- Remembering Senator Grace Drake, Founder of the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service at Levin
- Levin College Awarded $250,000 to Research Equitable Neighborhood Development
- Levin Graduates Receive American Institute of Certified Planners Certification
|
- Jenna Thomas Recognized as Levin’s Fall 2020 Valedictorian
- Levin Profile: Meet Austin Bloom (MS ’17)
- Internship Success Stories
- Levin In the News
- The 2020 Election: Lessons and Reflections Seen and Heard
- Women’s Leadership Series Virtual Events
|
|
|
Remembering Senator Grace Drake, Founder of the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service at Levin
From the Desk of President Harlan Sands
 It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Senator Grace Drake, a beloved and respected member of our Cleveland State family. As the founder of the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service in CSU’s Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs, she worked tirelessly for close to 20 years promoting the advancement of our students in public sector careers. Her efforts partnered close to 1,000 students with public and nonprofit mentors through the Center’s flagship Mentoring Program, many of whom have gone on to build successful careers, making significant contributions to our community.
Following her retirement, she continued to serve as Executive-in-Residence in the Levin College, championing program activities and serving as a mentor and advisor. Colleagues say that as recently as several weeks ago, she was advocating for funding to support the mentoring program.
She was also the inspiration for the newly created “Women’s Leadership Series” that features professional development workshops and showcases women in leadership positions.
Before joining CSU as Executive-in-Residence in 2001, Drake served in the Ohio Senate for 16 and a half years, representing Wayne, Medina and the southeast areas of Cuyahoga County. She was one of two women in the Ohio Senate when she took office in 1984, and while in office chaired committees on small business and economic development, health and human services and aging.
Focused on student success, Senator Drake used her vast network of connections to ensure the successful progression of CSU students, opening doors across the state to help start and advance their careers.
We are grateful for Senator Drake’s dedication, commitment and advocacy on behalf of CSU.
Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
Harlan M. Sands
President
Cleveland State University |
|
|
|
|
Levin College Awarded $250,000 to Research Equitable Neighborhood Development
Dr. Roland V. Anglin, Dean and Professor at the Levin College, and a team of researchers in Levin’s Center for Economic Development (CED), including Molly Schnoke, Project Manager, and Dr. Iryna V. Lendel, Director of the CED, have been awarded a two-year, $250,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) as a part of RWJF's "Policies for Action: Research on Housing Policies That Promote Equity" program. Levin partner Cleveland Neighborhood Progress is also part of the research team. The project is titled “Investing in the Middle: A New Approach to Deliver on the Promise of Equitable Neighborhood Development,” and the team will work to address equity and health in middle neighborhoods. Middle neighborhoods are areas in legacy industrial cities like Cleveland that have long been home to middle-class and working-class residents. They are opportunity-rich with place-based resources, but risk falling into a distressed state because of lack of investment. Dr. Anglin and his team will perform actionable research in the areas of strategic investments and policy innovations that have the potential to increase housing affordability and neighborhood stability. Their research and learning will inform the work of policymakers, funders, and community development practitioners across America's industrial heartland.
|
|
|
|
Levin Graduates Receive American Institute of Certified Planners Certification
Several Levin graduates have recently passed the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) exam, earning AICP certification. Congratulations to David Baas (MUPD ’20), City Planner at EcoDistricts AP; Tricia D’Avignon (MUPD ’16), Assistant Director of Zoning and Development for Boardman Township; Allison Lukacsy-Love (MSUS student), Acting Director of the Department of Planning and Development for the City of Euclid; and Amy Snell (MUPD ’16), Planning Team Leader at the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. The AICP is the American Planning Association's professional institute, certifying professionals in the US in the field of urban planning, and assisting planners in the areas of ethics, professional development, planning education, and the standards of planning practice.
|
|
|
Jenna Thomas Recognized as Levin’s Fall 2020 Valedictorian
“I had an internship with Advocacy and Communications Solutions, and it was there that I got interested in connecting nonprofits with the government. I realized that this was the specific field of nonprofit work that I wanted to go into. I’m excited to be able to stay in Cleveland and give back to this community that has given me so many opportunities.”
Meet Jenna Thomas, a graduate of Levin’s Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Administration program, who was selected as the fall 2020 valedictorian. Jenna shared that she decided to enroll at Levin because she knew she wanted to go into a career of helping people and CSU is one of the only schools in the region that offers nonprofit administration as a major. Jenna is a student in Levin’s 4+1 program, so she will continue for another year in pursuit of her Master of Public Administration degree.
Learn More about Jenna »
|
|
|
|
|
Meet Austin Bloom
Master of Science in Urban Studies ‘17
“I can directly trace my experience at Levin to my current career path… I landed my first job in the field after hearing about it from a classmate. I learned a lot at that job, and it played a big part in preparing me for the work I'm doing today. I am always meeting former students, and having that instant connection is so valuable and special to the Levin experience.”
Meet Austin Bloom (MS ’17), who serves as a Program Liaison for the Cuyahoga Land Bank. Austin shared that she was a little lost after she completed her undergraduate degree in economics. She knew she wanted to be in Cleveland, she wanted to learn, and she wanted to help people. With this in mind, she enrolled at the Levin College to pursue a Master of Science in Urban Studies degree, and felt she found herself in the right place. Now in her role at the Cuyahoga Land Bank, she helps remove blight in Cuyahoga neighborhoods by restoring properties to productive use.
Learn More about Austin »
|
|
|
|
Internship Success Stories
|
|
|
The Levin College provides student enrichment opportunities that foster learning outside the classroom, including the Internship Program. Internships provide Levin students with meaningful opportunities to engage with professionals in public and nonprofit organizations across the fields embodied throughout our academic degree programs. These internships often result in a direct connection with not only a job, but a career with meaning.
|
|
|
|
Meet Amanda Houdeschell
Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Administration
Anticipated Graduation: May 2021
Meet Amanda Houdeschell, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Administration from Levin and recently worked remotely as a Fund Development intern at the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. Amanda shared her internship experience and some of the new proposal writing, fundraising, and donor cultivation skills she has developed:
“I enjoyed helping with submitting grants because they trusted me to submit them myself – which I was not expecting! Of course, someone looked them over before submitting, but this gave me a feeling of autonomy and responsibility that I wouldn't have necessarily expected in an internship position. I didn't have any experience with donor databases until this internship, but now I can add DonorPerfect to my skillset if I apply for any fundraising positions in the future. I also had never worked with SharePoint before, so now I will be prepared to use it if any of my future positions require experience with the software.”
After Amanda completes her degree at Levin, she plans to attend law school in pursuit of becoming an animal lawyer.
|
|
|
|
Meet Karan'ja Williams
Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Administration
Anticipated Graduation: December 2021
Meet Karan’ja Williams, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Administration from Levin and recently worked remotely as a Data Analyst intern at the Presidents’ Council Business Chamber in Cleveland. Karan’ja shared:
“This internship provided valuable real-world experience, as well as opportunities to engage directly with clients. Internships expose students to the practicalities of the theories learned in class, which are very different. It was enlightening to learn the about the budget of the organization compared to the volume and quality of production the organization provides in supporting small business and rising leaders that are vital to our local economy.”
Karan'ja would like to use the skills she learned from her Levin experience to start her own nonprofit to provide resources and support for people experiencing homelessness, positioning them for successful reentry into society as productive citizens while providing a safe place to live and keep families together.
|
|
|
Levin partner Birthing Beautiful Communities (BBC) was featured in an article by the St. Luke’s Foundation, announcing their $45,000 award to the organization for general operating support. BBC aims to decrease the unacceptably high rates of maternal morbidity and infant mortality among Black women and babies in Cleveland by providing quality care that leads to healthy maternal and infant birth outcomes. The organization is led by Christin Farmer, a Senior Fellow at Levin.
|
|
|
|
The 2020 Election: Lessons and Reflections Seen and Heard
A post-election webinar hosted by CSU’s Diversity Institute Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and University Engagement, held on November 19, 2020.
|
|
|
|
Said to be the most important election of our lifetime, this election was groundbreaking in some ways. But was “most important” accurate or an overused platitude? Was the election more or less important than local elections? A panel of Levin College and CSU faculty discuss the 2020 election in this webinar hosted by The Diversity Institute in the Division of Diversity, Inclusion and University Engagement at Cleveland State University.
Moderator:
- Mittie Davis Jones, PhD
Associate Professor Emerita, Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs
Interim Director, The Diversity Institute
Panelists:
- Ronnie A. Dunn, PhD
Associate Professor of Urban Studies, Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs
Interim Chief Diversity Officer, Cleveland State University
- Anne Galletta, PhD
Chair and Professor
Department of Curriculum and Foundations, College of Education and Human Services
- Matthew W. Green, Jr., JD, LLM
Alan Miles Ruben and Judge Betty Willis Ruben Professor of Law
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
- Megan E. Hatch, PhD
Associate Professor and PhD Program Director
Department of Urban Studies, Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs
- David L. Stack, PhD
Assistant College Lecturer
Department of Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
|
|
|
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SERIES
Share Your Story Program: Featuring Julie M. Stufft
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | 4:30 – 6:00 PM
Free webinar held via Zoom
|
|
|
Join us as Julie M. Stufft, Managing Director for Visa Services at the Department of State, shares her story. Prior to her current role, Julie served as the Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Border and Transportation Security at the National Security Council. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Julie previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassies in Moldova and in Djibouti. She has also served in Russia, Ethiopia, and Poland, as well as in the State Department Operations Center and in the Bureau of Consular Affairs. She was a 2014-15 State Department Fellow to Seminar XXI at MIT’s Center for International Studies, and is the recipient of AFSA’s 2020 Christian A. Herter Award for Constructive Dissent by a Senior Foreign Service Officer. Julie is originally from Ohio, and holds degrees from Case Western Reserve University and Duke University. She speaks Russian, Romanian, French and Polish. She and her husband have three children and reside in Falls Church, VA.
Julie is a mentor in the Levin College Mentoring Program, offered through our Center for Public and Nonprofit Management in collaboration with the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service. Julie’s mentee, Eve Cervenka, a current Master of Public Administration student at Levin, will moderate this event.
The "Share Your Story" Program is a new initiative of Levin’s Women's Leadership Series. Participants listen to a female in executive leadership share her story and join in conversation. The Women's Leadership Series engages and empowers public and nonprofit sector leaders throughout Northeast Ohio, while promoting gender representation at all levels of leadership. The event is sponsored by the Wenk Family Charitable Foundation.
|
|
|
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SERIES
Share Your Story Program: Featuring Linda and Abigail Uveges
Friday, February 5, 2021 | 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Free webinar held via Zoom
|
|
|
Join us on Friday, February 5, 2021 as mother-daughter duo, Linda and Abigail Uveges, share their stories.
Linda Uveges, Chief Operating Officer at The City Mission, started her career at the City Mission as a volunteer with their women’s program at Angeline Christian Home in 2003. She joined the staff in 2005, and served in a wide variety of roles before becoming the Laura's Home Women’s Crisis Center Program Manager as well as the COO for The City Mission.
Linda’s experience in a variety of service positions throughout her tenure uniquely equips her to lead the multifaceted and advancing ministry of The City Mission. Linda graduated with a Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership from Levin in 2016.
Abigail Uveges, New Horizons Program Manager at The City Mission, joined The City Mission as an intern before working in a variety of positions including Case Worker, Assistant Manager at Laura's Home, and currently the New Horizons Program Manager. Her early work at Laura's Home inspired her to pursue social work at Mount Vernon Nazarene University before returning to the Mission in 2016. In her time at The City Mission, Abigail developed a passion for empowering individuals, and working with women in crisis. Abigail graduated with a Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership from Levin in 2019.
Both Linda and Abigail served as mentors in Levin College’s Mentoring Program. Linda also sits on the Women’s Leadership Advisory Committee at the Levin College.
The "Share Your Story" Program is a new initiative of Levin’s Women's Leadership Series. Participants listen to a female in executive leadership share her story and join in conversation. The Women's Leadership Series engages and empowers public and nonprofit sector leaders throughout Northeast Ohio, while promoting gender representation at all levels of leadership. The event is sponsored by the Wenk Family Charitable Foundation.
|
|
|
|
|
