UB’s College of Public Affairs and Jacob France Institute in the Merrick School of Business will serve as lead university partner on a new USA Sustainable Cities Initiative (USA-SCI) led by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Climate Nexus. Baltimore has been selected as a model city for the project, which supports the UN’s newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals, a series of global aspirations and priorities designed to take on major sustainable development challenges. The University’s role, as established by SDSN, will be to provide support and guidance as the city expands its capabilities regarding sustainable development.

UB’s efforts in the USA-SCI initiative in Baltimore will be led by Ivan Sascha Sheehan, associate professor and director of the M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management program in the College of Public Affairs, and Seema Iyer, associate director of the Jacob France Institute and research assistant professor in the Merrick School of Business. UB will collaborate with University of Maryland National Center for Smart Growth and Communities Without Boundaries International.

Learn more: http://www.ubalt.edu/news/news-releases.cfm?id=2357

Lauren Samuelsen, a student in the M.S. in Global Affairs and Human Security (GAHS) program, has been accepted to present her paper “Domestic Peace and Homeland Security Structures” at the 2016 International Studies Association (ISA) Conference. The ISA represents over 100 countries, has more than 6,500 members worldwide, and is the most respected and widely known scholarly association in international studies. The ISA conference, one of the largest conferences in the field, attracts scholars and students from around the world.

“The faculty in the Global Affairs and Human Security program could not be more proud of Lauren for having a paper accepted for presentation at the ISA Conference,” said Associate Professor Sascha Sheehan, who is co-director of the GAHS graduate program. “This is an extraordinary accomplishment for a graduate student since ISA is among the largest and most distinguished international meetings for political scientists held annually. Lauren has worked as a graduate assistant, secured a competitive internship with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, and maintained a near perfect GPA, and she will be a fine ambassador for the GAHS program and the College of Public Affairs at the spring 2016 conference.”

The ISA Conference will be held March 16-19 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Opportunities to present research at conferences or attend professional meetings or trainings provide students with important learning experiences as well as a way to network and explore careers. To help support these types of opportunities for students in the College of Public Affairs, Dean Roger Hartley has launched a new Student Professional Development Grant Program.

“The Student Professional Development Grant Program is my way of encouraging an engaged learning experience and helping students build networks in their intended career field,” Hartley said. “By taking advantage of professional development opportunities, our students will not only develop complementary career skills and make valuable connections, but they will also help raise the visibility of the college.”

This pilot program will support airfare, car mileage, overnight stay, or a registration or fee for a banquet. Applications must demonstrate the value of the proposed opportunity to the student’s education and professional development, as well as the benefits to the college. Additionally, students must provide a short letter or email of support from a faculty member. And upon completion of the experience, students must also submit a one- to two-page summary and reflection paper to the dean.

Several students have already taken advantage of the new program, including M.P.A. student and Schaefer Center for Public Policy graduate fellow, Ken Weaver. Ken accompanied School of Public and International Affairs Assistant Professor Aaron Wachhaus to the Southeastern Conference for Public Administration held in Charleston, South Carolina in early October. Aaron and Ken gave a presentation entitled, “Building Healthy Communities,” which was the culmination of a project they’d been working on together on behalf of the Schaefer Center.

“I made lots of contacts with both academics and practitioners in public administration, and just had a great time,” said Ken in his reflection paper. “I learned even more by attending lots of panels and participating in many discussions. This was not only a big help to my professional development, but also my personal development.”

Students are eligible for a single grant for up to $500 in the 2015-16 academic year. For more information or to apply for a Student Professional Development Grant, contact Stephen Shirley, senior budget analyst at sshirley@ubalt.edu or 410-837-6209.

In the latest issue of Baltimore OUTloud, College of Public Affairs Academic Adviser Kristen Tull offers perspective on coming out and higher education. “National Coming Out Day is recognized at many universities across Maryland and the country,” said Tull. “Administrators, faculty, and staff can and should play an integral role in the support of this day. Becoming a mentor and a role model is a good first step.”

Tull’s piece is the college’s second contribution to Baltimore OUTloud‘s new feature column called “Out on Campus,” dedicated to higher education and the LGBTQ experience. Earlier this month, Dean Roger Hartley kicked off the new column with a piece about public service and why it matters now more than ever.

Read “Coming Out and Higher Education” by Kristen Tull.

Read “Public Service Needs You” by Roger Hartley.

Criminal justice graduate student, Sonce Reese, gives extensive commentary in a new New York Times video called, “Uniting a Divided Baltimore.” The video was part of a front-page feature in the Oct. 20 edition of The New York Times that covered the University of Baltimore’s “Divided Baltimore” class. The video focuses on the different ways that the city is dealing with problems of economic disparities, segregation and other issues that led to the civil unrest of last spring.

Watch the video.

Read the article.

Learn more about “Divided Baltimore.”

George Julnes, professor in the School of Public and International Affairs, has been selected as the recipient of the 2015 Paul F. Lazarsfeld Evaluation Theory Award from the American Evaluation Association (AEA). This prestigious award is presented to an individual whose written work on evaluation theory has led to fruitful debates on the assumptions, goals, and practices of evaluation, according to the AEA website.

Julnes, who in addition to teaching, directs the Doctor of Public Administration program, has led and consulted on evaluation projects funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. He also is a section editor of the American Journal of Evaluation and on the editorial boards of Evaluation and Program Planning, New Directions for Evaluation, and the International Review of Public Administration.

“George’s winning of the AEA’s Lazarsfeld Award is a major career achievement,” said College of Public Affairs Dean Roger Hartley. “All you have to do is take a look at the award’s past winners—it’s a who’s who of evaluation scholars. Everyone here in the College is very proud of George’s achievement.”

Julnes will receive the award at the AEA’s annual conference in Chicago on Nov. 13.

Learn more about George Julnes.

Tara Richards, a criminal justice assistant professor at UB, is quoted in a Huffington Post story about a new campus climate survey on sexual assault and misconduct, conducted by the Association of American Universities (AAU). The survey gathered responses from 150,072 students at 27 higher education institutions—one of the largest sexual harassment and assault surveys completed among US college students.

Richards believes the AAU survey results are “an important new tool regarding the context of gender-based violence among college students.”

The results reveal that 50-75% of surveyed students have experienced sexual harassment, including 3 of every 4 LGBTQ students. Approximately 1 in 10 female students are victims of assault involving sexual penetration through force or incapacitation. Over 11 percent of undergraduate women and nearly 15 percent of undergraduate LGBTQ students have experienced penetration or oral sex without their affirmative consent. According to survey results, freshmen, LGBTQ, and Native American students face the highest risks.

The survey found that most students don’t report sexual assaults. Of the few who do report an incident to their university or the police, most fear that no action will be taken. “The fact that many students reporting ‘penetration by force’ still feel that they will not be taken seriously or that no one will care or act on their behalf highlights how far we still have to go regarding changing the entire culture around sexual violence,” said Richards.

Learn more about Tara Richards and the School of Criminal Justice.

Renita Seabrook, an associate professor in UB’s School of Criminal Justice, is quoted in a Baltimore Sun story about grant monies raised to address unrest following the Freddie Gray riots. As a 2014 fellow of the nonprofit, Open Society Institute-Baltimore (OSI), Seabrook actively supports the needs of the Baltimore community. She firmly believes that we “have to invest in people.”

OSI promotes racial equality in the criminal justice system and provides opportunities for marginalized groups. After the April riots, the nonprofit divided $337,500 in grants between thirteen programs, most of which are managed by former OSI fellows. By distributing funds to committed individuals already experienced in serving community needs, OSI is confident that aid will be dispersed quickly and efficiently.

Several OSI programs focus on empowering young people to become community advocates. Others, like the program dubbed “You’re the Quarterback,” help men who are ex-convicts, unemployed, and homeless to support their families by finishing their education and finding jobs. Seabrook founded Helping Others 2 Win, a similar program designed for incarcerated and post-incarcerated women.

“The great thing about a grass-roots organization, you hear the pulse of the people,” Seabrook reflected. “You are right at the heart of understanding the needs of the community.”

Learn more about Renita Seabrook and Helping Others 2 Win.

This fall, the University of Baltimore welcomes a new dean and four new faculty members to the College of Public Affairs. Each of these individuals is prepared to share his or her expertise and passion for public service to enhance the UB community.

Roger E. Hartley is the third dean of UB’s College of Public Affairs. Hartley earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Georgia at Athens in 1999 and 1993, respectively, and his B.S. in Public Affairs from Indiana University in 1991. From 1999-2001, he taught in the Department of Public Affairs at Roanoke College, in addition to the criminal justice and political science departments at CUNY as an adjunct professor. For the next nine years, Hartley taught at the University of Arizona’s School of Government and Public Policy, where he achieved the rank of associate professor and served as the school’s interim associate dean and director. Before coming to UB, Hartley directed Western Carolina University’s Master of Public Affairs program and taught courses in political science and public affairs from 2010-2015. Throughout his career, Hartley has received several awards for his remarkable accomplishments, including Western Carolina University’s “Graddy” award for best program director and “First Year Advocate” award highlighting his outstanding assistance to new students. Hartley currently serves on the National Center for State Court’s Research Advisory Council and the editorial boards of two political journals. He has published a book and dozens of documents relating to law and court systems. Read more about Hartley here.

José Florencio Fernández Santillán, professor of political science at the Tecnológico de Monterrey (Campus Ciudad de México), will spend the fall semester at UB as a Fulbright Scholar in Residence. Santillán, winner of several teaching and scholarship awards in his native Mexico, will be teaching and conducting research as a faculty member in UB’s College of Public Affairs. Santillán received his bachelors and masters in political science and public administration from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 1976 and 1978, respectively. He holds two doctorates, from the University of Turin (1983) and from UNAM (1989). Since 2003, Santillán has taught and conducted research projects and fellowships at Harvard University and is currently a visiting scholar at Georgetown University. His work focuses on the political process, social reforms, and the rule of law in Mexico. He writes for scholarly journals and makes appearances in mainstream print and radio outlets. He has also authored and edited several books. Read more about Santillán and the Fulbright Scholar in Residence program here.

Kelechi Uzochukwu joins the School of Public and International Affairs as an assistant professor. She received her Ph.D. in Public Policy from Georgia State University’s joint program with Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on improving local governance and enhancing the quality of life for distressed populations, both domestically and abroad. Prior to joining UB, Uzochukwu worked as a community and economic development researcher at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. She has also worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Georgia Department of Transportation, and the Safe Routes to Schools National Partnership.

Gabriela Wasileski joins the School of Criminal Justice as an assistant professor. She earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in Criminology from the University of Delaware, and an M.A. in Social Work from Comenius University in Slovakia. Wasileski comes to UB from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she was an assistant professor of criminology from 2011-2015. Her research focuses on immigration policies, human rights, gender, crime, and victimization.

Alan S. Weisman has been an adjunct professor in UB’s School of Health and Human Services since 2012, and will assume the role of lecturer beginning this fall. He earned both his B.S. in Business Management and M.A. in Legal and Ethical Studies from UB. Weisman has over 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He began his career as an entry level accounting clerk, working his way up to management roles at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, University of Maryland Medical Center, and Maryland General Hospital. In 2004, he achieved his Board Certification in Healthcare Management, becoming a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He was recruited in 2005 by Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC, as its first administrator of the Heart Institute, where he focused on assisting the uninsured and underinsured. Weisman also served as president of the Maryland Association of Healthcare Executives from 2013-2015.