Dear Levin College Alumni,
As we reflect on this year and look forward to 2009 I encourage you to stay connected to Cleveland State University. It is truly an exciting place to be. At the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, our activities are not only in the building--with our students, but also within our community. The Levin College’s faculty, staff and students work closely with a range of organizations across the region and the state.
The Levin College continues to strengthen educational experiences for our students. As Interim Dean, I am proud of our recent accomplishments. Our student credit hours continue to increase. While the Levin College is perhaps best known for our graduate programs, our undergraduate enrollment has grown, and undergraduates now comprise 2/3 of our students. Associate Dean Wendy Kellogg, Dr. Roberta Steinbacher, and the College’s Office of Student Services strategically implemented new undergraduate programs. These include designing a new curriculum that offers two degrees in five years and increased offerings of web-based classes. A new major will be offered in the spring—Organizational Behavior and Leadership. We are also developing a new major in economic development.
As the College works alongside the University to meet the goal of attracting, retaining and graduating more students, it is clear that increased student internship opportunities must be made available. Rachel Singer, Graduate Assistant and Internship Coordinator, has a website and e-mail list available to students looking for internships. Former Senator Grace Drake, Director of the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service, is working to grow the pool of internships through her extensive network in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Please think about internship opportunities within your own organizations and contact Rachel for more information.
The College’s research centers are engaged in a number of projects. One example of a collaborative new leadership training program is NEO-SMART for Public Managers. The program gives participants access to the resources at the College for use in a group project that directly addresses the needs of the organization. NEO-SMART is currently working with a cohort of participants from the City of Wooster. Zoe Tyler is the Program Director of the NEO-SMART program and can be contacted at z.tyler@csuohio.edu.
Dr. Brian Mikelbank, Director of the Center for Planning Research and Policy, is analyzing data and providing multiple city, county, and regional organizations useful, succinct, and understandable information for use in moving forward through the housing and foreclosure crisis. (See story here)
The Levin College Forum Program, under the leadership of Kathryn W. Hexter, continues to engage the community in dialogue on timely issues. In 2009, the Forum will continue the series “Beyond Foreclosure” looking at strategies for creating a new, more prosperous future for Northeast Ohio’s neighborhoods and communities. Over the past year, the Forum looked at the future role of cities in an urban age, the summary report is available online.
In October, the Forum Program hosted Great Lakes-Bioneers-Cleveland. Other recent programs dealt with the federal budget and the Medical Mart. I invite you to attend a Forum Program either in person or on the web. All programs are archived at www.urban.csuohio.edu/forum
In closing, I want to applaud all of the alumni efforts to continue the legacy of the Levin College of Urban Affairs--thank you for staying connected. Best wishes for a happy holiday season and New Year.
Sincerely,
Edward W. (Ned) Hill
Interim Dean
Research on the Front Lines of the Foreclosure Crisis
Dr. Brian Mikelbank and his team of researchers are on the front lines of the foreclosure crisis. In recent studies for Cleveland City Council and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Mikelbank has shed new light on some little understood segments of the NEO housing market and how it has been impacted by foreclosures.
Dr. Mikelbank delivered the report “Beyond the Foreclosure Crisis: Housing Strategy for Cleveland’s Future” to Cleveland’s City Council in November. One major finding of the report was that outside lenders were largely responsible for the subprime loans which took place in Cleveland, while the local banks behaved much more responsibly. Another finding was that since 2003, the median sales price for houses which did not go through foreclosure has remained fairly stable on Cleveland's west side, and declined only slightly on the east side. Thus, there appear to be two markets in play, since the median sale price for resold foreclosed houses dropped substantially since 2003. Mikelbank also was interviewed by WCPN’s Mhari Saito “CSU Study: Cleveland House Prices Holding Despite Fire Sales of Once Foreclosed Property.”
Dr. Mikelbank’s report “Spatial Analysis of the Impact of Vacant, Abandoned and Foreclosed Properties” was the culmination of work that he did as a Visiting Scholar in the Community Affairs division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. While previous studies of either vacant/abandoned or foreclosed properties analyzed one group of properties without considering the other, Mikelbank was the first to analyze both simultaneously.
CNNMoney.com interviewed and quoted Dr. Mikelbank in the article “Home sellers suffer amid wave of foreclosures“ about the difficulty ordinary home sellers are having due to all of the foreclosures. Mikelbank made the case that the traditional market is on hold—anyone who can afford to do so is delaying the sale of their house until the market picks up.
Dr. Mikelbank foresees additional research opportunities for his team on a wide range of issues affecting our region. Phase II of The Regional Economic Revenue Study is underway. The project is primarily funded by The Fund for Our Economic Future. An advisory team including Dr. Thomas Bier, Executive-in-Residence and Charlie Post, Project Manager, has been formed and will finalize the model for sharing tax growth in the Northeast Ohio region. Other researchers for the Center for Planning Research and Practice include Ivan Maric, Research Assistant, and Kirby Date, Coordinator of the Countryside Program. (Dr. Mikelbank is the Director of the Center for Planning Policy and Research. He can be reached at b.mikelbank@csuohio.edu)
Urban Alumni and Student Notes
Tijuan (T.J.) Dow (’91 MPA) was elected to Councilman--Ward 7, City of Cleveland.
Nickie J. Antonio (’92 MPA) serves as chair of the Cuyahoga Democratic Women’s Caucus. She was also elected in 2005 to a four-year term as at-large City Councilmember, City of Lakewood.
Michele Wyse (’93 BA) to Vice President, Director of Office Services, Cramer Krasselt, Chicago, Illinois.
Tracy D. Kulikowski (’94 MUPDD) to Land Use Director, Town of Weston, Connecticut.
Randell McShepard (’98 MS in Urban Studies) is a co-founder of PolicyBridge, a local grassroots think tank focused on urban policy issues. He was quoted in the Plain Dealer article “Ad campaign will try to sell Cleveland kids on education” printed on 12.1.08.
Anthony J. D’Alessandro (’99 MUPDD) is President, D’Alessandro Research Consulting.
Kristina Port (’01 MS in Urban Studies, ’02 MPA) is a Trustee, Russell Township, Novelty, Ohio.
Jamar Doyle (’08 MUPDD) to Commercial Development Manager, St. Clair Superior Development Corporation.
Tracey Kastelic (’08 MUPDD) is an Associate at Currerre Inc.,Cleveland, Ohio.
For more updates about what is happening with your former classmates. Check out class notes on the Urban alumni web pages. Take a moment to update your alumni profile at www.urban.csuohio.edu/alumni/updateform.html.
Upcoming Events
Levin College of Urban Affairs Alumni Organization
Monday, February 9, 2009, Johnny Mango World Cafe & Bar. Present the coupon from 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. and 20% of sales will benefit student scholarship at the Levin College of Urban Affairs. The menu is available at www.jmango.com. Take out and dine in service both apply (you must have the coupon-here: http://urban.csuohio.edu/alumni/jmangos_2909.pdf). More details will follow.
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