Dr. Mike Devine

Dr. Mike Devine

Associate Professor


School of Social Work
St. John's College, J-3000
Memorial University of Newfoundland


Tel: 709-864-8152
Email:  mdevine@mun.ca

Dr. Devine achieved a B.A. in 1974, a B.S.W. in 1986, and an M.S.W. in 1991, moving on to complete a Ph.D. in Social Work in 2006. Currently, he is an Associate Professor for the School of Social Work, a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Social Workers (NLASW), Board Member Secretary of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association - Newfoundland and Labrador Division, member of National Task Force of Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, Chair of Community Council of Wiseman Community Center (homeless shelter for adults), and is an active member of the Executive Committee of the Wiseman Community Council Center. In 1991, Dr. Devine was a recipient of the Canada Volunteer Award Certificate of Merit for his community work related to an International Primary Health Care Project.

Dr. Devine’s research interests include research related to organizational change and development in human services organizations, research into child deaths in child protection cases (current research), grandparenting and kin as caregivers (particularly in regard to Child Protection), the revision of selected social work courses, as well as the submission of manuscripts to a peer reviewed journal on the importance of encouragement of participation in both organizational change and decision making capacities.

Further, Dr. Devine has presented at a variety of provincial, national and international conferences on these aforementioned interest areas. He is currently a member of the School’s Faculty Search Committee. He has been a member of the Admissions Committee and member of the Undergraduate Studies Committee, as well as being appointed member of the Search Committee for “Chair in Aboriginal Studies - Tier II", all for the School of Social Work, Memorial University. He has also been a member of the Re-Accreditation Steering Committee, member of Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, has facilitated groups in Interdisciplinary Teaching Module on the topic of HIV/AIDS, which included Nursing, Pharmacy and Medicine, has been member of Committee Examining Cooperative and Experiential Education, represented the School of Social Work at a workshop of the Minister’s Advisory Committee to review the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, and has completed a literary work entitled “Graduate Program in Teaching” as well.

Dr. Devine has been a full time faculty member of the School for 15 years. Previous to his current position, Dr. Devine worked for the provincial government, primarily in management leadership roles.

See Dr. Devine's CV.

Recent Publications:

  • Rural transformation and Newfoundland and Labrador diaspora: Grandparents, grandparenting, community and school relations. (2013). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. Co-edited with Dr. Amarjit Singh, Professor.
  • Failures in Children's Protection in Newfoundland and Labrador: Hughes to Markesteyn, and Beyond, Canadian Public Policy. (Forthcoming: March-June, 2012). Co-authored with Dr. Dennis Kimberley, Professor.
  • Grandparenting: Roles and Responsibilities and its Implications for Kinship Care Policies, Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies Vol. 6(2), June, 2011: pp. 124-133. Co-authored with Tara Earle, MSW, RSW.
  • Leadership and Organizational Change: A Case Study, The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Vol. 10(2), 2010: pp. 89-102.
  • Organizational Commitment and Rapid and Pervasive Organizational Change in a Human Services Organization Development, The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Vol. 9(2), 2009: pp. 9-21.
  • Participation in organizational change processes in human services organizations: the experiences of one group of front line social workers, Administration in Social Work Vol. 34(2), March 26, 2010: pp. 114-134.