Matthew Silvey began working with students at Tennessee Tech in 2014 as an adjunct instructor, and he joined the Department of Sociology & Political Science full-time as a Lecturer in 2022. He earned his B.S. in History from Tennessee Tech University in 2000, Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2008, and Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Nashville School of Law in 2016. Mr. Silvey teaches courses in Social Work values, practice, and ethics, including Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare, Generalist Case Management, and Social Welfare Policy.

Mr. Silvey's clinical experience includes community mental health, hospice care, forensic social work in the public defense system, public guardianship, and private psychotherapy practice. He has also provided legal representation to low-income and otherwise vulnerable clients in a range of civil legal issues, including divorce, protective orders, debt collection defense, predatory lending practices, public housing and eviction defense, and administrative proceedings regarding access to public health and benefits. 

He enjoys helping students realize the brand range of opportunities for employment and further education in the field of Social Work, as well as researching the practice of Social Work in the criminal and civil legal systems.