- New Study Led by Dr. Robert A. Simons Examines Impact of “EZFare” on Quality of Life of Low-Income Transit Riders
- Dr. Megan Hatch Co-Authors “Losing Your Home Is Bad for Your Health: Short- and Medium-Term Health Effects of Eviction on Young Adults”
- Case Study Analysis of Hermeneutic Boundary Spanning During Policy Change and Transition
- Procurement Strategies for Reducing Capital Costs of Zero-Emission Buses
- Levin Graduate Arleesha Wilson Selected as Winner of JumpStart Inc.’s Entrepreneur Showcase
- Levin Profile: Meet Zach Kramka
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- Meet CSU’s Office of Civic Engagement Viking Corps Students
- Levin in the News
- COVID-19: Outlooks from Northeast Ohio Mayors
- Inconvenient Truths about Suburbanization without Growth
- Local Government & Social and Racial Justice | Racial Justice Community Conversations Series
- Meet The Mentors Series
- Oil and Gas: Unitization Law and Policy
- Share Your Story Program: Featuring Julie M. Stufft, Managing Director for Visa Services at the Department of State | Women’s Leadership Series
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New Study Led by Dr. Robert A. Simons Examines Impact of “EZFare” on Quality of Life of Low-Income Transit Riders
A research team led by Dr. Robert (Roby) A. Simons, Professor and Department Chair at the Levin College, has released preliminary research findings on “EZFare,” an automated no-touch transit payment system that has recently been implemented by public transit authorities throughout Ohio. Funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s Integrated Mobility Innovation (IMI) Program, the three-year research study looks at the effect of EZFare on the quality of life of transit riders and the effectiveness of contactless EZFare smart cards in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Eleven Ohio-based transit agencies are participating in the study, and once the research project is fully underway, the dataset will include over 1,500 transit rider participants.
The Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA), which serves Canton and Stark County, Ohio, is the first agency to be surveyed. The initial baseline survey was administered in October 2020 before EZFare touchless fare validators were installed on SARTA buses, but the survey does include a pre-and-post COVID-19 line of inquiry. The study also pays special interest to low-income or mobility-impaired transit users. Initial findings show that of the respondents, 32% are unbanked, 28% have a disability, 27% are unemployed, and 3% are homeless. According to the baseline survey, ridership and quality of life has decreased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the respondents, 45% reported riding SARTA every day during a typical week before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 37% after the onset of the pandemic. All destinations with the exception of grocery shopping decreased after the onset of COVID-19. Approximately 37% of transit riders stated a moderate or extreme concern about contracting COVID-19. The next SARTA survey is planned for April 2021.
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Dr. Megan Hatch Co-Authors “Losing Your Home Is Bad for Your Health: Short- and Medium-Term Health Effects of Eviction on Young Adults”
Dr. Megan Hatch, Associate Professor and PhD Program Director at Levin, and Jinhee Yun, PhD candidate at Levin, have published an article, Losing Your Home Is Bad for Your Health: Short- and Medium-Term Health Effects of Eviction on Young Adults. According to the abstract, US cities are increasingly adopting antieviction policies predicated on the belief that evictions have negative consequences for families and communities. Yet the nature and duration of many of these consequences are relatively unknown. Dr. Hatch and Yun add to the literature on the consequences of evictions by assessing the enduring effects of eviction on the self-reported health of young adults. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), they find evictions have both short-term (12 months) and medium-term (7–8 years) negative impacts on multiple measures of health. Individuals who experience an eviction are more likely to report being in poor general health or experiencing mental health concerns, even many years after an eviction. The authors share that as state and local governments develop policies to reduce evictions, it is worth noting that any resulting decrease in evictions may have a positive impact on population health, making health professionals effective potential policymaking partners. Read More »
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Case Study Analysis of Hermeneutic Boundary Spanning During Policy Change and Transition
Working through a lens of administrative governance, hermeneutics, and boundary spanning, Dr. Nicholas C. Zingale, Associate Professor at Levin and Director of the Institute of Applied Phenomenology in Science and Technology, and Alexandra Higl, Program Manager for Levin’s Center for Public and Nonprofit Management, spent eighteen months studying the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund (OCTF) as it began its transition from a county to a regional funding model. Using observations and interviews of regional directors and administrative teams, the authors sought to learn more about the role of boundary spanning and hermeneutics during the transition process. In other words, they attempt to answer the question on what makes boundary spanning work at the level of the boundary spanner. The case study research produced four primary findings: (a) state and regional administrators desired a transitional approach that meant dispersing and distributing power and decisions to regional leaders; (b) political, time, and budget constraints worked against these desires; (c) boundary spanning efforts failed to produce a resource network; and (d) seeking understanding between the macro deterministic goals of the state to the micro regional and local needs produced an exercise in philosophical hermeneutics—particularly at the boundaries of the region and the state, as actors interpreted what they saw, read, and thought. Dr. Zingale and Higl concluded that public administrators might better cope with the uncertainties associated with program transitions by more fully developing a hermeneutic mindset for exploratory bias over confirmatory bias when engaging in boundary spanning and forming collaborative networks. Read More »
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Procurement Strategies for Reducing Capital Costs of Zero-Emission Buses
Levin’s Energy Policy Center (EPC) has released a report, Procurement Strategies for Reducing Capital Costs of Zero-Emission Buses, authored by Alison Smyth, Justin Brightharp, Andrew R. Thomas, Director of the EPC, and Mark Henning, Research Associate at the EPC. According to the authors, one of the challenges to deployment and commercialization of zero-emission buses is the high capital cost of the vehicles relative to vehicles powered using conventional technologies. They share that a strategy for reducing these costs is to increase sales volume, which has been successfully driven through funding opportunities like the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Program. Another strategy for increasing sales volume is to combine vehicle purchases from multiple transit agencies through joint procurement. There have been extensive exercises in Europe to decrease the cost of fuel cell electric buses using a joint procurement strategy, with some level of success. The paper explores the current landscape for procuring zero-emission buses and evaluates whether a joint procurement strategy could be an effective way to decrease vehicle costs in the North American market. Read More »
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Levin Graduate Arleesha Wilson Selected as Winner of JumpStart Inc.’s Entrepreneur Showcase
On December 2, 2020, Levin graduate Arleesha Wilson (MUPD/JD ’17), owner and founder of the Law Office of Arleesha Wilson, was selected as the winner for JumpStart Inc.’s Entrepreneur Showcase. Contestants were part of JumpStart’s Core City: Cleveland Impact Program, an intensive twelve-week business assistance program designed to provide focused business advising, industry-specific mentoring, and collaborative learning. The Impact Program culminates in the Entrepreneur Showcase event, where the seven program participants used their new knowledge and skills to present their pitch to a panel of judges for a chance to take home crucial funding to grow their businesses.
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Meet Zach Kramka
Master of Public Administration ‘19
Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies ‘18
“I knew before attending college that I was interested in pursuing a career in city management. My time at Levin only reaffirmed this. The faculty did everything they could to make sure I had all the support I needed to help facilitate my entrance into the city management profession after graduation.”
Meet Zach Kramka, a 2019 graduate of Levin College's Master of Public Administration program and a 2018 graduate of the College's Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies program. Zach currently serves as a Management Fellow for the City of Wichita, where he leads and manages special projects, such as the Wichita Mayor's Youth Council program and the Wichita Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board. Zach shares that he was drawn to Levin because he believed he could build relationships and grow his network. “Levin's size was perfect for me because even though Cleveland State is a large university, I was able to build strong personal relationships with Levin faculty. I knew before attending college that I was interested in pursuing a career in city management. My time at Levin only reaffirmed this. The faculty did everything they could to make sure I had all the support I needed to help facilitate my entrance into the city management profession after graduation.” Zach also noted, “I benefited greatly from hearing the broad perspectives of my classmates. My colleagues in the classroom came from all walks of life (race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.), and I know that they represent the demographics of the communities I will serve down the line.” Learn More about Zach »
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Meet CSU’s Office of Civic Engagement Viking Corps Students
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Viking Corps, a program offered through CSU’s Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), housed at the Levin College, offers Cleveland State University students paid working opportunities in local community-based organizations. The goal of the program is to encourage a lifelong commitment to community and civic engagement in areas they are passionate about through direct service opportunities.
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Meet Becky Hecker-Bornino
Becky currently serves as an in-person and remote tutor in the OCE's Viking Corps program at Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School, and is a Health Sciences Major at Cleveland State University. Becky shared:
“The Viking Corps program has given me the opportunity to serve the students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Volunteering my time to tutor and support these students has enriched my life. Serving others has helped me to grow as a person and to develop meaningful relationships that have positively impacted their success. Thank you to the OCE and Anita Ruf-Young [Director of the OCE] for the opportunity to help these students.”
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Meet Breanna Radigan
Breanna currently serves in the OCE Viking Corps program at Audrey's Outreach as a student assistant and is a freshman student at Cleveland State University. Breanna shared:
“I absolutely love that this program has been able to get me back into volunteering after I had to stop due to schedule conflicts. It always brings me so much joy to be back where I feel that I am making an important impact through volunteering. I believe that my work at Audrey’s Outreach is providing a fun and positive experience for clients.”
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Meet Jayla Wilson
Jayla currently serves as a remote tutor in the OCE's Viking Corps program at Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School, and is a Chemical Engineering Major at Cleveland State University. Jayla shared:
“I learned that we all possess different strengths that go towards bettering our community and the people of our community. We can celebrate our differences and learn from each other to gain more knowledge. The more we learn as a community, the further the people in our community can go.”
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Dr. Ronnie A. Dunn, Associate Professor at Levin and CSU’s Interim Chief Diversity Officer, was referenced in the Community News section of Cleveland.com, in an article related to safe policing. Dr. Dunn was also featured in an ideastream audio clip about people in Northeast Ohio who may be skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Jeffrey Bowen, College Lecturer in Organizational Leadership at Levin, was featured in “Neighborhood Voices," a city-wide creative writing project designed by Literary Cleveland and the Cleveland Public Library to engage writers across Cleveland, allowing residents to connect with neighbors, share stories of their community, and draft new writing about what makes their neighborhood unique. The Neighborhood Voices anthology was promoted in a recent article by Cool Cleveland and Professor Bowen’s work is available here.
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Levin partner Birthing Beautiful Communities (BBC) was featured in an article by the George Gund Foundation, announcing their $1,000,000 award to the organization to open a comprehensive birthing center in the Hough neighborhood. The organization 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. BBC is led by Christin Farmer, a Senior Fellow at Levin.
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COVID-19: Outlooks from Northeast Ohio Mayors
Recorded on December 2, 2020
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Communities around Northeast Ohio are united by the challenges of COVID-19, and local officials are at the forefront of the response. Almost overnight, municipalities were pressed to implement new public safety regulations and establish emergency relief spending measures. Resulting budget shortfalls are forcing painful decisions in local governments, including layoffs, furloughs, and cuts to important public services. COVID-19: Outlooks from Northeast Ohio Mayors, recorded on December 2, 2020, features a panel of mayors from cities throughout Cuyahoga County. Together they offer their ground-level perspectives as they have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, and share their outlooks on how our communities will continue to navigate these challenging times in 2021.
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Inconvenient Truths about Suburbanization without Growth
Held on November 10, 2020
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In his book Driving Detroit, George Galster describes tribalism simmering beneath the ongoing sprawl and segregation of metropolitan Detroit. This process is familiar in the nearby Cleveland region, where 16,000 more homes were built than new households appeared between 2010 and 2018. Documents such as the Vibrant NEO regional planning framework outline environmental, fiscal, and social costs of this ongoing suburbanization without regional growth. Academic scholarship has worked to estimate effects on employment accessibility and residential vacancy, among other outcomes. Local governments in Northeast Ohio often collaborate with one another to provide services, pursue regional initiatives, and create regional plans. However, it remains a challenge to strengthen those collaborations to overcome the market failures, inefficiencies, and losses associated with suburbanization without growth. Leaders must weigh localized costs and risks against potential benefits.
Inconvenient Truths about Suburbanization without Growth, a Levin College Forum held on November 10, 2020, explores our latest research on the subject of regionalism, and draws together a panel of experts who discuss the challenges of connecting this research to policy and practice. The program includes three research perspectives outlining the predictability of regional dynamics, the social consequences of those dynamics, and the role of collaboration-based interventions. Regional practitioners and leaders join this scholarship with their on-the-ground perspectives of political and logistical realities and other dynamics.
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RACIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS SERIES
Local Government & Social and Racial Justice
Held on December 2, 2020
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The Racial Justice Conversations Series, part of CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law’s larger Call to Action, addresses racial and social justice and antiracism through learning and conversation opportunities that educate, challenge, and transform the broader community. In this conversation, four Levin faculty address the impact of local government jurisdiction and regulations on social and racial justice. Panelists include Dr. Megan Hatch, Associate Professor and PhD Program Director, Dr. Joseph Mead, Assistant Professor and Director of the JD/MPA and JD/MUPD Dual Degree Programs, Dr. Meghan Rubado, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Rosie Tighe, Associate Professor at Levin. C|M|LAW Dean Lee Fisher served as the moderator.
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MEET THE MENTORS SERIES
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"Meet the Mentors" is a four-part series sponsored by the Levin College Mentoring Program, offered through our Center for Public and Nonprofit Management (CPNM) in in collaboration with the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service. Levin’s Mentoring Program matches undergraduate and graduate students with executive-level public and nonprofit sector community leaders based on each student's unique career aspirations. Mentors provide guidance and career advice as students examine career choices, goals, and objectives.
In this series, our panels of mentors shared academic and professional advice, talked about their experiences in the field, and answered questions from our audience. Our Meet the Urban Planning and Development Mentors panel discussion, held on December 2, 2020, was moderated by Dr. Joanna Ganning, Associate Dean for Faculty Research, Development, and Administration, Associate Professor, and Master of Urban Planning and Development Program Director at Levin. Panelists included:
- Joan Chase | Manager, Allegro Real Estate Brokers & Advisors
- Arthur Schmidt | Senior Planner, OHM Advisors
- Jeff Sugalski | Real Estate Development Director, Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc.
- Elise Yablonsky | Planning Director, University Circle, Inc.
- Jennifer McMillin | Director of Sustainability, Cleveland State University
- Kurt Princic | District Chief, Ohio EPA Northeast District Office
- Philena Seldon | Outreach and Education Liaison, City of Cleveland's Office of Sustainability
- Paul Solanics | Director of the City of Solon’s Water Reclamation Department
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Oil and Gas: Unitization Law and Policy
Monday, December 14, 2020 | 2:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Held via Zoom | 3.0 CLE credits pending
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As a result of shale development, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Oil and Gas Resources, is facing a number of circumstances that are new to Ohio, and many laws and ODNR policies may still be still developing. This CLE event will feature Ohio and national experts providing insight into best practices for oil and gas unitization to the Ohio oil and gas legal and regulatory community. Dr. Heidi Gorovitz Robertson, C|M|LAW's Steven W. Percy Distinguished Professor of Law and Professor of Environmental Studies at the Levin College, serves as one of the guest speakers, and Andrew R. Thomas, Director of Levin’s Energy Policy Center, serves as a panel moderator.
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WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SERIES
Share Your Story Program: Featuring Julie M. Stufft
Free webinar held via Zoom
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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 (MPA) 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.
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