Susanna Nemes is an accomplished executive, researcher and clinician with 30 years of experience working with underserved populations. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Harvard University and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Temple University's College of Liberal Arts. While at Temple, she studied with Thomas E. Shipley, Jr., a former Psychology faculty member for whom the Shipley Research Award fund was established. 

Dr. Nemes founded Social Solutions International Inc. to improve the health and well-being of underserved populations and to create a model for woman-owned businesses that supports flexibility while maintaining superior standards of quality and efficiency. She has developed and implemented tailored solutions for more than 100 clients in over 80 countries. 

What led to the development of your company, Social Solutions, and what services does your company offer?

Social Solutions International started when I realized that the opportunities for women to obtain executive leadership positions were limited where I was working at the time. In addition, I wanted to be able to decide what type of work I would be doing and what populations I would focus on. That is when I decided that I was going to start my own business. In the back of my mind, I could always hear my dad's voice saying, "Keep going until you are your own boss." My dad was a Holocaust survivor who was justifiably paranoid and who believed it was best to have as much control of our lives as possible. His words motivated me to keep going. 

Founded in 2005, Social Solutions International, Inc. is a woman-owned, full-service consulting firm dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underserved populations worldwide. We have a diverse portfolio with a concentration in global health. Our priority service areas are monitoring, evaluation and learning; program development and implementation; capacity building, training and technical assistance; institutional support services; research; and data analytics. We have been named a top-performing USAID woman-owned business and have created more than 300 jobs.

What were your research interests while at Temple?

At Temple, I was fortunate to have a wonderful mentor, Dr. Tom Shipley, whose research interests aligned very well with mine. I worked closely with him on an NIH-funded study where we looked at the relationship between substance abuse and homelessness as well as other related factors. I spent a lot of time at a homeless shelter where I recruited participants and collected data. I learned a lot from the shelter residents, mostly about resilience and the ability to survive experiences that nobody should have to live through. It was a very humbling experience and one in which I learned to be very grateful.  

What path led you to this particular line of work? And how did your experience at Temple influence that path?

Where my grandmother lived in Puerto Rico I had the opportunity to see first-hand the destructive impact of drugs and alcohol on human lives of all ages. I may not have fully realized it at the time, but I was learning a lot about making choices, having/not having opportunities, self-destructive behaviors, addiction, AIDS (which at the time had not been identified) and homelessness. I was also learning from my mother how to treat others with respect, regardless of their life circumstances. 

Temple provided a great opportunity for me to be immersed in my areas of interest. The researchers at Temple had designed outstanding studies and obtained funding in order to study these challenging topics that had a tremendous impact on many people but mostly on minority and marginalized populations. The researchers at Temple were well ahead of their time in the work that they were doing. My experience at Temple provided me with invaluable skills and training that allowed me to move forward in my career and to do the work that I was passionate about. 

What advice do you have for undergraduate students?

My mother grew up in significant poverty, and my dad lost most of his family in the Holocaust. Both my parents had odds stacked against them but were able to succeed in life because they were very focused on getting an education. My mother would always tell us, "Education is the way out." And she was right in that education is an essential tool in succeeding and moving forward in one's life. Obtaining an education provides opportunities that may not be available otherwise. So, it is important to stay focused on our academics so that we can obtain the skills and training to do the work we are interested in doing. Obtaining a college education is a privilege that can have a positive impact on the rest of our lives. So, if you have this opportunity that many do not have, make sure to make the most of it!