Public Administration and Urban Studies News

Tom Reynolds, who graduated with an MPA in May 2009, is the new village administrator in Cardington, Ohio.  Located in Morrow County in north central Ohio, Cardington is just east of Marion and has about 2,000 residents.

Prior to being hired by Cardington, Tom was a research analyst for the Summit County Executive Russ Pry in the Department of Community and Economic Development. He has also worked for the city managers of Hudson and Canal Fulton, as well as for the Ohio Finance Department and Akron City Council. Tom is from Dalton, Ohio.

Congratulations, Tom!

Chris Opoku-Agyeman, a doctoral student in the department, went in November with a group of Akron students to Omaha, Nebraska to meet with billionaire investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett. Chris has taken courses in the business college to supplement his education in PAUS. The opportunity to go to Omaha emerged from his connection to associate professor Todd Finkle, and he was thrilled to have the opportunity to go. “My personal encounter with (Warren Buffett) was not only a lifetime opportunity but an enhancement of ideas towards success and excellence in my life and to the benefit of the world,” he said. If you get a chance, ask Chris about his experience. He has many stories to share.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton has announced its newest program associate is Vashon W. Williams, a December 2008 graduate of the MPA program. Until being hired by the foundation, Vashon worked as a research assistant for the Institute for Health and Social Policy at The University of Akron.  He also served for a short time as an intern for the foundation. In his new position, Vashon will be responsible for working with the president and other staff to assist in defining and developing program areas, provide technical assistance to applicants and grantees, review grant applications, provide staff reviews for the Board’s Distribution Committee and Directors, and monitor existing grants to support the foundation’s mission.  In addition, he will be responsible for working with the president and other staff on implementation of strategic initiatives and other focus areas as assigned.   Congratulations Vashon!

Jeremy Dubois (2008) accepted a position recently with The Kroger Company in Cincinnati.  He is now in their Management Development I Program, which will prepare him to be a store manager. The program runs 20 weeks and includes classroom and on-the-job training. Jeremy said he expects to apply much of what he learned about organizations and management in the MPA program. Congratulations Jeremy!

Linda Githiora (2008) recently started her new position as coordinator of grants development with the Center for Sponsored Research and Programs at The University of North Carolina – Pembroke. Linda’s responsibilities are to work with faculty and staff to identify grant opportunities; to work with the director and faculty committees to ensure universitywide compliance; to review grants, contracts, and agreements to ensure accuracy and timely completion; to respond to questions and requests from principal investigators; to conduct grants workshops; and to assist professors with creating user accounts for electronic research administration databases. Congratulations and best wishes to Linda!

Dr. Peggy Stephens and Margaret Baughman have received funding for a three-year ($60K per year) Cleveland Drug Court Cannabis Youth Treatment Enhancement Grant (RFA No. TI-08-007). The grant is funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Peggy and Margaret will begin collecting data from drug court enrollees to evaluate the process and outcomes for participants from 18 to 25 years old. The study focuses on male felony offenders diverted to substance abuse treatment from the Cleveland Municipal Court. The project will run through September of 2011. Congratulations Peggy and Margaret!

PAUS will be well represented at this year’s Conference on Minority Public Administrators (Feb. 8-11), with faculty, a recent graduate, and current Ph.D. students taking roles in three panel discussions.

1. Dr. RaJade M. Berry-James, Dr. Cryshanna Jackson, and Hope Moore are taking part in a panel titled Faith Based and Community Approaches to Social Engagement.
2. Jade and Cryshanna are also part of a panel titled Crucial Conversations — Seven Competencies for Public Managers.
3. Dr. Julia Beckett, Jade, and Juanita Elton will participate in a panel titled Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Disproportion Minority Contact.

Well done!

Recent MPA graduate Ed Stazyk (2006) is nearing completion of his PhD at Kansas University.  Ed recently announced that he has accepted a tenure track faculty position at American University. He will be starting in fall 2009. Congratulations Ed! you can read more about what is going on with Ed at his UK Web site: http://ecstazyk.com/default.aspx.

The International City/County Management Association recently notified MPA Student Tom Reynolds that he has been selected as a finalist in the ICMA’s local government management fellowship program. During the next couple of months, Tom will be interviewing with cities around the country in hopes of receiving one of the coveted fellowships. Congratulations Tom!

The Golden Key International Honour Society inducted PAUS PhD students Keba Scylla and Steven Wright into their esteemed ranks on Sunday, November 9th. Golden Key International Honour Society, founded on 29 November 1977, is an academic society that recognizes and encourages scholastic achievement and excellence among college and university students from all academic disciplines. Congratulations Keba and Steven!