FOCUS ON FACULTY
Mandel Center Faculty Highlights
Laura Chisolm, Professor of Law at the School of Law, has been appointed Reporter to the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform Laws Study Committee on Regulation of Charities. Additionally, on April 20th Chisolm presented a paper entitled "State Oversight of Charitable Organizations: Is There Space for NCCUSL?" at the New York Nonprofit Forum in New York City.
Patti Choby, Visiting Instructor for the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, received the Outstanding Adjunct Teacher Award for 2006 at the MSASS commencement ceremony on May 20th. Choby said that it was such an honor to receive this award and that it has been a privilege to be able to continue to teach in the spirit of Dr. Art Naparstek since his untimely passing in 2004. Choby also attributes this honor to the tireless contributions of Congressman Louis Stokes who continues to inspire her and the students every time he joins them. Choby, along with graduate social work students enrolled in the Management of Community-Based Development course during the Spring 2006 semester, organized the "Reframe Dialogue Sessions," which is a series of discussions with innovative community leaders and professionals. The series was designed to identify new approaches to the practice of development and raise awareness about how to address our region's critical issues: education, workforce development, business development and job creation, and housing. Visit the following link to download and listen to interviews with interviewees from the sessions: http://www.meetthebloggers.libsyn.com.
David Crampton, Assistant Professor for the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, was selected by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to be lead investigator for the Analysis of Team Decision Making (TDM) one of the four core strategies of the Baltimore-based foundation's foster care reform effort called the Family to Family initiative. The group will study the implementation of TDM in five cities: Cleveland, Denver, San Francisco, Louisville, Ky. and Orange County, California. TDM includes convening a meeting with community representatives, family members and social workers who review every decision to remove a child from his home and/or any change in the child's placement. Read more in Crain's Cleveland Business.
Robert Fischer, Research Associate Professor for the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, received the 2006 Mandel Center Teaching Award. Criteria for the Teaching Award include: Creation of a dynamic, high impact learning environment within the classroom; demonstration of effective engaging teaching methods; encouragement and guidance toward life-long learning; and exceptional accessibility, assistance and guidance given to individual students in helping to resolve questions and problems.
Jean Kilgore, Senior Lecturer for the Weatherhead School of Management, joined the Mandel Center staff as Director of Professional Development Programs. Kilgore has experience in executive education, consulting and professional development programs. She started in her new position in July and will maintain her appointment at Weatherhead.
Kelly McMann, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the College of Arts & Sciences, released her book, Economic Autonomy and Democracy: Hybrid Regimes in Russia and Kyrgyzstan, this spring. McMann's book discusses the question: How do individuals decide to exercise their democratic rights? This book argues that they first assess their economic autonomy, meaning their ability to make a living independent of government authorities. Accounts of activists' decisions about establishing independent media, leading political organizations, and running for office and descriptions of government harassment in Russia and Kyrgyzstan, along with examples from most regions of the world, illustrate these arguments.
