While researchers have noted the deleterious effects of foreclosure on surrounding properties and neighborhoods, little is known about the effects of foreclosure on children. A new report, Kids and Foreclosure: New York City, just released by researchers at NYU’s Institute for Education and Social Policy (IESP) and Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy begins to address the issue by estimating the number of students in New York City affected by the current foreclosure crisis.“

Few researchers have explored the human costs of  foreclosure, and virtually no one has considered the collateral costs on children,” said Ingrid Gould Ellen, faculty co-director of the Furman Center and a professor at NYU Wagner. “This study shows that the number of children living in foreclosed buildings in New York City is large and growing, and the impact falls disproportionately on black children.”

Popular education, an approach to critical education developed by the Brazilian educator and activist Paulo Freire, is gaining currency within the field of social change in the US owing to its roots in the civil rights movement in the United States and various farm workers' movements in Latin America.

Initially an approach to mass adult literacy, popular education has been increasingly seen as a useful approach to organizing because it is inherently political, seeking social transformation rather than Band-Aid solutions. Thanks to the work of Latino immigrant social change organizations and drawing on their experiences in Latin America, popular education is now seen as an important part of the organizing toolkit in the US, with leadership development at its core.

In the chapter "Popular Education" in the just-published Sage book Political and Civic Leadership, RCLA scholars Waad El Hadidy, Sonia Ospina, and Amparo Hofmann-Pinilla discuss how Latino social change organizations use popular education to nurture learning and leadership for action within their communities. The authors draw important lessons about leadership development from on-the-ground applications of popular education and share implications for a new trend in the leadership field that views leadership as collective achievement.

Edited by Richard A. Couto, PhD, the book provides undergraduate students with an authoritative reference resource on political and civic leadership, offering detailed but accessible discussions of 100 of the most important topics, issues, questions and debates related to politics and civic society.

Waad El Hadidy is Senior Associate at NYU Wagner's Research Center for Leadership in Action, which builds knowledge and capacity for excellence in public service leadership. Sonia Ospina is Associate Professor of Public Management & Policy at NYU Wagner and Faculty Director of RCLA, and Amparo Hofmann-Pinilla is Deputy Director of RCLA.

NYU Wagner Professor Victor Rodwin is the coauthor of a new book comparing the American and French health care systems - A La Sante De L'Oncle Sam (To Uncle Sam's Health: Cross Perspectives on the American and French Health Systems).

Victor Rodwin, professor of health policy and management at NYU Wagner, and his colleague Didier Tabuteau, counselor of state and professor of health policy at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques and the University of Paris Descartes, have published a new book (published by Editions Jacob Duvernet) in which they challenge the conventional wisdom that the French health care system is a government-managed, public and collective enterprise and the American system a private, market-oriented and individualist system. Based on six months of debates in Paris while Professor Rodwin held the Fulbright-Toqueville Chair (spring semester, 2010), this book compares public health, health insurance, the power of physicians, health care reform, and the silent revolution that is transforming health care organization in both France and the United States.

About 100 people attended an informative discussion of NYU Wagner Assistant Professor of Public Policy Natasha Iskander's fascinating new book, Creative State: Forty Years of Migration and Development Policy in Morocco and Mexico. The presentation was held September 27, marking the launch of the book.

As the evening's lively dialogue reflected, Prof. Iskander's work constitutes an essential resource for scholars and students interested in public policy, government and international development. Her account reveals the unexpected process of contestation and agreement that gave rise to successful policies by which national governments bring migrants into their banking systems, capture remittances for national development projects, and foster partnerships for the design and provision of infrastructure.

Wagner Dean Ellen Schall offered introductory remarks, noting that Professor Iskander's book "draws our attention to the murky, unruly ambiguity that is the prologue to policy innovation."

The author also greeted the standing-room-only audience, describing her wide-ranging, three-year journey of research, which included extensive interviews with migrants, policy planners, and government officials in several countries. She outlined her findings and potential areas for future research.

Craig Calhoun, a sociology professor at NYU and president of the Social Science Research Council, hailed the book as a significant achievement, terming it an inspiring "account of innovation in which the state is unpacked and opened up," and the evolution of what have come to be called best practices are compellingly portrayed.

Jorge Casteneda, global distinguished professor of politics and Latin American and Caribbean Studies at NYU, weighed the book's implications against his experience as former Foreign Minister of Mexico and the Mexican government's attempts to gain a path to a legal foothold for millions of undocumented migrants in the U.S. Ruth Milkman, associate director of the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies at CUNY, described the active role of immigrants in pushing for decent pay and working conditions in construction sites and factories here.

"Natasha's book shows how migrant workers are shaped by both the desire to get ahead economically, but also by political situations in the countries from which they are migrating," she said.

Suitably, the event concluded with a buffet of Mexican and Moroccan foods, and Professor Iskander inscribing copies of her book for the mingling guests.

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party Leader in the United Kingdom, conducted a lively town hall meeting at New York University on September 22, sponsored by NYU Wagner and the University.

The lively, one-hour event drew more than 350 people, predominantly NYU students, to the Kimmel Center for University Life and its Eisner & Lubin auditorium.

Ellen Schall, dean of Wagner, delivered welcoming remarks about the European leader, who was the unexpected star of the national elections held in the UK in May. The Right Honourable Clegg, microphone in hand, outlined the sweep of history that has given rise to the coalition government in which he serves, led by the Conservative prime minister, David Cameron.

The Deputy Prime Minister spent the bulk of the hour fielding questions from the audience on topics ranging from his program for reducing the dole by waiving taxation for low wage workers, the unprecedented peacetime national deficit facing his country, and nuclear policy. His comments also took in the economy, political reform, and how and why liberals and conservatives can and should work together.

First published in 1980, Street-Level Bureaucracy by Michael Lipsky is a critically acclaimed study of public service workers - be they teachers, nurses, police officers, or child protective caseworkers-and the ways that they wield discretion and influence over the day-to-day operation of government programs. Lipsky's path-breaking book explores the tensions among these front-line workers, their clients and their managers, and how those tensions shape the possibility of systemic reform.

On Thursday, September 16, NYU Wagner Dean Ellen Schall joined Lipsky, distinguished senior fellow with Demos, New York City Deputy Mayor for Human Services Linda Gibbs, and John Mollenkopf, director of the Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center, to reflect on the award-winning book - reprinted on its 30th anniversary - and to discuss current problems and creative solutions in reforming social services.

The need for effective health care, social services education, and law enforcement is as urgent as ever, three decades since the book's original publication by the Russell Sage Foundation.

Deputy Mayor Gibbs recalled her reform-oriented work at the Administration for Children's Services and the Department of Homeless Services of New York City, emphasizing the value of engaging with street-level staff, while Dean Schall, the Martin Cherkasky Professor of Health Policy & Management, discussed her years early in her career as a Legal Aid attorney, and her experiences with reform as the commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice for New York City. Along with Michael Lipsky, they explored the everyday tensions between rules and discretion that exist for front-line workers and managers.

All agreed that the desire to make a difference draws younger people, mid-career professionals and increasingly even retirees to careers and positions in public service, and that this motivation remains at least as powerful as it was 30 years ago.

"I would say what young people want is impact," Dean Schall said during the question-and-answer segment, which included involvement by several Wagner faculty and students in the audience. "There isn't a sector where you can have greater impact than the public sector."

Under the direction of Lawrence Mirsky, the Wagner Information Technology unit provides Wagner faculty, staff and students with computer support, database management and training and Web resources. 

If you have an IT issue that you need help with, please use this submission form to report it. Using this form will ensure that all members of Wagner IT review it and that the appropriate person will get back to you.

Starting in October, Lawrence will be on paternity leave for several months; in his absence, Peter Jaffe will be supervising the IT unit, and will be the point person for any problems that other IT staff are unable to address.

The other members of the ITS unit are: 

• Andrew Lynagh, the point person for help with computer-support issues, access to laptops or other loanable equipment and installation and configuration of Wagner tech equipment

• Hanif Peters-Davis, the point person for training on the Salesforce database and the Omni Update content-management system

• Paul Tepper, is the interim manager of the Web redevelopment project, and the go-to person for all technical issues related to wagner.nyu.edu

Thanks for the support, guys!

Assistant Professor of Public Policy Natasha Iskander just published a new book called Creative State: Forty Years of Migration and Development Policy in Morocco and Mexico. 

At the turn of the 21st century, governments around the world began searching for ways to capitalize on emigration for economic growth, and they looked to nations that already had policies in place. Morocco and Mexico featured prominently as sources of “best practices” in this area. 

In Creative State, Professor Iskander chronicles how these innovative policies emerged and evolved over 40 years and reveals how neither the governments nor their migrant constituencies ever predicted the ways the initiatives would fundamentally redefine nationhood, development and citizenship.

Learn more about this fascinating topic and RSVP for the book launch celebration.

One of the familiar friendly faces at the front desk belongs to Page Bradford, an administrative aide on the Fiscal Operations & Human Resources team. Page grew up in Warrensville Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Central State University (Ohio) with a BA in marketing. He moved to New York after college, where his first job was as a sales representative for a wholesale costume jewelry manufacturer that sold to major retailers. "I later pursued freelance jewelry design and created my own line of T-shirts that sold at Bloomingdales, Patricia Field, and several boutiques and flea markets." It was during this time that Page had the opportunity to join the Wagner staff. "September 11, 2010, marked my 15-year anniversary at Wagner."

Please describe your job function.
My work responsibilities include various functions related to facilities management, such as space allocations, front desk, mail room, copy centers and general operations that support the onboarding and exiting of personnel. Examples of my assignments are telephone set-up, office repair resolution and the installation of baby-changing tables. I have also been a member of the Gallery Committee, which produces our galley openings, since 2005.

What is the best part about working at Wagner'
The best part is that I truly enjoy being a part of the Wagner family. I work with a great a group of colleagues and the ever-changing student population always keeps things interesting.

What is a satisfying aspect of your job'
I enjoy being able to provide a high level of customer service to students, staff, faculty, vendors, visitors and VIP guests. I have had the good fortune to meet and welcome Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor David Dinkins, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama.

I have also taken a wide variety of classes at NYU, which has provided me great opportunities to further my education. I'm currently enrolled in the facilities management certificate program at SCPS, and have taken courses in jewelry design and in starting a business. I also received my certification in hotel operations.

What is the most challenging part of your job'
The most challenging part of my job is managing the broad range of diverse tasks that I face on a daily basis. The ability to think quickly, to solve problems and to multitask are significant to front desk operations.

What is the most common question you are asked by students, staff and faculty'
Can something be done about the air conditioner'

What is one thing about you that might surprise people'
I played trumpet in the high school marching band.

Tell us about your craft: jewelry making.
I design unique handcrafted costume jewels and accessories, such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, key chains and bookmarks. I use a mixture of semi-precious stones, beads, metal, wood, glass, crystals, rhinestones, charms, leather, chain and wire-wrapping. Dean Schall was one of my first customers at Wagner; about 15 years ago, she bought a necklace for Rose Anderson as a Christmas gift. Rose still wears that necklace.

One of the biggest compliments I've ever received was when a coworker's 90-year-old grandmother had her ears pierced because she fell in love with a pair of earrings I designed!

A portion of all my jewelry sales is donated to Housing Works. I'm currently selling charms for Haiti, and donated a portion of the proceeds to the Haiti Relief Fund. You can see my work at www.pagebradford.org

What do you do on weekends'
I really enjoy being able to sleep late! I also like movies, taking walks in the park, dining out and, most recently, doing renovations in my condo.

If you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be and why'
George Washington Carver derived 300 products from peanuts and 118 products from sweet potatoes. He could teach us all a thing or two about going green!

When Dean Ellen Schall was appointed commissioner of New York City’s Department of Juvenile Justice, she transformed the troubled agency into one that Harvard University and the Ford Foundation selected to win their prestigious Innovations Award. This iconic case study is featured on Electronic Hallway at the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs

As those of us who were in NYC this summer know, it was HOT. In fact, July 2010 just missed out on being the hottest July on record, with an average daily temperature of 81.3 degrees. During the first week of the month, both the city of New York and Con Edison called upon NYU to curtail energy consumption, and all NYU schools, including Wagner, were in turn asked to turn off non-critical office equipment and services, including personal computers, lights, appliances and any other electric loads not being used. As the below chart shows, the amount of electricity saved over each four-hour period was enough to power one average New York City home for three years. That’s the equivalent of taking about 7,000 NYC homes off the grid!

RECYCLE

• The large blue recycling bins are for all plastics (#1-7), plastic bags, newspaper, cardboard, pizza boxes, office paper, packaging, metal cans, clean foil, clothes hangers and glass. Items covered in food can’t be recycled. 

• We are all responsible for bringing our recyclables to the large blue bins.

• Click for information about recycling tech items and furniture.

• To get recycling bins or to report a problem about any recycling issues, call Facilities at extension 81001.

PAPER AND TONER

• Request that the person in charge purchase paper that contains 100% post-consumer recycled content. If this isn’t cost-effective, use paper that's at least 30% post-consumer recycled content.

• Always buy remanufactured toners! They are much cheaper on iBuy and just as good as new ones.

• Click for information about recycled paper and toner.

• For information about purchasing other office supplies, please refer to NYU’s Environmental Purchasing Guide.

COMPUTERS

• Save energy by setting your computer to hibernate.

• Save paper by setting your computer double-sided printing.

POWER STRIPS

• Turn off power strips or unplug any electrical devices that are not being used. Appliances such as computers and chargers use power even when turned off.

LIGHTING AND TEMPERATURE

• Take advantage of the natural light in the Puck instead of using overhead or desk lighting.

• If your office is overheated/overcooled, put in a work order request to Facilities at or call extension 81001.

WATER

• Use tap water instead of bottled water! It's free and tap water is more highly regulated than bottled water. Last year, Wagner received a grant to study water purity in the Puck; the study found that our water exceeded EPA standards in every category. Results are posted above every water fountain in the building, as well as above the sink in the pantry.

DISHES AND UTENSILS

• Bring in your own dishes and silverware.

• For catered events, the Wagner Special Events office has biodegradable utensils and paper products that can be used.

Homelessness is one of the most troubling and persistent social problems in the United States, yet experts can agree neither on its root causes nor on how to eradicate it. Is homelessness the result of individual life conditions, such as poverty, addiction, or mental illness, or is there simply not enough affordable housing' And which services are the most successful'

In "How to House the Homeless," editors Ingrid Gould Ellen and Brendan O'Flaherty propose that the answers entail rethinking how housing markets operate and developing more efficient interventions in existing service programs. The book, published by the Russell Sage Foundation, critically reassesses where we are now, analyzes the most promising policies and programs going forward, and offers a new agenda for future research.

Ingrid Ellen is a professor of public policy and urban planning at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and the co-director of the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, a leading academic research center devoted to the public policy aspects of real estate, land use and housing. O'Flaherty is professor of economics at Columbia University. How to House the Homeless grew out of a joint NYU Furman Center/Columbia University Center for Homeless Prevention conference in November, 2008.

Wagner welcomed our new incoming students at our seventh annual new student retreat, which took place from Sunday, August 29 to Monday, August 30, at beautiful Iroquois Springs Camp, in Rock Hill, New York. The gorgeous weather provided a welcoming backdrop to two full days of activities aimed at getting students to meet and connect with each other, Wagner faculty and Wagner staff. It was also a great opportunity for staff to connect with each other in a relaxed setting. Dean Schall welcomed the students to the Wagner community and David Schachter served as the weekend’s emcee and main facilitator.

Of 374 accepted master’s students, 81% attended the retreat, the highest percentage to date. They participated in a variety of activities over the two days, each of which illustrated a valuable tenet of the Wagner educational experience. These exercises drew upon each student’s passion for public service, helped prepare them for the case analysis method they will encounter in many of their classes, gave them opportunities to hone their networking skills, helped them reflect on the importance of identity and diversity in public service and introduced them to working on teams at Wagner. Students enjoyed time with their cohorts and peer advisors during meals and interacted with other cohorts during free time.

Along with the peer advisors, many staff members and several faculty attended some, if not all, of the retreat. The faculty included Salo Coslovsky, David Elcott, Erica Foldy, John Gershman, Karen Grépin, Rogan Kersh, Lucy MacPhail, Joe Magee, Nicole Mason, Nirupama Rao, Kathy O’Regan and Shanna Rose, and Bob Shrum gave an inspiring closing address to the students before they boarded the buses back for the Puck.

John White is the deputy chancellor for talent, labor, and innovation at the New York City Department of Education. In the New York Times article, he talks about why fewer NYC public school teachers received tenure this year.

NYU Wagner Professor Rae Zimmerman is part of Polytechnic Institute of New York University's planning for the launch of a pathbreaking graduate education program to educate scientists and engineers to address the increasingly complex issues surrounding information security and privacy. A $1.079 million award from the National Science Foundation's flagship interdisciplinary training initiative, Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) funds the program for the initial two years.

Reaching beyond a solely technical approach, the program has enlisted faculty from NYU's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, and Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, as well as faculty from CUNYs John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Called INSPIRE (Information Security and Privacy: An Interdisciplinary Research and Education Program) the program will address the shortage of scientists and engineers versed in the interplay between information security and economics, psychology, public policy and law. INSPIRE graduates -with students receiving degrees from NYU-Poly or NYU - will be able to apply their understanding of these fields to develop technology solutions attuned to an increasing dependency on trustworthy information sources.

"In the context of INSPIRE, faculty and doctoral students will address the balance between what is technologically feasible and what is acceptable within legal, political, economic and society constraints," noted Kurt Becker, NYU-Poly associate provost for research and technology initiatives.

Professor Zimmerman is director of the Institute for Civil Infrastructure Systems (ICIS) at NYU Wagner.

Read more about it and access the toolkit of resources.

Education Pioneers of Oakland, Calif., a network of education leaders and entrepreneurs, has announced the recruitment of a record number of applicants from top graduate programs across the country. Under a highly selective admissions process, approximately 300 graduate students out of nearly 2,500 applicants were chosen to participate in the 2010 Summer Graduate School Fellowship Program - an acceptance rate of just over 10 percent. The program includes a summer position with a leading education organization as well as peer support and rigorous training on the challenges of K-12 education.

The national non-profit organization mobilizes top graduate students and provides them with an opportunity to launch a career in education. Through its summer fellowship program, Education Pioneers prepares its Fellows to become leaders in the field through high-impact work experience, training, and access to a robust network in the public education sector.

Education Pioneers recruits select graduate students in business, policy, law, and education from top universities, including Harvard, New York University, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, and Stanford. Nearly 70 percent of the Fellows in the 2010 class have between three to six years of career and professional experience. Prior work experience includes major companies such as Google, McKinsey & Company, Harlem Children's Zone, Goldman Sachs, and Boeing. In addition, nearly 50 percent of Education Pioneers Fellows in the 2010 class are people of color.

Read the latest version of The Wagner Review, NYU Wagner's student-run academic journal, which showcases the critical thinking and collaborative innovation that typifies our students, future leaders in public service.

From conceiving alternatives to prostitution for sex workers in Latin America to untangling the politics of same-sex marriage in the U.S. to examining the implications of pedestrianizing New York's iconic Broadway, NYU Wagner students are at the forefront of social change as they tackle these and other pressing social issues.

Assistant Professor of Public Budgeting and Financial Management Dan Smith joined the Wagner faculty in spring 2009. His research focuses on the fiscal implications of state-level budgetary institutions, especially balanced budget requirements, and public financial management. "I've always been interested in "financey" things, like economics and statistics, and my practical experience honed that interest."

How did you become interested in budgeting and finance'
I got my master's at the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Delaware, which is a unique program in that everyone who's accepted does assistantships with state, local or federal agencies, nonprofits or in-house policy research centers. In the two years I was there, I worked in a conflict-resolution center and then had three revolving research fellowships: one in the city council of Wilmington; one in the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO); and one in the legislative fellows program, which is the non-partisan research arm of the state. It was an eye-opening and terrific opportunity. I decided to get a PhD, because I wanted to conduct independent research on the states, which is my main focus. The federal government doesn't have a lot of structure to its budgeting process, so I study the states because there's 50 of them and they do things individually enough that you can determine if one state's way of doing things in better than others.

How was your first year as a full-time Wagner faculty member'
Great! Busy. We're a big program with a lot of students, and a lot going on, so the scale and scope took some getting used to. Having a great staff made it a lot easier. Wagner is an intellectually vibrant place that offers a lot of support for research and teaching, which is wonderful.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job'
I get the most satisfaction when I see what my students accomplish. If I have a student in the fall who then gets a great internship for the spring, and I helped them by writing a letter of recommendation, then that's very satisfying.

What is the most challenging part of your job'
Time-management! Being a professor is self-directed, so you have to be completely self-motivated and self-disciplined, which is tough. Our schedules are always very full; we do research, review papers, go to conferences, serve on boards, chair conferences and serve on search committees, not to mention teach and correct papers. You'd need 40-50 hours in a day to accomplish everything you'd like to. At the end of the day, though, I wouldn't trade it for any job in the world.

Let's talk about your current research. What are you working on this summer'
For the last few years I've done a lot of research on balance budget requirements at the state level, figuring out what exists in the laws and studying what works and what doesn't. Do these requirements do as they're intended, and if not, what are they actually doing'

Now I'm looking more at questions of financial management by studying how states accumulate and then use three major funds: unemployment insurance trust funds, rainy day funds and general funds. The unemployment insurance trust research is ongoing. Incredibly, nobody has studied unemployment insurance spending at the state level-we're talking about many billions of dollars-so I'm looking at the political and economic determinants of how states decide how to raise and use that revenue because they have a lot of discretion.

My research this summer focuses on general funds. First of all, the term "general fund" varies from state to state. In some states this fund includes education spending, in some states it doesn't. Some states have laws governing how it's raised and spent, some states don't. Right now I'm collecting data on the general funds from all the states. I'm looking at the comprehensive annual financial reports (CAFRs) from the year 2000 on, which detail the states' financials, to determine what's in them, how they differ (quantitatively) and how these differences matter in terms of maintaining long-term fiscal responsibility.

How would you characterize Wagner students'
Wagner students are, first and foremost, really smart and hard working. A strength of Wagner is that most of our students have been working for a few years, so they take the graduate school experience for what it is-professional training. They want the tools we can provide. Flexibility is another strength of Wagner. For example, we now have a course in race, class and gender which came about, in part, because students requested it, and it has created a better environment for everyone at Wagner. Also, the students work together a lot, which makes Wagner less of a purely academic exercise and much more of a professional training environment, which is great. And when you teach students who care, who've done the reading and the work, it motivates you to teach and improves the experience for everyone.

What is your idea of a perfect day'
1. Brunch with my wife
2. Yankees defeat Red Sox
3. Lecture at the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History

What's one skill that you wish you were better at'
I wish I were better at math. My hidden dream is to be an astrophysicist.

Where's your favorite place to travel'
Probably State College, Pennsylvania. I visited once a month during the first two years I was getting my PhD (as my wife, then girlfriend, was in school there) and just always loved that place. It's quiet and aesthetically pleasing. I'm from a small town in South Jersey, so it's like that only not as boring.

What would you say to someone who wants to pursue a career in public finance'
I would say that public finance is everywhere and in every sector, so you should keep an open mind in terms of sector. Maybe you work on Wall Street as a bond broker dealer; that's public finance. The recent health care reform bill was passed through a budgetary procedure, for example; that's public finance. Also, the private sector works closely with the public sector finance-wise, in that there's nothing the private sector can do without public finance-whether basic corporate taxes or tax credits or incentives-and there's not much the public sector can do without some aid from the private sector.

Colleen Coffey came to Wagner two years ago as the communications manager for the Research Center for Leadership in Action (RCLA). She has a BA in English from the University of San Diego, completed a two-year fellowship in nonprofit management at El Pomar Foundation in Colorado, and received an MA in international print journalism at American University in Washington, D.C. Colleen then worked for the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank focused on global human migration. She was interested in public service because she's "drawn to big ideas and doing work that changes lives for the better."

What motivated you to pursue a career in public service'
My family has a deeply ingrained sense that "to those whom much has been given, much is expected." I am committed to a world in which people are guaranteed their human rights, and have healthy food and water, safe places to live, decent jobs and so on, so they can focus on becoming talented writers, artists, pilots, athletes and more. I'm inspired by the people who make that happen and feel lucky to work with them on a daily basis.

Please describe your job function and the work of RCLA.
RCLA is committed to advancing breakthrough scholarship on leadership for the public good and to developing a deep and diverse pool of public service leaders, by offering customized research and programs that expand individuals' knowledge and skills and strengthen the organizations and systems in which they work.

I connect people with RCLA's leadership research and resources in a variety of ways: through our newsletter, publications and written materials, Web site, events and more. I also direct the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service (more on that later).

One of the most exciting elements of RCLA's work is that we offer a new way of understanding leadership that shifts away from a traditional model of charismatic or powerful leaders and focuses instead on how leadership can be a process of harnessing individuals' talents and contributions toward a greater good. This means we look not only at who individual leaders are, but also at how leadership happens and how leadership makes change possible.

What is the best part about working at RCLA'
Hands down it's the people, who are kind, brilliant and funny.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job'
I find it enormously satisfying that RCLA operates with a lot of trust and room for creativity, which makes me push myself harder. I'm energized by the fact that no day is the same, and I appreciate the balance between communications and programs.

What is the most challenging part of your job'
There is always more work to do.

What does leadership mean to you'
I think leadership is about finding the insight, kindness or humor that lights people up inside and helps them be their best selves. It's also about figuring out what enables people to work to their full potential on questions and issues that don't have easy answers.

What excites you about the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service (FELPS) program'
Everything. (Well, everything but budgets. Thank goodness for Champa Chonzom!) Each year, 30 recent college graduates who have demonstrated a commitment to public service, craft career plans, get a better understanding of the public service landscape and develop a support network of talented, dynamic peers invested in their success. We also help them evaulate and improve their leadership skills and styles. What's not to love'

What is your idea of a perfect day'
Waking up early on a sunny day in Port Douglas, Australia, with my sister, two brothers and their wives, my parents and my hilarious husband Jay Schwartz. Devouring a scrumptious breakfast and then getting on a boat to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling, waterskiing and catch-and-release deep-sea fishing. Then we'd eat delicious Mexican food with obscene amounts of guacamole, and nibble on chocolate brownies topped with chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cups and chocolate sauce. This would be followed by a surf lesson. Then we'd watch the sunset from the beach while enjoying an enormous family meal involving several kinds of fancy cheese, Indian and Chinese delicacies and more varieties of chocolate. We would finish up by going dancing...with no rhythm but lots of heart.

What's the best thing about living in New York'
I love working in SoHo and that some of the world's best art, fashion, food and star sightings are at our doorstep. The city's diversity in every regard is wonderful, and it's good to see the return of the Mohawk.

What's on your iPod'
In the genius category, it's Ani DiFranco, Timbaland, old U2 and The Killers' "Human." Other favorites include Missy Elliott, Maná, Rihanna, Sinéad Lohan, Lil' Kim, MGMT and Tori Amos. I think the hit of this summer is "Break Your Heart" from Taio Cruz and Ludacris, but that may get bumped by "Melody in My Head" by Lil' Wayne featuring Lupe Fiasco and Drake.

If you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be and why'
The Dalai Lama or Abraham Lincoln. If it were just a quick meeting, the Dalai Lama because he has such an open way about him and wouldn't be so guarded. I bet we could have some laughs.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has released a report by the New York City Panel on Climate Change that outlines the need for early and ongoing adaptation actions in New York City and identifies best practices in climate change adaptation planning. The report, "Climate Change Adaptation in New York City: Building a Risk Management Response," is one of the most comprehensive studies on climate change adaptation undertaken by a municipality and was published in the latest issue of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. NYU Wagner Professor Rae Zimmerman contributed to the report. The chapter that she prepared is as follows: R. Zimmerman and C. Faris, "Infrastructure Impacts and Adaptation Challenges," Chapter 4 in New York City Panel on Climate Change 2009 Report, Climate Change Adaptation in New York City: Building a Risk Management Response, C. Rosenzweig and W. Solecki, Eds. (Prepared for use by the New York City Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 1187. New York, NY, NY Academy of Sciences, 2010. ISBN 978-1-57331-800-6.) Dr. Zimmerman is Director of the Institute of Civil Infrastructure Systems (ICIS) at Wagner, and a professor of planning and public administration.

On June 8 and 9, MicroSave and the Financial Access Initiative are hosting the virtual conference "Reimagining Microfinance around the World: Implementing Lessons from Portfolios of the Poor" to share their findings from more than of a year of in-depth research in Bangladesh, India and South Africa and discuss how use this research to create practical solutions for improving the lives of the poor. The virtual conference will be moderated by Portfolios of the Poor coauthors Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford and Orlanda Ruthven, and MicroSave's Graham Wright. Find out more here.

Jennifer Dodge, a doctoral candidate at NYU Wagner and a Research Associate on the Leadership for a Changing World project at RCLA, has won the 2010 Hayward Alker Student Paper Award for her paper, "Tensions in Deliberative Practice: A View from Civil Society."

Jennifer presented the paper on the Theory, Policy and Society (TPS) panel "Deliberative Democracy and Civil Society: Interpretive Approaches" at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in Toronto on September 5, 2009.

The award, made by the Interpretive Methodologies and Methods Conference Group of the APSA, is "to recognize the paper by a PhD student that best demonstrates the uses of interpretive methodologies and methods for the study of the political" and that was "presented at a conference" during the preceding academic year. This is the first year the award has been given, however, and papers from both 2008 and 2009 were eligible for the competition.

Jennifer will receive the award at the APSA conference in Washington, DC this September.  She will also be the co-organizer of the Conference Group on Critical Policy Studies (formerly TPS).  In addition, she will soon be taking on responsibilities as a Reviews Editor of the journal Critical Policy Studies.

Lily Batchelder, who teaches at NYU Wagner, has been named Chief Tax Counsel for the Finance Committee of the United States Senate.

"I'm glad to welcome Lily back to the Senate Finance Committee's tax team," commented Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the panel, who named Batchelder to the position. "Lily's wide range of experience and expert knowledge of tax and public policy make her an invaluable advisor to the Finance Committee as we continue our efforts to create jobs, help small businesses grow, close the tax gap and explore tax reform.

In addition to her role as an Affiliated Faculty at Wagner, Batchelder currently serves as a Professor of Law and Public Policy at the New York University School of Law,and as an Affiliated Scholar with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

 Prior to that, she was an Assistant Professor and an Associate Professor at New York University School of Law and a visiting professor at Harvard Law School.  She has worked as a Tax Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and conducted research as a Wiener Fellow at the Wiener Center on Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.  Batchelder has also worked in the New York State Government, as a social worker, as a law clerk for the Senate Finance Committee's tax office and for the Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice.  She has testified as a tax policy expert before the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Economic Committee.

A native of Brookline, Mass., Batchelder earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

From March 24 to 26, more than 70 outstanding Reynolds Foundation Fellows in Social Entrepeneurship from both New York University and Harvard University met in Washington, D.C. to exchange ideas with 30 leaders in government, business, and medical research.

The gathering marked the first Social Entrepreneurship Summit of the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation, and also included representatives of the other scholarship programs supported by the Foundation, as well as the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

The Social Entrepreneurship Summit drew veterans of the last six presidential administrations, among them Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy; former Secretary of State Colin Powell; former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers; U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics; the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, General James L. Jones; Congressman John R. Lewis; Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health; Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU; labor leader Andy Stern; Carlyle Group Founder David Rubenstein; Pulitzer Prize recipients Rick Atkinson, Neil Sheehan and Donald Graham, Chairman of the Washington Post Company.

The Reynolds Fellows and other student delegates stayed at the historic Willard Hotel, just one block from the White House, and many of the Summit programs were held at the Willard, a center of Washington's social and political life since it first opened in 1818. On their first evening in Washington, the students were whisked to the august chambers of the Supreme Court of the United States for an informal meeting with Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Kennedy initiated a discussion of the Court's work and the constitutional issues it consider, and emphasized the importance of civil debate with a quotation from Justice John Marshall, "Rational discourse is the safeguard of freedom." The entire company remained at the Supreme Court for dinner with the Justices, where they heard welcoming remarks from Summit Host Catherine B. Reynolds.

The following morning, the Fellows met a series of exceptional speakers in the first symposium session of the Summit, held in an elegant and intimate meeting room of the Willard. The first speaker, Jacqueline Novogratz, is a prime example of the concept of social entrepreneurship. Founder and CEO of the Acumen Fund, she has channeled philanthropic contributions into self-sustaining enterprises that provide essential services to some of the poorest people on earth. Ms. Novogratz illustrated her address with vivid anecdotes of her experiences, from Africa to South Asia.

The Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, Anthony Romero, engaged the Fellows in a passionate discussion of the importance of civil liberties in the atmosphere of heightened security prompted by the war on terror. He fielded students' questions.

The Summit also heard from the Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, Sonal Shah. The Indian-born economist is President Obama's liaison to social entrepreneurs and the nonprofit sector. David Rubenstein, who served as a domestic policy aide to President Jimmy Carter before founding The Carlyle Group, the private equity firm with interests in every sector of the economy, emphasized the importance of building on one's early accomplishments, rather than resting on one's laurels. The final speaker of the morning was a member of President Obama's Cabinet, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist.

The discussion of finance and government continued over lunch at the Willard, where the Fellows heard from the Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. A former president of Harvard,  his alma mater, Summers delivered a summary of current national economic issues, as well as educational issue dear to his heart, the importance of the mathematical study of probability.

In the afternoon session, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, and the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, engaged in a lively discussion of the federal government's role in medical research. Dr. Collins, a pioneer of genetic medicine, is now responsible for allocating the $31 billion the government appropriates for health research. Dr. Fauci, long a leader in the struggle against HIV-AIDS, touched on the current state of this effort. Both men stressed the need for transparency in medical research, which they weighed against the privacy concerns that arise from the collection of genetic and medical data.

The physician scientists were followed by former Secretary of State Colin Powell. As a young infantry officer in Vietnam, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Gulf War, and as Secretary of State at the onset of current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, he has had a unique insight into the most crucial episodes of our history. A central figure in American foreign policy and national security for nearly 30 years, General Powell gave the Fellows the benefit of his incomparable perspective on world events, as well as that of his own inspiring life story.

Another participant with a unique insight into America's wars, past and present, was journalist and author Rick Atkinson. Recipient of multiple Pulitzer Prizes for reportage, and for his multi-volume account of the American army in World War II, he is also author of the most acclaimed account of the every day life of combat soldiers in Iraq.

Struggles of another kind were addressed by the last speaker of the afternoon, Andy Stern, President of America's fastest growing labor union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). He received an enthusiastic reception for his discussion of SEIU's work on behalf of some of the least visible workers in the American economy, and of SEIU's influential role in the landmark health care legislation--the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act--that had passed the House of Representatives the previous Sunday.

That evening, the Fellows traveled to Capitol Hill just as the Senate was preparing for a final reconciliation vote on amendments to the health care bill. Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine received one group briefly in her office before taking to the Senate floor to cast her vote. Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi received the other Fellows in his Capitol retreat, alongside the Senate floor, with a breathtaking view of the monuments. A number of Fellows watched history in the making from the Senators' private gallery as the reconciliation package received the approval of the Senate and was sent to the White House for the President's signature, the last act in a political drama that had consumed Washington for more than a year.

The Fellows had dinner in the Mike Mansfield Room, adjacent to the floor of the House of Representatives, where they were met by someone familiar to the Reynolds Fellows from Harvard's Kennedy School: David Gergen, former advisor to four U.S. Presidents and now the Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Kennedy School. Mr. Gergen introduced three prominent members of the House of Representatives--Roy Blunt of Missouri, John Dingell of Michigan and John R. Lewis of Georgia--and asked them to share the stories of their own life journeys. The distinguished legislators obliged.

The third Congressman to speak was an American hero--and living legend of the Civil Rights Movement--John R. Lewis. In powerful words, he recalled the rise of the nonviolent protest movement--the lunch counter sit-ins, the Freedom Rides--and the harassment, arrests and physical attacks he and his comrades stoically endured, including the near-fatal beating he received leading a voting rights march across the bridge in Selma, Alabama. That he has now served more than 20 years in Congress, representing constituents who were long denied the right to vote, is a testament to the vitality of American democracy, and a reminder that the freedoms we enjoy were purchased by countless acts of courage, like those of Rep. Lewis.

After dinner, the party was joined by a surprise guest, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, fresh from her legislative victory in the protracted health care debate. The Speaker was received with an emotional ovation from the Summit Fellows, conscious of the momentous nature of the occasion. She offered thanks to President Obama for his tenacity in the long campaign, and recalled a lesson taught by her father, himself a Congressman and Mayor of Baltimore. Many things are valued in the political process, he told her, but in the end, only one thing determines success or failure. "Get the votes," she said, beaming. "And this time, I got the votes."

Returning to the Willard after dinner, the assembly heard from writers with profound insight into two agonizing chapters of American history. Jay Winik, the acclaimed author of April 1865: The Month That Saved America, discussed the enduring legacy of President Abraham Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War. Neil Sheehan first won recognition as a courageous Vietnam War correspondent and later received the Pulitzer Prize for A Bright Shining Lie, one of the most lasting books to emerge from that conflict. Sheehan discussed the tragic complexities of America's involvement in Vietnam, and the lingering effect of the war on our country today.

Additional presentations on Friday were made by: Donald Graham, Chairman of the Washington Post Company, which also publishes Newsweek and Slate; former Mayor of Indianapolis, Steven Goldsmith, now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School;  Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the D.C. schools, who began her career as a young leader of the Teach for America program; and  Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of AHIP--America's Health Insurance Plans.

For Friday's luncheon the assembly moved to historic Blair House. Known as the President's Guest House, this mansion, originally built in 1824, has welcomed foreign heads of state since its acquisition by the federal government during World War II. Its splendid interior is rarely seen by the general public, but the Summit Fellows were treated to a rare tour of its spacious rooms and tranquil courtyard. At Blair House, the Fellows received a summary of defense issues from the President's National Security Advisor, General James L. Jones.

The national security theme was developed further as the company was taken on a bus trip to Langley, Virginia, and the offices of the Central Intelligence Agency, where the Fellows received a tour and briefing, followed by a visit with one of America's most respected public servants, CIA Director Leon Panetta. A former U.S. Congressman, Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Chief of Staff to President Clinton, Panetta helped dispel some of the aura of mystery surrounding the nation's intelligence services.

At the end of the long day, the Summit participants returned to the Willard Hotel for a reception in the Crystal Room and a final dinner in the elegant Willard Room. Over dinner, David Gergen introduced a series of speakers drawn from the ranks of the Reynolds Fellows, and from the other programs that enjoy the support of the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation.

The administrative home of the NYU Reynolds Program is the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. The current class of 36 Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Fellows at New York University were represented at the Summit by Magogodi Makhene. Ms. Makhene grew up in Soweto, South Africa during the last years of apartheid. As a Reynolds Graduate Fellow at New York University's Gallatin School, she is studying the use of private equity and venture capital as vehicles for economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. The final speaker of the Summit, Cesar Francia, grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. He studied International Politics as a Reynolds Fellow at New York University and he will soon be returning to NYU to earn a Master's in Public Administration. He is currently serving as a full-time aide in the office of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

The Capstone Program -- learning in action -- is a crowning achievement in the life of every NYU Wagner student. On May 5th, members of 76 student teams displayed their advanced consulting work for urban, national, and global organizations at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. Hundreds of visitors to this dynamic Capstone End Event learned about the teams' analyses, field work, and advice covering such critical areas as New York City recruitment of female firefighters, a major hospital's geriatric services, the landmarking policies of small and large cities, and the progress and opportunity for growth in international governance on climate change.

On Friday, April 9, Wagner held its annual Admitted Student Day to welcome students admitted to the fall 2010 class. As of May, applications are up 18% from last year. This year's admitted students come from 39 states and 43 countries on six continents, and 157 of them attended Admitted Student Day, the culmination of months of recruiting, interviewing, and reviewing nearly 1,900 applications, led by the Enrollment Management unit.

The Enrollment Management unit comprises AiLun Ku, director of enrollment management; Rachel Krug, associate director of enrollment strategy; Brian Roach, assistant director of enrollment management; Marissa Jones, enrollment manager; and Chris Alexander, enrollment assistant. This unit spearheads the recruiting and yielding of each new class of Wagner students, and directs scholarships and fellowship selection. The unit hosts regular open house events for prospective and admitted students throughout the spring and fall semesters, as well as small-group info sessions, online chats, walk-in advisement sessions, special events, and conferences.

AiLun oversees the Enrollment Management team and manages the overarching recruitment strategy and yearly recruitment goals for Wagner, as well as the application and scholarship-awarding process. As a Wagner grad herself (MPA '08), AiLun brings an insider's perspective to her position, which helps her to relate to prospective students in a unique and meaningful way.

Rachel is responsible for managing Wagner's scholarship budget and for building dynamic data models to help Wagner better assess target markets and understand how the data can inform and improve our recruitment strategies.

Brian's main focus is on recruitment. He plays a critical role in determining the cities and venues where we recruit and helps to identify key partners that are best suited to refer competitive candidates to Wagner. Brian also works with the Program and Student Services unit to help plan the annual new student retreat.

Marissa touches every component of each application. As enrollment manager, Marissa takes each application from completion to review to decision. She is a key player in helping the Enrollment Management unit keep accurate data and continuously improve systems and processes.

Chris is typically the first point of contact for most prospective students. He is responsible of all admissions-related email and phone inquiries and oftentimes the moderator for the online chat sessions. Chris also works closely with Brian and AiLun to ensure a user-friendly Web page for prospective students.

Zhan Guo joined the Wagner faculty in August, 2008, as an assistant professor of urban policy and transportation planning, and a research fellow at the Rudin Center for Transportation and Planning. Zhan decided that he wanted to pursue a career in academia while in graduate school. "Before that I thought maybe I wanted to do something industry-related, but when I was in graduate school, I figured out academics and research is probably the best fit for me and my personality."

What are your current research projects'
I'm doing research on people's travel behaviors with the goal of encouraging them to use cars less and to use more sustainable, alternative travel modes such as public transit, bicycles, or walking more. I'm interested in how we can change peoples' behaviors to promote transportation sustainability and reduce car dependency, pollution, carbon emission, and congestion, and to improve health and safety. Under this umbrella, I'm working on several different topics.

I'm studying how the pedestrian environment in Boston affects peoples' walking behavior. How much people like or dislike walking is very much determined by how good the pedestrian environment is, so I want to measure that impact and figure out how to improve the "walkable environment."

In NYC, I'm looking at how the residential parking supply affects the decision whether or not to have a car in the city, and if you have a car, whether or not to use it. For example, if you have only on-street parking available, you may not want to use your car a lot because once you leave your spot, it's hard to find another one. But if you have a garage, maybe that's not so important to you. So the parking supply affects whether or not you use a car and how many cars you have.

I'm also researching a particular transportation-financing mechanism. For example, right now we have a gas tax. Some people argue that the gas tax will be gone in 15-20 years because of more fuel-efficient and electronic vehicles. What if we went to a mileage-based fee and charged people based on the distance they drive and not on the gas consumed' How would that affect peoples' behavior and travel decisions'
 
I just finished a project on how the transit map affects peoples' travel decisions on public transit in London. The way in which you see the transit map will affect which line you decide to take. However, the map can distort reality and give you wrong message if, for instance, the pass is actually longer in reality and shorter on map. Interestingly, I found that people trust the map more than their own experience.

How did you become interested in studying transportation and land use, public transit, and pedestrian behavior'
I was trained as a designer in college and grad school-I have a bachelor in architecture from Tianjin University (Tianjin, China), and master in urban planning and design from Tsinghua University in Beijing-and all my research is on urban-oriented issues. Much of my research looks at the physical environment and how policy and infrastructure regulate and affect the physical environment.

This summer, you're teaching a class in Shanghai called Urbanization and Sustainable Development in a Transitional Economy: Experiencing China. Can you tell me about it'
I teach urban planning primarily in a U.S. context. The situation is so different in China that it's good to have a comparative perspective. The idea is that the metro areas in China are the biggest labs on urban development. You see all kinds of urban issues that are different than in the U.S. The first issue is rapid urbanization. Within 15-20 years, more than 200,000,000 people (almost 2/3 the population of the U.S.) will move from rural areas to urban areas in China.

The second factor is rapid economic growth: eight, nine or even 10% GDP growth per year for the last 30 years, which will probably continue for the next 20-30 years. That's compared to one or two percent yearly growth in the States. With that type of growth, everything changes very fast. For example, five to 10 years ago, just a very minor portion of people in China owned a car. Now China is the number one auto producer and consumer in the world.

The third factor is institutional transition. Thirty years ago, China had a very centralized economy, but it has rapidly transitioned to a market econony, albeit with no regulations, unions, or labor laws, due to the communist political system that's still in power.
 
What is the best part about working at Wagner'
From faculty research point-of-view, this is a very interdisciplinary school, and my research into peoples' travel behavior is also interdisciplinary: we are talking about economic leverage, urban planning, transportation infrastructure, psychology, and the social and societal influence. I like that I can reach out to different colleagues to help me refine my thinking from different prospectives. It's a great help to my research.

From a practical point-of-view, the environment of New York City is a good fit for my research, which is tied to empirical analysis. I look at parking behavior and policy, so if I want to talk to decision-makers at the DCP (City Department of Planning) and the DOT (City Department of Transportation), I can. It's a good environment to help me reach my academic goals.

What is the most challenging part of your job'
Staying connected to colleagues in the planning academic community, since Wagner's is a small planning program in a school of public policy and management, and most planning programs are in planning schools.

What's the best thing about living in New York'
The public transportation and parking.

Bethany Godsoe, executive director of NYU Wagner's Research Center on Leadership and Action, examines what she calls the "bravado of heroic leadership," and its troubling legacy, in an essay inspired by her participation in the National Urban Fellows' "Call to Action Summit on Diversity" held Apr. 21 in Washington, D.C.

The Lisa Goldberg Fellowships were established in honor of Lisa Goldberg, the beloved wife of NYU President John Sexton, who passed away in 2007. Lisa cared deeply about and worked passionately for Jewish issues and organizations, and embodied a deep commitment to public service and to the Jewish community.

Daniel Saat is the first Lisa Goldberg Fellow in Philanthropy and Public Service. He was nominated by Lisa's dear friend, Ellen Friedman, who has directed Daniel's work at the Tides Foundation in San Francisco since 2006. Ellen notes, "Daniel has that rare capacity to see a big vision and then know how to executive that vision down the smallest detail. He is precisely the kind of individual Lisa would have taken under her wing and mentored."

Daniel has a BS in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is interested in using financial strategy and business acumen to help solve root social problems, and will pursue a dual degree at NYU at Wagner and the Stern School of Business.

Ruthie Warshenbrot is the 2010 Lisa Goldberg Fellow in Jewish Leadership. Or Mars, the director of the Wexner/Davidson Fellowship program and nominator of Ruthie for this fellowship, wrote, "Ruthie is not only a born leader but also a sophisticated thinker when it comes to her ability to influence Jewish life. She is a gentle change agent who leaves room for others to shine."

Since May 2008, Ruthie has served as the executive director of Limmud NY, where she was previously the program manager. She graduated with a BA in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was active with NC Hillel, and held a summer internship at Hillel International Center in Washington, D.C.

Ruthie is the recipient of the 2009 Young Professional Award presented by the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America. She hopes to work to build partnerships and collaborations between organizations in the nonprofit community. Ruthie will pursue a dual degree at Wagner and the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies.

Peter Jaffe grew up in Cleveland Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, and went to college at Ohio State University, in Columbus. After living in Columbus for two years, he and his girlfriend (now his wife) moved to Brooklyn. "I worked at a stock photo agency for a couple of years and then supervised the circulation department at NYU's Bobst Library until I came to Wagner, in 2005. Two years later, I finished my MBA at NYU Stern, specializing in Operations Management and Data, Models, and Decisions."

Please describe your job function.
My primary job function is to analyze and interpret data and make recommendations to improve and streamline operations throughout Wagner. I develop and analyze a broad set of metrics that can cut across different operational and academic units at Wagner (e.g., Enrollment Management, Financial Management and Human Resources, Program and Student Services, and centers and institutes). The goal is to provide snapshots of what's happening throughout the school, and for managers to access reports and data that have not been readily available. A big part of my job responsibility is to help people get the information that they need in a timely manner.

I use my analytical skills to inform enrollment practices and decisions, project the impact on revenue of enrollment and program changes, and identify opportunities for managing resources and leveraging our assets more effectively. An example of this is a cluster analysis I'm conducting of Wagner courses taken by non-Wagner students to determine how to package these courses for greater value to both the students and the school.

In addition, I am the school's liaison to the registrar's office for issues regarding course registration, course scheduling, and related academic services, and work closely with both the faculty and students.

What makes a successful associate director of operations research' What are your metrics'
My keys to success are being able to quickly respond to registration requests, faculty requests, and related academic services; being able to turn around peoples' data requests quickly; and helping people get and make sense of information that they didn't previously have. One of the things that I count for my metrics is how many new analyses I've generated in a time period, so I can have an idea, in some quantitative way, of how much value I'm adding to the school.

What is the best part about working at Wagner'
The great people who work here.

What is a satisfying aspect of your job'
I like data analysis. There's incredibly useful information packed in data and getting that out and making sense of it is very satisfying.

What is the most challenging part of your job'
Not getting frustrated with all the student requests that flood in for things they could probably figure out themselves. But I'm pretty even keeled, so I don't usually get overly excited about stuff.

You worked here at Wagner for a while, then left, and then came back. What was your role when you first worked at Wagner, and what did you do during your time away'
I was the operations supervisor in Admissions from 2005-2007, working under Bethany Godsoe, who was the assistant dean of Admissions and Student Services at the time, and I was enrolled in the MBA program at Stern. On a whim, I entered Stern's eighth annual business plan competition with David Steinberger (a classmate) and John D. Roberts. We wanted to do something related to comic books and the Web, because the comic industry was not well-served digitally. To our great honor, we won the competition, then used the $50,000 in prize money and seed money (from one of the judges) to launch ComiXology, a Web 2.0-based retail service and digital comic distributor.

I left Wagner and worked at ComiXology for about a year and a half before the stock market tanked and stopped our plan's momentum. So I came back to Wagner Admissions on a consulting basis, and when the opportunity arose to stay, I jumped at it.

I'm still affiliated with ComiXology, and the good news is that last July we launched an iPhone application to sell digital comic books that did really well. And we recently created an iPad application for Marvel, which had a huge launch and has been mentioned or reviewed in the New York Times, Business Week, and the Chicago Sun-Times, to name just a few publications.

So are you a big comic-book fan'
Nope. I don't collect comic books.

Well, if you had one superpower, what would it be'
I never considered that, but probably the power to control peoples' minds. Something really wicked!

If you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be and why'
I'd have to go with Charles Mingus because, aside from being a huge fan of his music, he was a total creative genius.

Professor Paul Light has launched a new blog for the Washington Post entitled "Light on Leadership: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom with NYU Wagner's Paul Light." Light's online commentary on the national government will appear every Thursday on the newspaper's website. His debut column April 15, 2010, "Slimming the Federal Leadership" -- coauthored by Russ Feingold, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and member of the Senate Budget Committee -- drew more than 300,000 hits.

His second column (Apr. 22, 2010) focuses on CEO compensation levels at nonprofit organizations. His latest (June 3, 2010), looks at what President Obama can learn from the oil spill debacle.

Professor Light is NYU Wagner's Paulette Goddard Professor of Public Service and founding principal investigator of the school's Organizational Performance Initiative. 

Drawing upon decades of experience, leaders in public service have announced their intent to establish the Campaign for High Performance Government, a non partisan working group to encourage urgently needed reform of the federal government's administrative practices.

Economist and former chair of two national commissions on public service reform, Paul A. Volcker made the announcement at the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) as part of the Elliot Richardson Lecture series.

"We must place public service reform squarely on the federal agenda.  Too much of what government achieves is at risk without wide-ranging changes to improve performance and restore trust."

Funded by a grant from the sponsor of The Truman Medal for Economic Policy and supported in part by The Robertson Foundation for Government, and the NYU/Abu Dhabi Center for Global Public Service and Social Impact, the Campaign for High Performance Government is designed to re-introduce Congress and the Administration to well documented reform proposals, including those in the two earlier reports of the National Commission on Public Service, both of which were chaired by Paul A. Volcker.

The Campaign for High Performance Government will address the continued erosion of the federal government's capacity to faithfully execute the laws.  Its goal is to reverse what the first Volcker Commission called the "profound erosion of public trust."   Recently, the Gallup poll found that Americans now estimate that 50 cents of every federal dollar is wasted, a reflection of the erosion of confidence in the ability of government to perform efficiently and ably.

The Campaign for High Performance Government will be anchored at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.  It will focus on identifying strategies for urgently needed action and analysis for the reform effort.  

According to the Campaign director, Paul C. Light, NYU Wagner School of Public Service Professor, Robertson Foundation for Government Advisory Board member, and founding director the new NYU/Abu Dhabi Center for Global Public Service and Social Impact, "Well publicized breakdowns in the federal bureaucracy, whether in managing national security, in contracting practices, or in unwarranted political influence are symptoms of the government wide need to achieve reliable high performance."

The campaign will focus on a series of previous proposals including:

       -- Reform of the excessively time consuming presidential appointments process

       -- Need to reduce duplication and overlap across federal agencies

       -- Civil Service changes in recruitment, training, retaining and deployment

As Light noted, "We need the right federal employees in the right place at the right time with enough resources to deliver on the promises we make today."

The Campaign for High Performance Government will start its work to translate the specific recommendations into action with support for Senators Feingold and McCain's legislation to reduce the number of presidential appointees, and restore the president's fast-track reorganization authority that expired in 1984.

The former Chairman of the Federal Reserve noted that the Obama Administration has signaled its support for federal government reform.

"The Administration is working to make government more transparent, examine contract fraud, and improve the hiring process.  But much more needs to be done."

According to Volcker, this is a particularly important time to push forward on public service excellence.

"Public demand for results is high, but confidence remains low; interest in public service of all kinds is clear, but service in federal agencies remains a questioned destination at both the top and bottom of the hierarchy; the need for a high performance government is undeniable, but seems just out of reach when crisis strikes."  Speaking of the need for immediate action, he concluded that "A great society deserves no less."

Paul A. Volcker's full remarks can be found here.

NYU Wagner and the New-York Historical Society sponsored a conversation with Dr. Henry A. Kissinger on Wednesday, April 7th at the Metropolitan Club. Dean Ellen Schall, together with Roger Hertog and Louise Mirrer, the Chairman and the President, respectively, of the Historical Society, invited guests to an evening of Dr. Kissinger discussing Middle East strategy with NYU Wagner Visiting Professor Michael Doran, an expert on the international politics of the Middle Middle East. Dr. Kissinger toured the horizon, discussing the interlocking strategic dilemmas facing the Obama administration throughout the region -- from the struggle against the Taliban in Afghanistan to the difficulty of brokering an Israeli-Palestinian peace, and from the international need to stop the Iranian nuclear program to the prospect of working with the Russians to solve problems of mutual concern.

A new handbook from NYU Wagner's Research Center for Leadership in Action provides a step-by-step guide to designing trainings that engage participants in creative ways of learning. Written by RCLA Fellow Joan Minieri, it includes fundamentals on different learning styles, the six steps for identifying objectives and designing a training that meets them, facilitator tips for keeping participants energized, and a variety of sample activities. The handbook is based on RCLA's Social Change Leadership Network Trainings for Trainers.

Debra Cabrera, director of student services, and Katty Jones, director of program services, head the Student and Program Services unit, which falls under the umbrella of Student Affairs. This unit acts as the liaison between Wagner students and administration, and between students and faculty. From the moment students submit their deposits until they graduate and their final grades are signed-off on, Katty and Deb's unit tracks their academic progress.

Each May, the Student and Program Services unit begins communicating with incoming students via email and required online registration sessions. These communications continue throughout the summer so that students feel connected to Wagner even before attending the new student retreat. Incoming students also receive communications from a peer advisor in their program area, assigned by Deb and Katty's unit, which further connects them to Wagner.

The Student and Program Services unit comprises Diana Beck, assistant director of health and doctoral programs; Gaby Schoenfeld, assistant director, executive MPA and dual degree in Judaic studies programs; Pam Kavalam, administrator, student services; and Christine Ramos, administrative aide. This unit assigns faculty advisors and coordinates group-advising sessions, facilitates program feedback sessions, and hosts walk-in appointments throughout the school year. They field questions such as ‘What courses should I be taking and when'' to ‘I'm not doing well in this class, what do I do'' to ‘Am I on track for Capstone and graduation'' and everything in between. Each semester this unit runs an academic progress tracking report to see what students they need to reach out to, to discuss strategies for being successful.

This unit works with the Office of Career Services on career advisement and the professional experience requirement, which requires all MPA and MUP students who enter the program with fewer than two years of full-time relevant experience in the field to complete a minimum of 280 hours of degree-program relevant internship or experience before enrollment in Capstone.

The Student and Program Services unit also works with the Office of Special Events on events and issues related to convocation. The unit also works closely with the faculty support staff and program directors, offering feedback they receive from students.

Additionally, the Student and Program Services unit tracks the evolution of programs, makes suggestions to fill in holes in the curriculum, and manages the implementation of new initiatives. In fact, Wagner recently received final approval to launch a new dual degree program with NYU's Masters Program in Global Public Health. The dual degree is an MPA-MPH (global) and will be a three-year program. Admissions will begin recruiting for applicants to start in the fall semester of 2011.

Irshad Manji and Harold Ford, each of whom teaches at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate of Public Service at NYU, rank among the top 25 "most influential voices of the American center," according to the online magazine The Daily Beast.

Manji, director of the Moral Courage Project at New York University and visiting scholar, and Ford, distinguished practitioner in residence and former congressman, are part of what the April 1, 2010, salute describes as a "powerful backlash brewing - a movement of voices from the vital center who are declaring their independence from play-to-the-base politics."

"The independent thinker doesn't belong to a camp," Manji has written. "She belongs to her conscience."

Charlene Chan joined the Wagner staff as a human resources generalist in November 2009. She has a BA in psychology, with a minor in education, from Colgate University. Charlene knew she enjoyed working with people, but wasn't sure in what capacity. She initially interned at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where she helped patients who suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. After exploring the clinical route, she decided to venture down the path of human resources. "I started my HR career at MTV Networks in the retirement department, but quickly knew I wanted to become an HR generalist. I had a short recruiting stint at Google, and finally landed in a junior-level HR generalist position at NBC Universal. I continued to grow in this field and am excited that I now play a role here at Wagner."

Please describe your job function, and if you can, a "typical" day.
As an HR generalist, there really is no typical day; every day is different. When you think about my role from a broader perspective, my job helps to shape each employee's experience by touching every aspect of an employee's life span in the organization: recruiting, hiring, onboarding; keeping employees engaged and motivated in their performance and career growth and assisting them in writing their performance reviews; and supporting employees when they exit the University by further understanding their experiences and working toward making the next person have a better one. Throughout this cycle, my role also entails analyzing and researching ways to make existing processes run more effectively and identifying new and different approaches to doing things.

What do you like best or what is the most rewarding thing about your job'
As cheesy as this may sound, being a part of the Financial Operations and Human Resources team. We truly work to support each other, provide constructive feedback, and create a learning environment for each other. It also helps that we like one another!

What is the most challenging thing about your job'
My function is a unique one; I believe this is the first time that this position has been the intersection of finance and human capital management. By that, I mean that this role has the unique opportunity to be involved with the financial aspect of how an organization runs. Without having a background in finance, I consider this to be the most challenging thing about my job.

You came from a corporate background. How does working in public service differ from the corporate world'
The main difference is that the ‘product' is different. In the corporate world, the focus was mainly on selling ad space or merchandise, but in the public service sector, particularly at Wagner, the focus is on preparing and equipping the bright leaders of the future to make a difference in the world. While the passion is equally strong in both environments, the end goal is vastly different and you notice that the kind of people in the public service sector are more willing to help their colleagues.

What do you do on weekends'
It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I love food, and enjoy trying new cuisines. I am also a singer and frequent karaoke venues (one of the best ones I've found is called Karaoke17 on 17th Street and 5th Avenue, if you ever want to join me). I also enjoy exploring new things like the new ping-pong club called Spin New York, attending Rangers hockey games, walking through Central Park, and, of course, hanging out with friends.

How's wedding planning coming'
We've completed most of the big-item things, such as the photographer, the dress, and (exciting!!!) the honeymoon. The other to-dos involve a lot of details I'm not quite ready to delve into, but the big day isn't until September, so I'm not sweatin' just yet.

What's the best thing about living in New York'
I love that things are always moving at any time of day, even the subways. I also love that you can walk 10 blocks in one direction and the feel of the neighborhood completely changes. It's a great feeling to have everything at your fingertips. There are so many different cultures and things to see on this ‘little' island, not to mention you can pretty much get any type of food you want!

Assistant Dean for Student Affairs David Schachter recently traveled to Kyoto Prefectural University (KPU) in Japan where he gave a presentation about Wagner's Capstone program to government officials, faculty, and graduate students. David was invited by Kozo Aoyama, a 1997 Wagner urban planning graduate and current public policy professor at KPU, because several universities in Kyoto are working together to create Capstone programs in partnership with the Japanese government.

On March 10 and 11, David gave two keynote presentations in which he talked about the value of experiential learning both for students and client organizations, described different Capstone programs around the U.S., and detailed Wagner's Capstone program, which Dean Schall started in 1995 as a clinical initiative for the school. Presenting through an interpreter, David received a welcoming response, as evidenced by many 30-second delays in nods of understanding, grins, and laughter.

When not presenting, David explored Kyoto and took some incredible pictures. Click here for a slideshow.

Karen Grépin joined the Wagner faculty in fall 2009 as an assistant professor of global health policy. A native of Canada, Karen has an MS in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health and a PhD in Health Policy, also from Harvard. Karen was motivated to pursue a career in academia because "I had a lot of questions that I wanted to explore. And on top of that, I really like teaching, so it was a nice combination of being able to spend time asking questions I was really interested in and teach."

How has your first year as a full-time faculty member at Wagner been so far'
Good. For obvious reasons, I had a lot of other stuff to take care of (Karen and her husband are expecting their first baby in May), but I've been very well welcomed, and I feel like I'm really part of things, so that's a good feeling after just a couple of months.

How did you become interested in the economics and politics of health service delivery, particularly in Africa'
After I graduated from college, I spent about six months living in Burkina Faso, where I worked with a nonprofit community-based organization that was mostly providing care and services for people with HIV. I realized they had very little interest in doing this because it was a disease that was killing people; for them it was a relatively lucrative business model. I got really interested in asking broader questions, such as what impact do incentives from outside sources have on health-delivery service issues' When I was doing my masters, I began questioning why more people weren't interested in these health issues, and it boiled down to economic or political motivations.

You're currently teaching International Health Economics. What does the term "health economics" mean'
Health economics is a whole field that basically studies ways that these markets don't work well and the way in which policy can be manipulated to improve outcomes, with the goal of improving health. These policies are designed with that in mind. It's a study of really abnormal economics.

What are you currently researching'
I'm looking at three broad areas right now. The first is examining the political economy of donor assistance for health at the international level. Identifying broad trends in the ways in which rich countries like the U.S. and Canada are mobilizing resources for health at the international level, and what the implications of that are at the developing country level.

Another big area I'm looking at is the economics of maternal mortality, particularly in Africa. Twenty years ago, maternal mortality rates across Africa were similar to what they are today. Why haven't we seen much progress in terms of reducing maternal mortality' I'm questioning some of the assumptions about what works and what doesn't and thinking about how women learn about what they need and what they want when it comes to delivery services in a developing context.

The third area I'm looking at is health systems and human resources; how talking to people and understanding their motivations better can help improve health-service delivery.

What are your findings so far'
I think the big problem is that these programs require political will and commitments over time, and when these efforts are being driven by external priorities, it's not conducive to promoting that. Had these initiatives been more locally produced, supported, and driven, they might have had better outcomes.

What are some of the biggest challenges to health care in Africa right now'
There's no doubt that spending is too low to have much of an impact on health, so the real challenge is for countries to figure out sustainable and internal ways for generating new resource streams for health.

What is the best part about working at Wagner'
The students. I get to interact with them a lot, and it's a very casual relationship. They're great and they make you think a lot, so I really enjoy interacting with them. I feel like I've gotten to know many of them very well.

How would you characterize Wagner students'
They want to improve the world, and they would like to do it from a practical standpoint, from the ground up. They've got good ideas, they're smart, and they generally want to learn more about how the world works.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job'
A satisfying thing about my job is when someone thinks about a question differently. In most of the classes I teach my students are required to write little blog postings, and when you give them very little direction about what to write, they write just about anything. In that writing, you can really see them questioning assumptions that they had and thinking about issues in new ways. That's really gratifying.

What is the most challenging part of your job'
Teaching has been hard. It's a lot of work, and you want to make it fun and interesting, but teaching economics is not always fun and interesting. So you really try to figure out what's the right way to teach some of the stuff to these dynamic students. That's been the most challenging part, but also the most rewarding.

What would you say to a student who wants to pursue a career in health policy'
That it's important to acquire as many skills as possible that are valued in the policy community-around quantitative and qualitative research-while you're at Wagner. Being able to understand policy is, in some sense, thinking about translating evidence into action. And grad school is the perfect time for students to learn to really process and understand evidence.

What are your feelings on the health care bill that was just passed'
I am happy that something passed, but I am skeptical of what impact it will have. I think the best part about it is taxing high-cost "Cadillac" health-insurance plans. It's a real testament to Obama's determination. He gets a lot of credit for having done what no other president has managed to do, and that's pretty remarkable.

What is your idea of a perfect day'
Sitting somewhere in the sun, ideally by some form of water, eating a really good meal and reading a really good book. And it has to be hot.

What's the best thing about living in New York'
The food! I really enjoy hanging out in new restaurants, and trying everything from street food to Michelin restaurants. It's just such a diversity of things, it's really great.

What do you do on weekends'
Prep for my courses. Also, my husband and I have been exploring outside of town, spending weekends in Connecticut.

What's on your iPod'
It's a combination of African music, Lady Gaga, and podcasts. That's usually what I listen to these days.

The Rudin Center is pleased to announce that it has received two new awards: one sponsored by the New York State Department of Transportation for research on a project called "Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSATs) Mitigation Measures," and the other sponsored by the National Cooperative Freight Research Program of the Transportation Research Board of National Academies for a research project called "Freight Trip Generation and Land Use."

The project titled "Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSATs) Mitigation Measures," aims to develop proposed procedures for qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing MSAT's impacts in environmental documents of both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and NY State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), as well as to identify feasible MSAT mitigation measures for NYSDOT capital improvement projects and facilities. The team working on this proposal includes Wagner staff and faculty members Dr. Marta Panero, principal investigator; Dr. Rae Zimmerman, co-principal investigator; and Dr. Hyeon-Shic Shin; Dr. George Thurston and graduate student Kevin Cromar from NYU Medical School; and a consultant from Sierra Research, Inc.

The "Freight Trip Generation and Land Use" project will be carried out in collaboration with the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the State University of New York-Albany and Dr. Hyeon-Shic Shin is the co-principal investigator. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors of freight trip generations. As part of this study, Dr. Shin will complete a case study of a freight distribution network for a national furniture chain. This study will build on Dr. Shin's previous research on truck trip generations and land use as well as freight transportation data quality issues.

The Wagner Community Service Team invites you to sign up for the 10K AIDS Walk New York on the morning of Sunday, May 16. AIDS Walk New York is the largest AIDS fund-raising event in the world, and has raised more than $100 million for HIV prevention and treatment programs and services in New York.

Wagner will be walking as a team and already, more than 25 Wagner staff and faculty members have signed up. In lieu of having people solicit funds on their own, we will be hosting a Happy Hour in April (details to follow), as well as other exciting group fund-raising opportunities.

If you are interested in participating in AIDS Walk New York, please email Ivan.

We hope to see you at some future events!

Sincerely,

The Wagner Community Service Team

Ivan, Diana, Vivian, Mary, Brian, and Pam

The ground-breaking book Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day was recently released in India at the National Microfinance Conference in Delhi. Coauthored by Jonathan Morduch, managing director of FAI and professor of public policy and economics, Portfolios of the Poor reports on the yearlong "financial diaries" of villagers and slum dwellers in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa-records that track, penny by penny, how specific households manage their money. Published in the U.S. in May 2009, it has received high praise for its pioneering research and contributions to development economics from publications, including The Economist, Foreign Policy, the New Yorker, The New York Times, and the Financial Times.

This month, Jonathan Morduch and his coauthors, Daryl Collins, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlanda Ruthven, celebrated the publication of the Indian edition of the book. This is particularly significant as nearly 20 percent of household diarists featured in the book reside in India. Despite impressive economic gains in recent history, more than 42 percent of India's population still lives in poverty. With its eye on sustained growth within this population, India is looking to improve management of microfinance services, with efforts underway to provide regulation for the various entities engaged in Indian microfinance, such as NGOs and other nonprofits. Understanding how these poor households manage their financial lives provides an important foundation upon which to build policy agendas and effective financial tools, and Portfolios of the Poor makes an important contribution to this understanding.

On Thursday, March 11, NYU Wagner's Office of Career Services hosted its annual Public Service Career Expo at NYC's Metropolitan Pavilion South. Each year the Expo brings together representatives of various public service, nonprofit, government, and private organizations that serve the public sector, to meet with hundreds of qualified students and alumni from NYU Wagner and our partner schools. This year's cosponsoring schools included the Carnegie Mellon Heinz College, School of Public Policy and Management; Duke University's Terry Sanford School of Public Policy; George Washington University's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration; and Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

More than 100 public service organizations were represented at the Expo, 96 of which attended with the expressed intention of recruiting candidates for existing job and/or internship opportunities. These included Accenture, UNICEF, UNDP, Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and ClearWater Initiative. Private sector companies in attendance included Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investors Service, Accenture, Benenson Strategy Group, Bennett Midland LLC, Edelman, EmblemHealth, HR&A Advisors, and TCC Group. Both students and alumni offered positive feedback about the impressive and diverse array of employers in attendance.

Afterward, Wagner hosted a networking reception for students and alumni at the Puck. Nearly 100 people attended the event, many lingering long past the official end time, to catch up with colleagues and make new contacts.

OCS would like to thank all NYU Wagner staff, students, and faculty who helped make this year's Expo one of its most successful events to date. From recruiting employer participants, to volunteering your time and service at the Expo, your support was very much appreciated.

For more information about the 2010 Public Service Career Expo and other OCS events, contact Toni Harris, assistant director of career services at [email protected]

The 2010 Public Service Career Expo was extremely successful. More than 300 students and alumni from five nationally recognized schools of public affairs attended, with just over 100 employers participating, 96 of them with the goal of recruiting candidates for existing jobs and internships.

Both students and employers offered postiive feedback about the diverse representation of public service organizations at the March 11th Expo, held at the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th Street in Manhattan. Among the participating organizations were: Accenture; Fitch Ratings; Moody's Investor's Service; Citizens Budget Commission; New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; International Rescue Commitee; UNDP & UNICEF; New Leaders for New Schools; Congressional Research Service; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; New York City Department of Environmental Protection; New York City Economic Development Corp., and many others.

In addition to NYU Wagner, this year's Expo consortium of schools included Carnegie Mellon, Heinz College, School of Public Policy & Management; Duke University's Terry Sanford School of Public Policy; The George Washington University Trachetenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration; and Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenshp & Public Affairs.

Under the direction of Associate Director Aura Parks, and supported by Development Assistant Mary Howell, this unit is responsible for fundraising to support all Wagner programs and stewarding relationships with existing donors, including alumni, friends, corporations and foundations.

Aura and Mary invite potential donors to visit Wagner, to see what goes on here and to interact with students, with the goal of fostering a meaningful connection between donors' interests and supporting them through financial support of Wagner.

Development also works closely with other units, such as admissions, to award student scholarships, and with alumni relations, to coordinate events such as "Wave the Flag for Wag Day," an annual fundraiser designed to reconnect fellow alumni with the school and each other and to raise alumni giving.

Wagner development is part of the larger University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) Department, which oversees fundraising and alumni relations for all 14 NYU schools. While Wagner is their home base, Aura and Mary regularly make the trek to UDAR's offices on West 4th Street for meetings, trainings, and updates with colleagues.

Through its fundraising efforts, this unit helps to advance Wagner's visibility in New York and beyond, and greatly contributes to the field of public service by educating and elevating students whose work and research improves the overall social good.

Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers, by playwright Geoffrey Cowan, explores the secret history of the U.S.'s decision to escalate involvement in the Vietnam War, while simultaneously telling the American public that it was trying to get out. The play, which is based on interviews with the participants and on actual trial transcripts, details the government's attempt to suppress classified information in the "Pentagon Papers," under the guise that publication would have dire consequences for national security, by suing both The New York Times and the Washington Post to prevent publication. A showdown between the government and the Post ensued, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Post, as it became apparent that much of the "classified" information was, in fact, already part of the public domain.

Led by a spirited cast, Top Secret is a funny, smart, and engaging illumination of the relationship between a press that's supposed to be free and independent and the U.S. government. It resonates with younger generations, as well as those who lived through it, as issues of free speech, and the government's attempts to suppress it, continue to pervade our society.

The February 25 performance of Top Secret was followed by a conversation between Geoff Cowan; Bob Shrum, senior fellow at NYU Wagner; and Mitchell Stephens, professor of journalism and mass communication at NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.

Stephens identified this as a "noble" moment in American history, when American culture really started to resent and repel government secrecy.

This was the first time that the establishment attacked an objective press for reporting on issues of national security, and it led to a public distrust that culminated in Watergate.

While we still see examples of secrecy within the government-the torture photographs from Abu Ghraib blocked by the Justice Department, for example-the press generally behaves more responsibly than critics imagine. In fact, according to Stephens, there are no incidents in American history when the mainstream press has jeopardized national security by printing "sensitive" information. Moreover, the influx of technology, especially the Internet, has made it more difficult for the government to keep secrets from the press and the public, both nationally and around the world.

So how does the press make the decision to publish information that could be damaging to the U.S.' It comes down to the idea that restraint is inconsistent under the First Amendment, but that doesn't mean there aren't arguments for not printing sensitive information. It will only take one time for a bit of information to get in the wrong hands, and the consequences could be devastating. Therefore, as Bob Shrum pointed out, increased freedom of the press must lead to increased responsibility by the press.

The truth is that the government can still stop the printing of stories, and newspapers today certainly don't have the financial security to go toe-to-toe with the U.S. government. But the U.S. Supreme Court's ability to enforce the First Amendment remains a bastion of the rights of free speech.

From February 14-16, RCLA and the Abu Dhabi Institute brought together a select group of 24 scholars and practitioners committed to illuminating and nurturing leadership for public wellbeing. Bethany Godsoe, executive director of RCLA; Waad El Hadidy, research associate at RCLA; Natasha Iskander, assistant professor of public policy; and Erica Foldy, associate professor of public and nonprofit management represented NYU and NYU Wagner.

They were joined by a couple of Americans who support leadership work in the Middle East and North Africa, and participants from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, Lebanon, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Participants stressed the importance of drawing on the historical well of leadership in the Middle East and using cultural practices as a springboard for addressing tough social and public issues.

The group discussed cases of leadership that transcend sectors, transform citizens into active agents of change, and open up new public spaces for deliberation and engagement. The exchange of such experiences generated practical implications for the study of leadership, teaching leadership in higher education settings, and leadership development/training programs. On the last evening of the convening, three participants brought a cross-sector perspective on the topic of leadership for a new era, marked by increasing interconnectedness, complexity, and uncertainty.

-Colleen Coffey

Salo Coslovsky joined the Wagner faculty in fall 2009 as assistant professor of international development. He has an MA in law and diplomacy from Tufts and a PhD in international development from M.I.T. Salo's upbringing led him to become interested in international development, particularly how developing countries can promote sustainable growth. "I grew up in Brazil at a very eventful time: there was a transition from dictatorship to democracy; bouts of hyperinflation and a succession of failed economic stabilization plans; and privatization, deregulation, and liberalization. So I learned a lot about international development just by being there." 

What motivated you to pursue a career in academia'
"The real trigger was traveling by public transportation throughout Latin America as a teenager. That's when the differences among people and places started to jump at me: why does infrastructure and public services vary so much among countries, and even within countries' Why do different governments seem to perform so differently' Why is it that some people work so hard but never progress' That's when I started to make comparisons and ask questions, and I haven't stopped. There is no better place [than academia] to ask (and answer) questions like these, that are at the same time straightforward and important. But in addition to translating theory into practice (and vice-versa), I also like to get things done, so it is great to be around real achievers, which are the people that Wagner attracts."

How has your first year as a full-time faculty member been so far'
"My first year has been great. I'm still learning my way around NYU, but I'm enjoying the new challenges and the discoveries that come with them."

What is the best part about working at Wagner'
"I like a lot of things about Wagner. Just coming to the Puck is a pleasure-the architecture of the building, the neighborhood, the well-lit interiors. I really enjoy the intellectual exchanges, the talk series, the impromptu conversations with faculty and students, and the never-ending stream of academic discussions that we host. Above all, it is great to be part of a school that is so dynamic, filled with people who want to make it even better than it already is."

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job'
"Above all, I enjoy the fact that it involves public service and international development. The sense of working in such a large and critical theme is fantastic. Next, I really enjoy the mix of theory and practice, and to be able to use one to inform the other. It is a privilege to be at the interface of these two worlds."

What is the most challenging part of your job'
"Time-management! Demands on my time are increasing by the minute and I want to attend to all interesting and important requests, but then I would need 35 hours a day to keep up. So I have been trying to be as efficient as I can be, but it seems that I will have to be more selective as well. This is a big challenge."

What excites you about your current research'
"The biggest treat is to find counterintuitive cases and patterns that cast new light on old ideas and give hope to the underdog. For instance, in one project, I am trying to understand how a cluster of businesses located in a remote part of the Bolivian Amazon have been outperforming more powerful and better-endowed competitors in Brazil.

In another project I am examining how property rights affect investment and innovation. The prevailing view is that one is a prerequisite for the other, but this pattern does not seem to hold in the development of sugarcane varieties. Rather, the opposite seems to be true: in this sector, the lack of property rights seems to encourage innovation. Is it true' And if so, what are the lessons for promoting innovation in developing countries'

And in another project I am examining how institutions - i.e. the rulers of the economic game - influence product differentiation and opportunities for industrial upgrading. I am studying the sugar, leather, and charcoal industries, and hope to have interesting findings to report after conducting fieldwork over the summer."

How would you characterize Wagner students'
"The people I have seen are smart, ambitious, committed, and-above all-public-minded. And students here contribute enormously to enhancing the intellectual life of our community. I've seen how they bring real-world experience to in-class discussions, invite outside scholars to come in, push all of us to stay on top of emerging topics, and connect people that may be unaware of each others' existence. Their contribution cannot be overestimated."

What is your idea of a perfect day'
"A perfect day starts with a leisurely morning so I can read the Brazilian and U.S. newspapers and a selection of the blogs that I follow. Then, some sort of formal or informal discussion or presentation that triggers an unexpected discovery; I love having one of those "Aha!" moments in which my understanding of the world suddenly changes, even if only a tiny bit. The perfect day would include some exercise, preferably outdoors, and it would end with a good movie, concert, or play and a delicious meal with my fiancée."

What's the best thing about living in New York'
"I love the unexpected juxtapositions, i.e. the mix of people, accents, and dressing styles; the food; the public transportation; the graffiti, stickers, and other displays of public art; and the variation in neighborhoods, in which every few blocks is a different world."

What's on your iPod'
"Inti-Illimani, in solidarity with the Chileans (and because the music is great). I always listen to Brazilian singers and bands; lately I have been listening to Gal Costa and Clara Nunes."

What would you say to someone who wants to pursue a career in public policy'
"The first thing I would suggest is to keep an open mind. The public sector is not like the private sector, so those interested in public service ought to avoid deceptive comparisons. To a very large extent, the public sector is messy by design and it works according to a different logic, so those interested in getting things done in the public realm ought to understand this logic to be effective in promoting change and achieving results."

Toni Harris joined the Wagner staff as assistant director of career services in January 2009.

She has a BA from Temple and an MSW from Columbia, where she specialized in social enterprise administration. Toni became interested in career services as she found herself helping colleagues at previous jobs develop skills, craft resumes, and learn how to network. Coming to Wagner "was a great opportunity to do for a living what I did in my spare time." 

Where were you working prior to coming to Wagner'

"Prior to coming to Wagner I worked with Gilda's Club Worldwide, a nonprofit organization that provides social and emotional support to people who are living with, and those who have been affected by, cancer. As an affiliate relations manager, I served as a liaison between Gilda's Club Worldwide headquarters and the senior management teams or boards of directors of the clubhouses around the country. I monitored each clubhouse's programming, fundraising, and operations to ensure that they remained in compliance with national standards. I also developed and identified resources to support each clubhouse's organizational health through board cultivation and the provision of technical assistance."

Can you describe a "typical" day for you at Wagner'

"In a typical day, I counsel and advise students and alumni on everything from career development strategies to figuring out what fields to pursue, to helping students translate lofty ideas into job descriptions, not to mention counseling them on resume writing, interviewing, negotiating salaries and other workplace issues. I cultivate relationships with employers for whom Wagner students want to work, and help recruit students and post jobs and internships for organizations that want to employ Wagner graduates. I also spend much of my time planning career fairs and networking events and preparing students to attend such events."

What is the biggest misconception that you hear about jobs in the public sector'

"There's a misconception that our jobs are less serious and we don't have to compete in the same way, or we're not as valuable as other professionals and degrees."

What do you like best about your job'

"I really like working in an organization that allows the flexibility to create and try new things. I can come with a new idea about an event or how to market it and I can decide to change direction midstream. I am also fascinated and inspired by Wagner students. They are the future leaders of public service, and I feel like I'm having an impact on their lives and their ability to do what they want to do. I help people to their jobs more effectively, and I see the benefits of my labors every day."

What is the most challenging thing about your job'

"Having a background in social work, it's hard for me to see how many opportunities are available to people that don't have the same access to resources as Wagner students due in part to circumstances largely beyond their control. Other people are so bright and capable but they don't have anyone to sit down and tell them, ‘You have other opportunities.' It's challenging for me to feel like there are so many people missing out."

What is the most rewarding thing about your job'

"On the flip side, I love seeing students share the knowledge that I have imparted to them. I give people the education and tools to empower themselves and those around them. Seeing them communicating that message to other people is great."

What are your career goals'

"My career goals include studying workforce development issues to answer questions such as: What factors lead to fulfilling and successful careers among public service workers' How can the workplace learn to appreciate valuable and unique skill sets' How can public service organizations compensate workers to increase professional satisfaction in the field' What are the factors that lead to burnout and how can those issues be prevented' And what makes a person professionally fulfilled'"

When are you most happy'

"When I have cooked or been fed an amazing meal. There are few things that are as satisfying."

What can we find you doing on the weekends'

"I really love jazz, so I'm either in a restaurant eating, at a jazz gig, or at home catching up on bad TV. That's pretty much me."

From February 14-16, the Research Center for Leadership in Action and the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute convened 24 eminent scholars and practitioners committed to illuminating and nurturing leadership for public well-being in the Middle East and beyond.

Whether working for youth and women's empowerment, engendering corporate citizenship, or organizing communities in conflict-ridden areas, they discussed leadership that transcends sectors, transforms ordinary citizens into agents of change, and opens up new public spaces for deliberation and engagement.

Experienced practitioners come to leadership development opportunities with a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can be tapped in the service of the whole group's learning.  A new RCLA Practice Note offers a behind-the-scenes look at how to design and run peer consultations that allow practitioners to bring leadership challenges or dilemmas to "workshop" with a learning group.

Through the consultations, the presenter gets new insights into his or her challenge and often walks away with specific new strategies to test. At the same time, the rest of the group practices advice-giving - an important leadership skill - and often also gains new insights into similar challenges they may face in their own work.

While the economic climate continues to present challenges across the field of public service, leaders' goals for what they plan to achieve in 2010 provide an exciting and optimistic preview of new developments and innovation in strategies, policy, research, advocacy and services.

Deans of NYU schools join the heads of NYC's United Way, the Charter School Office, and Coro Leadership Program, as well as leaders of organizations including Human Rights Watch, Aramex, and the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in sharing their 2010 Leadership Resolutions.

Victor Rodwin, professor of health policy and management at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, is one of the cosigners of a public letter to President Barack Obama and members of Congress, calling for passage of the president's comprehensive overhaul of the nation's health care system.

"Our health care system is in crisis," the letter begins. At another point it adds, "the only workable process at this point is to use the President's proposal to finish the job."

Among the cosigners are Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate and behavioral economist; David Cutler and Len Nichols, who have advised Congress on health policy in the past year; Theda Skocpol, political scientist; Henry Aaron of The Brookings Institution; and Paul Starr, author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning history of medical care.

The letter was drafted in late February after the nationally televised health care summit led by President Obama showed the deep divide between Republicans and Democrats on the issue of health care reform.

OnlineDegree.com's list compiles several feeds - some economic, some political, some technical, and everything in between - that may be of particular interest to those conducting business with other nations. 

The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Program in Social Entrepreneurship at NYU Wagner's Twitter feed ranks #31.

The Financial Access Initiative, a research consortium of leading development economists that is focused on substantially expanding access to financial services for low-income individuals worldwiide, was cited by U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY) at a hearing on the future of the microfinance poverty-fighting strategy on Jan. 27 conducted by the House Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.  Among other facts, Rep. Maffei noted FAI's finding that 2.5 billion people currently have no savings or credit account with a tradition or alternative financial institution (see study "Half the World is Unbanked, Oct., 2009) The congressman's videotaped remarks begin at minute 19:28 here.

Additionally, FAI research was cited at the hearing in testimony by Susy Cheston of Opportunity International (see P. 6).

The Financial Access Initiative is housed at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Its managing director and lead researcher is Jonathan Morduch, professor of public policy and economics at NYU Wagner.

Sam Tanenhaus, the editor of The New York Times Book Review and Week in Review and the author of "The Death of Conservatism," delivered the 11th Irving H. Jurow Lecture at NYU's Silver Center for Arts and Science on February 1. David Oshinsky, Jacob K. Javits Visiting Professor at NYU and Jack S. Blanton Chair of the Department of History at the University of Texas at Austin, offered introductory remarks. A panel discussion was moderated by Oshinsky, with Ellen Schall, the Dean of NYU Wagner and the Martin Cherkasky Professor of Health Policy and Management; Robert Shrum, Senior Fellow, NYU Wagne and author of "No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner"; and Tannenhaus.

The event was co=sponsored by the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, and the College of Arts and Science at NYU.

On January 14, 2010, the Furman Center released a new report, Foreclosed Properties in NYC: A Look at the Last 15 Years.  The report analyzes the outcomes of 1-4 family properties that entered foreclosure in New York City between 1993 and 2007, paying particular attention to trends in recent years.  While foreclosure filings continue to rise, little is known about what happens to those properties-how many homeowners are able to stay in their home, how many sell their homes, how many complete the foreclosure process and end up in REO.  This report sheds new light on these questions. View the press release.

Professor John Gershman, clinical associate professor and director of undergraduate programs at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, offered Foreign Affairs magazine his ideas on what's worth reading on the issue of foreign aid. To see his annotated syllabus, go here.

"In the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college."
-President Barack Obama, 1/27/10

In his 2010 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama highlighted the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. This program, a part of the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, allows some federal student loan borrowers who work in the public and nonprofit sectors to have remaining loan balances forgiven after 10 years of qualifying employment and loan repayment.

To learn more about the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, please visit our Web site.

ONE YEAR after the inauguration of America's first African-American president, MSNBC presented "Hope and Fear in Obama's America: 2010" on Monday, January 18, a lively, extended discussion on race held at Texas Southern State University with national thought leaders, including NYU Wagner Visiting Scholar Irshad Manji -- the director of the Moral Courage Project at New York University. Tune in Manji's comments and offer your own.