482
(248) 370-2371
[email protected]

Betty Tonui

Assistant Professor
505 Varner
[email protected]

Research Interests

  • Immigrants and refugees
  • Mental health interventions
  • Health disparities
  • Social determinants of health
  • International social work
  • Community-based participatory research

Teaching Interests

  • Human behavior in the social environment
  • Human behavior and diverse populations
  • Immigrants and refugee policy
  • International social work
  • Introduction to social work

Courses Taught

  • SW 3101 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
  • SW 3201 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
  • SW 3102 Foundations for Multicultural Social Work
  • SW3312 Death and Dying
  • SW5101 Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
  • SW6202 Policy II: Advocacy and Change

Selected Publications

  • Nyoni, T., Steiner, J., Okumu, M., Orwenyo, E., Tonui, B.C., Lipsey, K., Mengo, C (2022). The use and effectiveness of the whole school approach in school-based interventions to address gender-based violence in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. htttps://doi.org/10.1177/15248380221134296.
  • Tonui, B. C. (2022). The Cultural perceptions on mental health and challenges among Rwandan refugees in the U.S. Psychiatry Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114642.
  • Tonui, B.C.,Miller, V.; & Adeniji, D. O. (2022). Consequences of social isolation and mental health: A systematic review on older immigrants. Aging and Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2068131.
  • Sharma, B.B., Pemberson, H.R., Tonui, B. C. & Ramos B. (2022). Responding to Perinatal Health and Services using an Intersectional Framework during Natural Disasters: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Risk Reduction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102958.
  • Xu, L., Fields N., Tonui, B. C. &Vazques-White, T. (2022). The effects of a psychoeducational intervention for Chinese immigrants foster grandparent volunteers. SSM-Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100111.
  • Tonui, B. C., Ravi, K. E. & Xu, L. (2021). African immigrant acculturation scales in the USA: A systematic review. The British Journal of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaa245.
  • Okumu, M., Orwenyo, E., Nyoni. T., Mengo, C., Steiner, J., & Tonui. B. C. (2021). Socioeconomic inequity and intimate partner violence severity among ever-married women in Uganda: Pathways and actions for multicomponent violence prevention strategies. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211021976.
  • Tonui, B. C., Ravi, K. E., & Rodriguez, P. C. (2020). COVID-19: Reflections on challenges and lessons. Greenwich Social Work Review. https://doi.org/10.21100/gswr.v1i2.1168.
  • Tonui, B. C., & Mitschke, D. B. (2020). We still keep our culture to stay alive: Acculturation and Adaptation among Resettled Young Adult Refugees from Burma. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2020.1827334.

Professional Affiliations

  • Phi-Alpha National Honors Society
  • Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR)
  • Council on Social Work Education