Hugo A. Kamya, Ph.D.

At the intersection of spiritual and social work practice

As a young man growing up in Uganda, East Africa, Hugo Kamya was a student at a time when students were persecuted, jailed, and even killed. He fled to Kenya, continued his studies, and upon graduating, visited the U.S. on what was supposed to be a short trip. But political unrest in Uganda at that time made it impossible for Kamya to return home. He was now a reluctant immigrant.

Being a self-described optimist, Kamya decided to turn an obstacle into an opportunity. He enrolled at Harvard Divinity School and received his masters of divinity in theology and counseling. Then he went on to secure a master in social work from Boston College and a Ph.D. in psychology from Boston University. Now Kamya teaches at the Simmons School of Social Work.

As a social work educator, Kamya believes he should divide his time equally among three key activities – teaching, practicing, and researching. At the SSW, he teaches first-year students Social Work Practice I & II and doctoral students Narrative Therapy Approaches. "I'm continually amazed at the diversity of students at the school. They come from such varied experiences and contexts. Their interest in learning extends to a curiosity about things; they ask questions. Those questions are generative. They allow me to pose questions to myself."

Kamya says the SSW presents him with exciting opportunities to continue his own social work education. "The school fosters a great spirit of collaboration and engagement. Many of the faculty members are practicing both at the micro and macro level of social work, and there is a deep commitment to social justice, which appeals to me."

It's the "practice" of social work that Kamya finds essential to good teaching. "To be a practitioner should come with the territory. In order to provide teaching that is evidence-informed it must also be practice-based and practice-informed. It is always powerful to pull examples from my practice experience. Not only does this connect students to the field, but also it begins to professionalize them in the field."

Research is the "third arm" of social work education next to teaching and practice, says Kamya. "One way to build theory and to clarify ideas is to put them through the rigor of research. At the SSW, there is a commitment to applied research. As instructors conduct research they participate in theory building. Research also helps to critique existing models for better social work education."

Kamya's current research is with Sudanese and other African refugees and immigran populations – a topic which stems from his own personal experience as an unwitting émigré . His work has found a home in his teaching. "I use what I've learned in my research comfortably to illustrate various points to students and to advance my own teaching and practice."

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