POLICY STUDIES - Maxwell School

POLICY STUDIES
alumni update
January 2016 Volume 46
1, January 2016, Volume 46
In this issue…
Dear Alums……………...….2
Community Programs…...….3
Community Benchmarks……4
Philanthropy………….……..6
Jessica Kitzman…………......7
Carol’s Farewell……….…….8
Alumni Briefs……………….9
EITC………………………..10
This year Policy
Studies majors
received:
2 2015-2016 Remembrance Scholarships
3 Policy Studies students
were named class of 2015
University Scholars
2 Policy Studies students
were College of
Arts & Sciences class of
2015 Class Marshalls
Dear Alums:
The Program Faces Change
The Policy Studies Program is
undergoing a period of change
caused by two things. First,
although I am not planning on
retiring until you know what, the
Dean (correctly) would like to set
up some sort of transition plan.
There are several scenarios. One is
a faculty committee is formed to
select a new director. Another is
that the major becomes part of
another department or
program. There are other
possibilities. I know most alumni
would like to keep the basic
concept of the major---skills,
developed through hands-on and
experience based coursework. It
may happen since the
administrators, a few Professors,
and forces affecting higher education support the concept. If you see the
Chancellor, the Deans of Maxwell, or the Dean and Arts and Sciences, let
them know what you think.
The second source of change is that Carol Dwyer has decided to retire as
This year, Policy Studies
of December 31st, 2015. We are all saddened by Carol’s decision. She has
Majors completed a total
made the Policy Studies Program what it is today.
of 16,661 volunteer hours
*The only other campus office
that logs more service hours
than Public Affairs is the
Center for Public and Community Engagement that counts
the total of hours all University
programs logged.
I proposed that a replacement should be a Professor of Practice, which did
not exist when she was appointed. However, given the tight budget and
the demands by other departments, this may never happen. As a stopgap,
the benchmark course will continue to be offered by a part-time
instructor. We are fortunate that Stephanie Pasquale who now works in
the Syracuse Mayors office will teach the course and continue
Carol’s excellent record of great benchmark reports. Regardless, there
will be no Carol to work with our quantitatively oriented students on
projects and as TAs. This is a huge loss to the major.
I am sure some of you are not too happy with this news. Feel free to write
us about these developments and what you think should be done. Also,
Carol might like to hear from you especially if you want to guilt her. She
says the best part of her job was working with wonderful students.
-Bill
2, January 2016, Volume 46
Greetings from Community Programs!
It has been really busy here in the Policy Studies
Program. Many of our students are involved in
some way with providing service to the Syracuse
and Onondaga County communities. This is where
Community Programs comes in. I encourage
students to help others by either volunteering
somewhere on their own or signing up for one of
our many classes that offer internships or volunteer
experiences. Each semester, our students surpass
expectations of what they can and are willing to do
to “help others.” I often wonder if the graduating
seniors will continue to “give back” to a community
and if the new crop of students will want to commit
to “doing well while doing good.” So far, I have
not been disappointed with the level of commitment
from Policy Studies graduates to service.
Last year, I talked about ‘Cuse Spot which is run
by a working Executive Board made up of about 8
students from around campus. This program offers
over 20 different student taught classes at Wilson
Park (WP) community center during the Syracuse
City School Districts’ February break to help youth
in Syracuse have a safe and interactive break from
school.
students. I keep thinking of the Warehouse in
Armory Square that was renovated by SU for the
Architecture department and is used for so many
other things (Architecture never formally moved the
department there but does use it for classes, etc.).
There are so many things going on this year that I
don’t have enough space to list them all. Just know
that everyone is working hard and the Syracuse
community is enjoying the fruits of our labor. If you
had the opportunity while you were at school to take
part in service- thanks so much. If you never did
service, it is not too late. Get involved wherever you
are through a community center, soup kitchen,
school district, nursing home, even in politics. Your
help can and will make a difference in the lives of
others
Signing off ‘til next year!
Michelle
The program is so successful that it is
operating at a second site (Northeast Community
Center). Although the event is primarily known for
its February break program, it does organize
several events in the fall. The first, a Halloween
celebration, took place on October 28, 2015. More
than 40 youth and 15 SU volunteers enjoyed face
painting, mummy wrapping and various games for
the evening. The kids really enjoyed it. Another
event was a thanksgiving cook-off where our
students cooked a nutritious mini Thanksgiving
meal at WP. The ‘Cuse Spot E-Board is really
taking off and working hard. Their commitment is
amazing and very much welcomed.
If you have any ideas for programming, please feel
free to email them to me at
mawalker@maxwell.syr.edu). We may eventually
have to consider using larger facilities to host all of
the events that our students are organizing for the
youth of Syracuse. I would LOVE TO SEE SU
commit to a one-stop building for youth that would
offer programming for youth 5 – 19 and run by SU
3, January 2016, Volume 46
Pictured is the ’Cuse Spot Executive Board. From left to
right, Julia Eklund (Director of Syracuse Northeast
Community Center), Clarissa Paz (Director of Wilson Park
Community Center), volunteer, and Arianna Clark
(Recruitment Chair). Those that are missing from the
photo are Samantha Linnett (Director of Public
Relations) and Wyatt Suling (Director of Finance).
Community Benchmarks Program (CBP)
Spring 2015
CBP students did an awesome job. In an unusual move, our project was campus-based. The Mary Ann
Shaw Center for Public and Community Service, known to all SU undergrads, asked the CBP to review
their Literacy Corps program, one of the longest running tutor-based initiatives of its kind. Students were
asked to examine the instruments used to collect data and determine whether there are ways in which the
instruments and/or their data collection processes can be improved. By gathering better information, it will
help the Shaw Center to identify the programs that are most effective and those which need improvement.
The Shaw Center has instruments for the following categories: Tutors, Supervisors, In-Service Workshops,
Senior Exit Surveys, and Reflections.
As usual, students invested a great deal of time on this project, including designing new survey instruments
for each category and recommending different methodologies to implement the surveys. They also made a
number of useful ancillary suggestions.
This was a strong group, and it proved helpful to have James Yu in the class as he is a Literacy Corps tutor.
It was also fortunate to have Julliette Crellin and Nate Eldridge, who in addition to their data collection,
analyses and graphing skills, offered their creative talents to add an impressive visual impact showcasing
their graphic/artistic skills, a sample of which can be viewed below.
4, January 2016, Volume 46
Community Benchmarks Program (CBP) cont.
Fall 2015
The recently completed semester continued our annual commitment to the CNY Community Foundation on
the CNY Vitals website at http://cnyvitals.org/onondaga/. We typically produce data for each of the nine
categories on the website as well as a full report that is posted on the CBP website at http://
maxwell.syr.edu/past_reports/. Those categories are:
1. Arts, Culture & Recreation
6. Environment, Transportation & Planning
2. Civic Engagement
7. Housing
3. Demographics
8. Human Services & Health
4. Economy
9. Public Safety
5. Education
There was a major shift this past semester based on an article that appeared in the Syracuse Post-Standard,
but also The A tlantic. Both publications reported that 65 percent of the Black population in Syracuse lived
in high-poverty areas in 2013, a dramatic 43 percent increase from 2000. The Syracuse Metropolitan Area
has the highest concentration in the country, surpassing the Detroit, Rochester and Buffalo metropolitan
areas. This ominous news has been a catalyst for action from several different places, including the
Community Foundation, the Syracuse mayor’s office and the CNY Regional Economic Development
Council, to seek funding to begin an initiative to combat the problem. The data identifying the problem
were compiled by Paul Jargowsky, a fellow at The Century Foundation, a professor of public policy, and
director of the Center for Urban Research and Urban Education at Rutgers University. Research conducted
at Harvard and Stanford also found that children born into poverty who remain in the same neighborhoods
will remain in poverty. Those who move to more prosperous neighborhoods tend to have more educational
success and higher incomes.
As a result of this news the CBP, and our partners at the Community Foundation, decided to change things
up this semester. Instead of focusing on the nine categories, it was agreed that students would collect data
on two of the standing categories and add a new one: Education, Housing, and Poverty. The results are both
fascinating and discouraging. It is apparent, as Jargowsky believes, that Housing Choice Vouchers, known
generically as Section 8 vouchers, give poor families few options about where they live, but instead confine
the poor to those neighborhoods which are usually located in the poorest census tracts in the city.
It is believed that the research conducted by students in this class can be the catalyst to bring people and
organizations together to address existing public policies and attract funding that may make a difference in
Syracuse. Please check out the report on the CBP website.
5, January 2016, Volume 46
Philanthropy
Fall 2015
Trying something new panned out for this class. In the past, students have always identified a community
issue, one specific to the Syracuse area, but often also turns about to be a national problem. Past topics
have included health education, immigrants/refugees, and education. This semester a theme was not
identified and the result was the submittal of the highest number of applications over the five years the
class has been offered with 35 proposals. The submittals were reviewed and pared to 16. The financial
documents of the organizations were examined, and eight organizations made it to the third round for site
visits. After much deliberation, Legal Services of CNY received the $5,000 award for their proposal to
provide legal services to help people suffering from cancer. The monies will be used to expand the Cancer
Legal Advocacy & Services Project, which helps people with cancer gain access to public benefits,
insurance benefits, and health care which may have been wrongfully denied to them. Other services
includes drafting personal planning documents such as last wills, power of attorney, health care proxies
and living wills and guardian designations for future care of minor children.
Also new this year was the decision to award a local organization for demonstrating the greatest
transparency and accountability through the information provided on their website. The Dorothy and
Marshall M. Reisman Foundation agreed to increase its annual contribution by $1,000, enabling us to
recognize nonprofit excellence. Students reviewed the websites of 186 organizations. Using criteria
established by the United Way of Central New York and Charity Navigator, which has rated nonprofits
using this method for several years. The criteria included the provision of the following information on
the organization’s website:


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
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
Ways for people to volunteer
Ways to donate
History of “about”
Mission
List of board members
List of key staff

Availability to IRS Form 990 or a link to the 990 on Charity Navigator or
another website
Contact info (including phone # & email address or form)
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Annual Report
Audited financial statements
Privacy policy
Annual budget
Strategic plan
Ease of navigation
PEACE was rated the organization that met most of the criteria. Representatives from both organizations
were honored at a semester-end reception. Addressing the guests, Maxwell Dean James Steinberg said the
class represents the highest ideals of the Maxwell School: to teach good citizenship.
As always, this class is indebted to the donors who have contributed to this program over the years. It is
important that a few of our supporters our mentioned. Our primary benefactor is the Reisman Foundation
along with Judith and Eric Mower, alumni who serve on the Syracuse University Board of Trustees.
Former teaching assistant Lauren Ottaviano and new alumna Brittany DeSantis are also vital supporters.
Always Remember, Benchmarks Rule!
-Carol-
6, January 2016, Volume 46
Feature Page: Jessica Kitzman
Like many students in the Public Affairs Department, Jessica Kitzman
was set on going to law school when she entered SU. While she was
certain she knew what she wanted to do after college, she wasn’t sure
what major to choose as an undergraduate. She found a description of
PAF 101 in the SU Course catalog and decided to give it a try. It
caught her attention because the description of the class sounded
practical and “law schooly.”
Kitzman excelled in PAF 101 and was later chosen to be an
undergraduate TA. She met with Professor Coplin several times and
battled with him about her desire to go to law school. While Coplin
tried to talk her out of it, she was not prepared to back down. In one
particular instance, she came to Coplin with a "pre-law school crash
course" at an Ivy League school she had found. It was five weeks long,
a couple thousand dollars, and was meant to help show what law
school would be like.
While Jessica was thrilled and pleased with finding such a prestigious
program, Coplin was not convinced. Instead, he recommended she
should intern at a public defender’s office. Feeling somewhat deflated, Jessica sulked out of Coplin’s office
and soon after, began applying to various public defenders offices as an intern. Her applications were
accepted, and she interned at various Public Defenders offices, now calling them some of the greatest
professional experiences she has. She has worked at the Baltimore Office of the Public Defender, Juvenile
Department, the Elizabethtown Kentucky, Department of Public Advocacy, and The Legal Aid Society in
Manhattan. All showed her different aspects of the legal system and solidified her goal to be a public
defender.
After graduating early from SU in December of 2011, Kitzman spent the second semester of her senior year
as a teaching assistant at a charter school in Long Island City. While she still was focused on going to law
school, she attributes a lot of what she knows about urban education reform and being a successful leader to
her experiences as a policy studies major. These experiences continued to help Jessica. At one time, she
interned in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office. At this
office, they offer tutoring and summer programing for children in a poor area near the office.
Jessica then began attending the Cardozo Law School
in New York City. She excelled there just as she did at
SU, having several great work experiences and
internships like working for the Innocence Project (in a
clinic for a full year), the Cardozo Criminal Defense
Clinic, and participating in Cardozo's Intensive Trial
Advocacy Program a year ahead of schedule.
She received several job offers by the time she was in
her third year of law school , one of which was at the
New Jersey Office of the Public Defender in Bergen
County. It was her first choice. She accepted, and has
been working there since August 2015 and could not be
happier.
7, January 2016, Volume 46
Sailing Away
For everything a reason,
For every ending a new beginning
~Carina Round~
As I write my final column for this newsletter—it occurs to me that this is real—I am leaving the place
where I have enjoyed one of the best experiences of my life and was lucky enough to engage with the
brightest and best students (okay, so not all of you were the best when you were here, but I am sure you are
now). I never considered what I do to be work, as the opportunity to conduct research and to interact with
students has been a gift. I am so appreciative when I receive updates from alums letting me know how they
are and what they are doing.
I decided to retire at the end of the fall semester. Fortunately, the
benchmarks class will continue to be offered and will be taught
by adjunct Stephanie Pasquale. As an alumna of both the Policy
Studies and the Maxwell MPA programs, she will do a
phenomenal job. She is Deputy Director of the Syracuse Dept. of
Neighborhood and Business Development. Many of you know
her through her visits to 101 or the Grant Writing class. This is an
interim step as the dean is stepping down and wants the new dean
to decide whether or not and in what form the Community
Benchmarks Program should continue. There is a search for a
new dean and it is hoped that s/he will be favorable to
maintaining the program. Unfortunately, there are currently no
plans to continue the Philanthropy class, but it remains to be seen
if it will be resurrected.
So what is next? I plan to catch up on my reading, do some
traveling, take some classes, and spend more time in the
Thousand Islands. I would like to do some consulting on a
part-time basis, focusing on survey design, data analysis, and writing. If your company/organization has
some small projects, please keep me in mind.
It has been a privilege to pass through your lives and, hopefully, provide you with some support and perhaps
encourage you to learn to love the story told through good data and strong research and writing. I have
always said that I have learned so much from my students. I hope they feel the same. I want to give a
shout-out to the many teaching assistants with whom I have worked. You were awesome and I could not
have done it without you. I plan to attend the 2016 and 2017 convocation receptions to personally say
good-bye to current students who have been in my classes. My new email address is
ca.dwyer@outlook.com. I hope to still hear fr om many of you as you have been an impor tant par t of
my life.
Fondly,
Carol
8, January 2016, Volume 46
Alumni Briefs
Brian D. Burns ‘85
Elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the
New York Association of Drug Court Professionals.
He was also accepted to the Fulbright Specialist
Roster to participate in international scholarly exchanges
Anne Brownlee ‘94
“2014 Star of PR” according to Bulldog Reporter, a
trade publication for the PR industry
Maureen Aidasani ’97
Director of Experiential Learning, Kent College of
Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology
Andrew Shin ‘04
Senior Director, Policy and Strategic Partnerships at
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare
Katherine Walpole ‘12
Management Analysis Intern for Clark County,
Nevada
Christine Ward ‘12
Data Coordinator and Executive Assistant at Powered by Professionals
Christiona Hawkins ‘13
English Teacher for Teach for America at an
alternative high school near Detroit. She is also
enrolled in Oakland University’s master’s in
teaching program.
Calli Johnson ‘13
Community Relations Coordinator at Monroe
County Department of Corrections
Nick Valinski ‘13
Brandy Flunker Oakley ‘05
Engineer at AECOM
Carly Pass ‘05
Litigations Assistant for CACI International, an
information services company contracted with the
U.S. Department of Justice
Ambreleah Dusseau ‘06
Planning Analyst for the U.S. Department of State
Project Director with The New Teacher Project
Managing Director for Strategy, Talent, and
Operations at Teach for America’s Memphis, Tenn.,
office
KYC (Know Your Customer) Due-Diligence Officer
at JP Morgan Chase
Clare Rutz ‘09
Director of Development at Americana Community
Center
Jessica Kitzman ‘11
The New Jersey Office of the Public
Defender in Bergen County
Mika Van Opdrop ‘11
Recruiting Coordinator for J.P. Morgan Chase in
New York City
Grace Davis ‘12
Staffing coordinator at Chrysalis Enterprises
9, January 2016, Volume 46
William Fletcher ‘14
Shaki Kar ‘14
Joshua Kerwood ‘14
Second Lieutenant for the United States Army
Emily Pompelia ‘14
English Teaching assistant at the Fulbright
Commission in Germany
Conor Sullivan ‘15
Published a co-authored article in Defense Horizons
Angel Winston ‘15
1st Grade Teacher at La Cima Charter School in
Brooklyn, NY
Have any recent updates? Let
us know by emailing Angie at
acward@maxwell.syr.edu
Policy Skills in Action: EITC Profile
This student run initiative, sponsored by the Public Affairs Program, aims to give money back to the
working poor through a federal tax program.
Recently, several students in the Public Affairs Program at
Syracuse University have made it their goal to increase
enrollment in the Earned Income Tax Credit program in
Syracuse. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable
tax credit that can reduce the amount of income taxes owed by
taxpayers. Residents earning under a certain income (about
$53,000) qualify for the credit, which is determined based on
adjusted gross income, number of qualifying children in the
household, and marital status.
On a national level, the impact of the EITC program is noticeable, lifting 6.2 million people out of poverty,
half of whom are children (2013). In contrast to other social programs, which many argue de-incentivizes
work, studies show that the EITC increases aggregate hours worked by those that use it. While the students
recognize how impactful the program has been so far, they saw a potential to make an even greater impact,
especially in the Syracuse community.
Several sources claim that a significant percentage of working poor do not take advantage of their eligibility
for EITC. The program could increase income of the working poor as much as 20% of their annual salary
and bring millions of dollars into the community. Increasing enrollment has the potential of both reducing
poverty and promoting economic development.
The Project’s founder and current leader, Maggie Tarasovitch, saw the potential impact and decided to do
something about. With advice and support from Professor Bill Coplin, Ms. Tarasovitch designed and taught
a one credit course this semester under the supervision of Economics Professor Donald Dutkowsky.
Most of the students in the course were certified through the
Internal Revenue Service’s VITA program. The students will
volunteer at the VITA sites during the 2016 tax season, filing taxes for low-income tax payers. Ms. Tarasovitch has worked closely with the IRS office in Albany and
with the five sites in
Onondaga County which collaborate though the CASH
Coalition coordinated by the United Way. In addition to
providing volunteers to help in the operation of the VITA sites,
the Project will develop publicity material and seek support
from City and County Officials. With the EITC legislation needing renewal in 2017 to continue operation, students in the project are exploring ways to
lobby for the continuation and increase in the program.
In addition, the Project has been offered to the more than 50 high schools who teach Professor Coplin’s
PAF 101: Introduction to the Analysis of Public Policy in the Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA)
program.
10, January 2016, Volume 46
@ProfCoplin
@SUPublicAffairs
Don’t Forget to visit our website and update your
alumni content information!
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/paf_form.aspx?ekfrm=567
Syracuse University
Public Affairs Department
102 Maxwell Hall
Syracuse, NY 13244
(315) 443-2348
11, January 2016, Volume 46