Cydnee Lacy

Cydnee’s commitment to child welfare arises from a strong dedication to learning and serving vulnerable children and families. As a senior in the BSW program at the University of Texas at Arlington, she has pursued every opportunity to study and engage with issues affecting child well-being. Through the McNair Scholars Research Program, she conducted research on child welfare, gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges children face and the essential role of social workers. Her experience as a teaching fellow at a STEM academy allowed her to teach students from underserved communities and witness how education can shape opportunity. As an undergraduate research assistant under Dr. Hui Huang (Director of Research at CWRC), she analyzed data from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being III to study the effects of parental substance use on substance use among children involved in the child welfare system. She presented this work at the Baylor McNair National Conference and UTA’s McNair Symposium. These experiences strengthened her commitment to using research to improve outcomes for children and families. By joining the Child Welfare Research Center, she aims to advance her research skills, connect evidence to practice, and contribute to solutions that support children and families facing adversity.