I hope you will consider joining us in supporting this project and community initiative. It is very easy to join and all payment arrangements can be made online directly to the Corbin Hill office. The next New School delivery date is April 3rd. The pickup location is scheduled for the New School Lang Café, Eugene Lang Building, 65 West 11th Street from 2:00pm – 5:00pm.  We are excited that this program will continue over the summer, online registration for the 2012 Summer Farm Share will open on April 5th!  

As you may have already heard, the Spring 2012 NSPE Volunteer Weekend (March 23rd-25th) is fast approaching with many opportunities to engage in projects around the city. From creating new materials that promote literacy for pre-school students with Jumpstart to working with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in cleaning up various parks and riverfronts around the city, there is a project for everyone. All of the specific projects and times are listed on the Volunteer Weekend website where you can sign up your friends and family members as well. I hope you are able to take a small break from your very busy lives and work alongside your fellow Milano colleagues during this Spring 2012 NSPE Volunteer Weekend.

You can choose from the following projects:

• Spend much-appreciated quality time with the senior citizens at Isabella Geriatric in Upper Manhattan

• Help pack and deliver meals to home bound elderly with Citymeals-on-Wheels

• Make some new friends at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe where you can process orders, grab books from the bookshelf and package them up for shipment

• Organize the Build it Green NYC! reuse center - clean, display and photograph donated items

• Create materials designed specifically to promote literacy skills in preschool classrooms with Jumpstart

• Get Active! Organize fun games with children from the after-school program from Women In Need

• Pack and distribute groceries at the Episcopal Diocese of NY: St. Peter's Chelsea Food Pantry

• Sort merchandise and assist clients at the Butterfly Boutique with Sanctuary for Families

• Choose from 1 of 3 exciting projects with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
  • Park clean-up in Union Square/Greenwich Village
  • Coastal clean-up in Manhattan's East River Park
  • Park clean-up in Stuyvesant Square Park

For specific details (times, locations, recommended attire, etc.) related to individual projects, please click here.

Although I enjoyed the opportunity for a holiday break, I confess to having spent some time in my office in an effort to catch up and do some planning. The windows of the office look out on what will eventually be a magnificent New School building, one that will come to represent the visual center of our school.

If you have ever seen a large building in construction, you will understand that my attention was regularly drawn to the extraordinary events across 5th Avenue. What seems like hundreds of men move about the site and enormous machines, especially the cranes, move material from the ground to a region of current focus. Concrete in large buckets flies up to a place where wooden molds have already been built; steel rebar suddenly takes off from the ground almost effortlessly, eventually to be nestled into a new home of concrete.

But how does all this happen! The workmen - and they are all men - are not ants, blindly following instinct to ensure the success of the species. They are trained and supervised; they belong to unions; a firm designed the building according to the University's specifications; the land was acquired; permits from the City were issued; wood, steel, wire, concrete, nails, and eventually HVAC machines were acquired from across the globe and paid for through bank borrowing, eventually to be repaid by gifts to the University and tuition payments.

Unpacking all the financing, trading, social organization, aesthetic insight, needs and capacities turns on how it is managed, financed, the economics of world trade, social need, the role of place in education, disagreements along the way, labor organization, manufacturing techniques, wood harvesting, and on and on. In what sense, then, can we say we understand this building from first principles? Indeed, no one person understands all but we will likely choose some feature of importance - how a choice is made opens a new set of issues - and make sense of it: architecture, finance, management, higher education, commodities, forestry, manufacturing, city government, accountability, etc, etc, etc. But when the ribbon is finally cut and the New School president makes a speech acknowledging that this new building will enhance education and research, each of us will have an opinion about it's look, its expense, how it will be used and how it will change the way The New School operates.

Having made such observations about the ways in which we understand a building to come into existence, what can we say about the social structures - management, urban policy, international affairs, economics, higher education – that undergird it. In what sense do we understand those fields? Are the explanations we give for our claims fundamentally different? Are the vocabularies in which we speak even understood across fields?

Despite all the questions we can ask, miraculously the building is getting taller each day because all the parts are coming together, although they could have meshed differently to produce something more pleasing and useful, or less so. Without building at least two structures, we'll never know.

Must we struggle so, without a firm place to stand? Are explanations always tentative, albeit some better than others? After all, some constructions fall down, break, are acknowledged to be ugly, don't quite meet the needs for which they've been built. We're influenced by the explanations that were adequate for our predecessors but not quite good enough now. Stuck as we are in a place and time that we think may be better than that of the past, we make judgments without all the facts and live with the consequences. But I'm still looking forward to walking into our new building, whether I like it or not, and toasting its significance and the sense in which it will change our sense of ourselves.

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Assistant Professor Robin J. Hayes, a wonderful new addition to the Milano/GPIA faculty. Robin will be teaching Making a Difference and a new course on Black Social Movements in the fall.

Robin is a scholar and filmmaker who was the first person at Yale University to earn a combined doctorate in African American Studies and Political Science. With the help of a scholarship from the A Better Chance (ABC) program, she graduated from the prestigious St. George’s School in Newport, Rhode Island at the age of 16. After completing her bachelor’s degree at New York University with honors, she supervised a legal clinic for homeless families at the Urban Justice Center and facilitated human rights delegations and aid shipments to Cuba, Nicaragua and Chiapas, Mexico as a national coordinator of the Inter-religious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO). She produced and directed, Beautiful Me(s): Finding our Revolutionary Selves in Black Cuba, a documentary film that explores how African Americans and AfroCubans can learn from one another about building community, forging coalitions and openly discussing racism. In addition to publishing scholarly articles in Souls: a Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and Society and Maroon: the Yale Journal of African-American Studies, Robin has given lectures about her work on the politics of the African diaspora at the University of California-Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Southern California, Indiana University, the University of Washington-Seattle and Middlebury College among others.

Currently, she is finishing a book manuscript and related documentary film titled, African Liberation, Black Power and a Diasporic Underground. Robin has held residential fellowships at Williams College and Northwestern University and received support for her research from the Ford Foundation.

She comes to her position at The New School from Santa Clara University, where she was Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies and Political Science. With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, she was a Scholar-in-Residence at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Please join me in welcoming Robin to Milano/GPIA community.

Best,
Neil

Shagun comes to us from Columbia University. His research, teaching, and policy advice focus on environmental management, infrastructure economics and finance, and poverty reduction in cities, particularly in large developing-country slums. Shagun is Managing Director of Climate and Cities, an international policy advisory facility, CCSR, jointly housed at The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Previously, he was on the staff of the World Bank, leading infrastructure reform of public utilities in Africa with a focus on expanding services to the urban poor. Shagun will come with a PhD in Infrastructure Economics and Urban Planning from Columbia University, in addition to Masters Degrees in Urban Planning, and International Affairs from Columbia University, as well as Urban Environmental Management from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

Over the last decade, his advice and research has been sought by national and local governments in East Africa, South-East Asia, China, and India; as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He has authored and co-authored articles and two books, including Climate Change and Cities (Cambridge University Press, 2011) and Bankruptcy to Billions: How the Indian Railways Transformed (Oxford University Press, 2009).

Please join me in welcoming Shagun Mehrotra to the Milano/GPIA community.

Best,
Neil

Guest Blogger: Lessons From a Solar Decathlon Team Leader

Complex engineering problems, aesthetic design, and, of course, energy efficiency solutions all characterize the Solar Decathlon. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Decathlon is an international competition among colleges and universities to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. This year’s 20 finalists include entries from across the U.S. and, for the first time, China (Tongji University).

Along with the imaginative and analytical discipline essential to design-development and execution, a seemingly mundane challenge can pose one of the thorniest issues for Decathletes: how to integrate the efforts of hundreds of students in dozens of courses taught by a score of professors over the lifespan of a two-year project, with many of the participants cycling out at the conclusion of an academic semester. Given the tension between continuity and adaptability, how can anyone know what others are doing, let alone break new ground in technology applications, marketability, and aesthetics?
                                                 
For The New School-Stevens Institute of Technology Solar Decathlon team, (which includes the Parsons School of Design and the Milano School of Management and Urban Policy), an additional consideration has been the decision to take a community-based approach. Our partnership extends beyond our schools to include the Washington, D.C. Deanwood neighborhood advisory commissioner, the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development, and Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. With these partners, we are working to create a simple, affordable, ultra-efficient home that holistically and systemically addresses sustainable living.

While we are convinced that such an approach is necessary to achieve the social impact we seek, broad partnerships of this sort inevitably heighten process and structural challenges. So, our solution to what is essentially an organizational problem has been that seemingly mundane tool: the org chart.
We engaged several graduate students from the Milano Organizational Change Management (OCM) graduate program to collect data through survey questionnaires from a wide-ranging array of academic teams across the three schools. They identified and canvassed 22 teams in all, subsequently interviewed university-based project leaders, and also gathered input from community partners.

Thanks to the architecture faculty member who is the overall project leader, and especially the elected student project leadership of this student-driven project, the critical need for the OCM organizationally-centered work was underscored. Both faculty and student leaders emphasized the integrative potential of the OCM work—an important message for all team members to absorb.

In addition to identifying the 22 student workgroups and clarifying relationships among internal and external stakeholders, the group implemented an organizational chart created by collaboration across all of the schools to promote continuing collaboration. The chart eased the entry of each new group of students as they entered the project, helping them understand the many players and project components, and facilitated internal communication, so that work teams could readily direct inquiries and engage in joint efforts.

Several additional OCM students focused on process issues and devised forums for integration, brainstorming, and communication strategies. A key task was to provide methods for relationship-building in order to improve understanding of the goals of key stakeholders in the organizational chart and the interactions and settings necessary to achieve them.

Unlike more typical projects in which the various professions work in isolation, we learned quickly that curricular attention to human relationships and communication, employing the tools of managing change processes and organizational dynamics, were important contributors to complex, interdisciplinary collaboration. That is a lesson we are now infusing in sustainability curricula across the institution.

As we enter the final stages of the Solar Decathlon competition, we continue to derive lessons for curricular innovation to be shared with the entire university community. Equally, and as importantly, we believe we are preparing our students for the challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration that characterize sustainability work beyond the classroom walls.

I also see this space as a forum for bridge-building. By coming together virtually to explore, interpret and process events, we can create connections across university divisions, across the city and beyond. Newsworthy events unfold around us every day, and I see these as opportunities for thinking, for robust discussion and rigorous debate. Furthermore, I view the role of the university in society as a crucial one—a space where public intellectuals can engage and one that transcends the university walls and opens up dialogues to discuss and critically reflect together.

On January 5^th, our 112^th Congress held its first session, and I propose this space as one where we can discuss challenges this new Congress will face, substantively and politically.  In subsequent postings I will offer thoughts and questions on a variety of topics related to university and public life, so that we may link our work to these challenges, in ways that reflect the constructive, socially-minded, critical thinking for which the New School has always been known. In response to this posting, I invite you to reply with any hopes, concerns or questions around the issues that face the nation, for while our country may be a society deeply divided at this moment, we should be able to come together here to reflect collectively on the issues of the day.  In envisioning the sort of dialogue I hope we can cultivate here, I am reminded that Henry James suggests that we come to understand ourselves better by engaging others who enable us to see ourselves by responding to us. The university can be a place where this kind of learning takes place, where we are changed through our engagement with one another and where we can sharpen and enrich our own thinking. I am proud to serve as dean in a university that aspires to do just that, and I offer this posting both as an invitation and as a reminder that there are many spaces for us to engage through open dialogue—both inside and outside the classroom. I welcome your replies and wish you a fruitful start to the new semester!

Best,
Neil Grabois

Best,

Neil

Global problems—social, economic, environmental, political, religious, scientific, and moral—are multiplying at a dizzying pace. In my view, no university better integrates the study of politics, policy, and practice or provides an education more relevant to the worlds of business, government, and the nonprofit sector than Milano and the Graduate Program in International Affairs. I'm delighted to have joined The New School community and to lead this innovative new program.

Since my arrival at the end of this past summer, I have greatly enjoyed meeting students and hearing about their experiences at The New School. I invite you to check this site regularly, as I'll be posting ideas and announcements—and I hope you will reply with your thoughts, questions and feedback. I look forward to this online dialogue and to meeting many more of you as the school year continues.

Neil Grabois
Dean, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy and the Graduate Program in International Affairs

During my time in Spain, I’ll be working with my mentor, Manuel Castells, at the Open University of Catalonia (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya).  Specifically, I’ll be a fellow at the university’s research institute, the IN3—internet interdisciplinary institute.  In addition to serving as a resource for the center’s faculty and students working on gender and technology, I will be continuing a line of research I began before I became dean.  I’ve been looking at urban retail strips in gentrifying neighborhoods—the role that local businesses play in local culture and economic development.  I have a large box of books and articles I’m bringing with me, and I plan to get to Barcelona and start reading.

I am excited to begin this new journey, and I look forward to sharing updates with you as my work gets underway. And, of course, I can’t wait to hear about the wonderful accomplishments you’ll have to report—please keep in touch. I assure you that all the exceptional Milano faculty and students I’ve had the pleasure to work with will never be far from my mind!

I look forward to seeing you again when I return to The New School as a faculty member in Fall 2011.  In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful summer and the best of luck in all your endeavors during the 2010-2011 school year.

Be well--

Lisa

In February 2009, Dennis purchased a farm in Schoharie County in upstate New York. He has a community-supported agriculture plan (C.S.A.) to allow residents to purchase fruits and vegetables from the farm at a reduced price. Interested residents who enroll in the plan get to choose the types of produce they want and will eventually have an ownership stake in the farm. Once the initial investment in the farm is paid off, shareholders will be able to collectively take over control of the farm, including how it’s run and what is grown there.

We’re excited to keep a close eye on the development of Dennis’ Corbin Hills Road Farm and proud to support his critical efforts in the South Bronx. Bringing good food to low income neighborhoods is an essential part of developing healthier, stronger, more vital communities, and we applaud Dennis’ important work. Learn more about this extraordinary project by checking out the Times article and video!

Be well-

Lisa

In my presentation, I spoke a great deal about why we need to close the gap between those who are able to take advantage of technology and those who cannot. The problem goes beyond access. In the past 15 years, access to things like cell phones and the internet has increased dramatically in the U.S. and around the world. However, the digital divide still exists in many significant ways. In fact, as many studies show, increased access does not necessarily result in increased use. Those left behind are more likely to be poor, elderly, rural or disabled and often lack the education to make good use of access to technological resources.

So why should we commit to closing the gap? First and foremost, we need to understand that the disparities that are responsible for the digital divide reflect deeply entrenched patterns of inequality. Transformative change around this issue could occur with an approach that integrates access, use, and the development of content that addresses people’s needs. When these elements come together, information and communication technology helps people seek better jobs, coordinate life-saving efforts during disasters, compete, innovative, communicate and learn. And while it’s easy to conclude that “someone else” will fix this problem, the truth is that all of us—educators, academics, non-profits and community-based organizations—must come together to push for and create lasting change in this area.

Be well-

Lisa

I am always thrilled to see where students’ careers after Milano carry them.  Our students are committed and talented, and I’m certain that you’ll make contributions beyond what we’ve all imagined for you.  That said, I find that it’s useful to remember that our professional paths rarely look how we think they will.  Often, opportunity intervenes unexpectedly or your professional journey leads down a road you never envisioned. That has surely been the case for me.  The years I spent as an investment banker, an art historian, a teacher and an administrator—as well as those I spent as a waitress and aerobics teacher—all shaped who I am.

So I encourage you to take risks and be open to opportunity as you move through your career.  Allow yourself to meander, and embrace the journey as you go.  But don’t forget us!  We hope that you’ll always consider Milano a home and will stay engaged and active in our family here.

Good luck—and again, congratulations!

Be well--

Lisa

AP Journalist Dives Into Gulf Oil Spill:  http://www.aolnews.com/gulf-oil-spill/article/ap-journalist-rich-matthews-dives-into-gulf-oil-spill/19509438?icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl1%7Clink3%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fgulf-oil-spill%2Farticle%2Fap-journalist-rich-matthews-dives-into-gulf-oil-spill%2F19509438

Track the spill with this interactive map: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/01/us/20100501-oil-spill-tracker.html

I invite your comments and encourage you to offer up more resources that might help us all monitor and more fully understand the continuing developments surrounding this truly devastating event.

Be well--

Lisa

The rise in obesity rates over the past generation has been startling.  For instance, according to a study done by the Center for Disease Control, obesity rates in 1991 were around 10-14% in most states.  A good handful of states were under 10%, and only four had rates above 15%. Nowhere was the rate above 20%.

Today, the landscape has shifted dramatically. By 2006, 22 states had obesity rates of 25% or above. Two of those states were above 30%. The results of this study, which I found both fascinating and alarming, can be found at http://www.ehd.org/health_obesity.php. The data is displayed in a very interesting, visually engaging way that makes it remarkably clear how pressing this issue is in our society today.  Thankfully, the First Lady has also taken notice.

The problem of childhood obesity is a complex one, which relates deeply to issues of social justice.  As reflective individuals and agents of change, I believe it’s important for us to recognize this issue as one that truly deserves our attention and concern.  The health and wellness of the next generation depends on it.  

Be well—and healthy!

Lisa

The Clinton Foundation works to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. In New York City, there are two offices that use interns: The Harlem Office, which is the official office of the former President and the place where his activities for non-profit and for-profit work are determined and organized, and the mid-town office, which houses the Clinton Global Initiative operation.

Good luck with all of your endeavors this summer! I hope the upcoming months offer you the opportunity to do some meaningful work and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation!

Be well-

Lisa

They began their research by analyzing the “Rooney Rule” in order to understand why the policy was established and how it is impacting the league. The Rooney Rule states that franchises/teams must interview at least one minority head coach prior to hiring anyone for the position.

Through their research, the Milano students uncovered a striking difference between the percentage of non-white players currently in the league and the percentage of non-white head coaches serving the various franchises. The league, which was established in 1922, took more than 65 years to hire its first African-American head coach.  Prior to the Rooney Rule (established in 2002), 67% of NFL players were individuals of color, compared to only 6% of the league’s head coaches.  

To supplement its research, the group interviewed two former NFL head coaches: Tony Dungy, the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl, and Herm Edwards, former head coach of the New York Jets.

To take the investigation one step further, they compared diversity and hiring practices in other major North American sports (MLB and NBA) and discovered that the NFL had the worst rates of diversity among these sports. They concluded that the Rooney Rule was a critical first step, setting an important precedent in the sports world, in regards to diversity and hiring practices. However, their findings clearly reveal that much still needs to be done to address this issue.  

I invite you to comment on this post—and I encourage Milano students to share their class projects! Your important work should be acknowledged and applauded. Your efforts in the classroom are a very exciting indication of the tremendous contributions we know you will make after graduating! As the school year begins to wind down, I offer my congratulations to all of you on your exceptional work this year. It is your passion, excitement, commitment, and ingenuity that make the Milano community such an extraordinary place to call home.

Be well,

Lisa

The New School Sustainability Advisory Committee, in conjunction with a team of student leaders, held an event called SWAP 'TIL YOU DROP. Participants could bring clean, unwanted clothes and swap them for something else. All leftover items were donated to charity. All monetary donations were contributed to the New School Green Fund. The Green Fund finances community-lead sustainability projects and provides sustainability research seed-grants to New School faculty and administrators.  The Office of Facilities Management administers the Green Fund, which is currently accepting proposals for new initiatives. More information about the SWAP 'TIL YOU DROP event and similar initiatives can be found on the blog for The New School’s Net Impact chapter.

Another group of students undertook a very different Earth Day project. They conducted a solid waste audit to determine how green our school really is. They spent a day sorting through The New School’s trash and captured their experiences on video. Watch their fascinating project and hear what they learned.

In related news, The New School has been named one of the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges. David Eisenhauer at The New School Facilities Management responded to the announcement, saying: "The New School's students, faculty, and administration share a commitment towards creating a more sustainable university.”  Eisenhauer went on to say, “This complete institutional buy-in allows the university to create innovative and dynamic sustainability programs. So it comes as no surprise to see the Princeton Review recognize us one of the top ‘Green Colleges.’ The New School community has proven that it values operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner—guaranteeing that The New School will continue to be a leader in this area."

What did you do to celebrate Earth Day? I invite you to share other events you attended or organized. And if you’re looking for courses on sustainability and the environment at Milano, I encourage you to check out course offerings related to the field at http://www.newschool.edu/milano/subpage.aspx?id=27584.

Be well-

Lisa

The weekend included a full schedule of sessions that featured President Clinton himself and a wide variety of world-class panelists from a range of fields. Our students attended sessions on energy, poverty, education, health care, social innovation, sustainability, and more. They had the opportunity to connect with leaders from around the globe, including activists, journalists, academics, politicians and other empowered students!

Also, CGI U sponsors an award program. Grants are given to student projects aimed at improving communities and lives around the world. The application deadline is April 30, 2010. For more information, visit www.cgiu.org/funding. I also encourage you to connect with Milano faculty member Michele Kahane about this opportunity, and be sure to notify her (kahanem@newschool.edu) if you apply.

I’m also grateful to Michele and to Provost Tim Marshall for their help in securing a bit of funding to help our students make the trip to CGI U possible. I’m so proud of the New School students who attended--and all of our students, who are shaping the future through their energy, dedication and innovative thinking. Congrats to the CGI U attendees: Athbi Budhair, Rachel Dawn Fudim-Davis, Priscilla Lee, Flannery Miller, Kristin Molloy, Dean Morris, Michelle Munoz, Myeashea Alexander, Christoffer Naess, Nadia Claudi Pederson, Claudia Powell, Lindsay Silver, Suzanne Sousa, and Sean Thomas. I invite each of you to add to this post by sharing your experiences at the conference and your Commitments to Action with us!

Be well-

Lisa

Every two years, the U.S. Department of Energy challenges collegiate teams “to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient, and attractive.”  The challenge is  comprehensive, as teams compete in 10 contest categories (architecture, market appeal, engineering, communications, affordability, comfort zone, hot water, appliances, home entertainment, and energy balance) that actually take place on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

This project is truly a collaborative effort:  the full slate of participants includes students and faculty from Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy, Parsons The New School for Design, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, along with the engineering school of the Stevens Institute of Technology, all of which came together to collaborate on this fascinating multi-disciplinary project. 

So, congratulations to all involved – we are very proud of their accomplishments – and we look forward to seeing more projects from them dedicated to minimizing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels.  For more in-depth information please see the proposal (pdf) they submitted and check back for more updates regarding the competition.

If you’re interested in getting involved, the following forthcoming courses are designated as Milano offerings that will contain a Solar Decathlon component:

Summer 2010

CRN MMGT 6015   Large Group Interventions

Fall 2010

CRN 6629 MEFI 6502 Elements of Finance and Capital Markets
CRN 3855 MHTC 6122 Organizational Change Interventions: Theory, Design and Implementation
CRN 5753 MMGT 5016 Climate Change: Implications for Sustainability Management
CRN 3813 MMGT 6067 Corporate Philanthropy and Social Responsibility
CRN 3814 MMGT 6037 Marketing in Nonprofit Organizations

Be well-

Lisa

The article that triggered this blog post is called “Are Women Business Owners Really Second Class Entrepreneurs?” It was written by Adelaide Lancaster and appeared on The Huffington Post website. Lancaster is the co-founder of In Good Company Workplaces, a collaborative workspace in New York City that gives women entrepreneurs  flexible access to a professional space, as well as access to colleagues and educational programs. Her article questions why our notions about “real” entrepreneurs often rely on a model of fast growth and big results, frequently excluding or minimizing the work of female entrepreneurs. As Lancaster notes, many women begin businesses in response to a social need or injustice they feel compelled to address and then develop their ventures strategically over time, focusing on long-term viability, not just short-term gains. The idea that we diminish female entrepreneurs as a result and deem their ventures “not real” or label them as “lifestyle” pursuits undermines the extraordinary and valuable efforts of women business owners. I encourage you to take a look at the article, which offers insightful suggestions on how we might reframe the discourse surrounding women entrepreneurs and rethink the measures of success we use to understand and evaluate their contributions to the world of business.

I invite you to share your response to the piece and your thoughts on these issues. Here is the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adelaide-lancaster/are-women-business-owners_b_526263.html

Do you agree with Lancaster’s assessment and recommendations? What additional challenges do you identify that female entrepreneurs must face? What else might we do to positively transform the conversation around these issues and support the success of women in business? I welcome your ideas and perspectives.

Be well-

Lisa

This past week, “Tuesdays @ 2” was led by Milano faculty member Michele Kahane and focused on the field of Social Entrepreneurship.  There are a number of courses currently offered at Milano for budding social entrepreneurs and Michele is a wonderful resource for those looking to learn more about the field. Tuesday’s event highlighted the work of the New School-Ashoka Partnership and involved a discussion on the growing role of Social Entrepreneurship as an area of study at Milano.  The New School-Ashoka Partnership is a university-wide effort to create a presence for social entrepreneurs on our campus, and the group has a number of exciting events coming up, which I encourage you to attend.
I’ve included the details below.

Another weekly event of which you should be aware is the Brown Bag Lunch series. These events are held each Wednesday (in the 3^rd Floor conference room at the 72 5^th Avenue building) from 12:10-1:30. This past week, we were fortunate to have guest speaker Andra Gillespie join us to speak about Michelle Obama’s role in the Obama administration, in regards to issues surrounding race. Andra, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Emory College, gave an engaging talk on (1) how we measure and evaluate the discourse on race in the Obama administration and (2) what role in that discourse Michelle is likely to play (and has played so far) as First Lady. Milano professor Darrick Hamilton coordinates this exciting lunchtime seminar series and can be contacted at hamiltod@newschool.edu.  Darrick sends out information via e-mail about the topics for each week’s seminar—keep an eye on your e-mail for details about upcoming events.

I invite you to take advantage of these fantastic events in our community, which offer all of us the chance to engage on a wide variety of timely and provocative topics outside the classroom. The more you seize these opportunities, the more valuable your time at Milano will be!  Be proactive, be thirsty, and be well.

Lisa

The New School School-Ashoka Partnership

In the Fall of 2009, The New School was selected as one of nine universities to participate in the AshokaU Changemaker Campus Initiative. The Changemaker initiative aims to expand social entrepreneurship education across campuses and explore ways in which universities can become hubs for social innovation that create solutions to social problems. An initial core team of students and faculty were selected to explore ways in which these goals can be achieved on this campus, through teaching, research and student engagement.

April Meet Up and Pitch Session
Wednesday, April 28^th
 8 - 9:30pm

The New School-Ashoka Partnership is seeking students, campus wide, with socially innovative concepts and ventures. Submit your concept for a chance to present at our up-coming pilot pitch session on April 28th at 8PM. You will get feedback from peers, faculty, and professionals!

Submissions are due by April 14th for those interested in participating please or alternately students can RSVP to tnsashoka@newschool.edu to attend and hear the pitches.

The New School - Ashoka Partnership Presents: Creativity as a Vehicle for Social Innovation

A Unique Performance and Discussion Experience

The performance experience will unite the The New School community in an exploration of the visceral need to make change and innovate in the world. This experience will bring together New School dancers, visuals artists, and musicians and allow for audience members to participate on multiple levels, blurring the lines between spectators and performers.

Date: Thursday, May 6^th
Time: 11:30am - 2:30pm
Location: The critique space of the Sheila Johnson Design Center

The panel will take an in-depth look at using creativity as a vehicle for social innovation. Experts in the field of social entrepreneurship will explore the multiple ways in which elements of the creative process are used to innovate and make social change.

Date: Thursday, May 6^th
Time: 3:00 - 4:25pm
Location: The Kellen Auditorium of the Sheila Johnson Design Center

For more information on The New School-Ashoka Partnership:
Email TNSAshoka@newschool.edu
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Be a Fan! http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-School-Ashoka-Partnership/10150107296570402

What is perhaps most intriguing to me, is how we -- as individuals, as cities, and as nations -- react and respond to these kinds of events.  In the wake of such disasters, it is almost impossible for us not to feel helpless.  But our compassionate desire to help is often thwarted by our not knowing how best to intervene (with cash donations? fundraising? volunteering?) to make a real difference towards alleviating the suffering of those in need.  The needs of many Haitians, unfortunately, are dire.  The destruction in Haiti, you will recall, was staggering in most ways imaginable. 

I, like most people, couldn’t bear to see the disturbing images on TV without feeling that I had to do something.  But what?  How?  How much and what would be sufficient to convince myself that I had done my part?

So when the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile occurred, I was intrigued by the overwhelming push for people to use their cell phones to “text” their donations.  I hoped that this new technological phenomenon and the convenience it offered would result in more aid for the people of these countries.  I also hoped we would not make mistakes similar to those that occurred during relief efforts following other recent natural disasters, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  In both situations, there was a critical lag in response times and significant concern about how, when and where the donations were used.  My own research on the digital divide makes these questions particularly interesting to me.

 Data Blog, produced by The Guardian, takes a specific look at how generous the world has been towards Haiti after the earthquake and illustrates its findings.  Although the report only shows contributions to the recovery effort as of January 24^th, 2010, it presents fascinating statistics broken down by country, and provides a snapshot of how much was pledged to Haiti within the first twelve days after the earthquake.  The report also compares the event in Haiti to others, such as the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, and shows statistics of countries that pledged and promised aid but didn’t actually deliver.

These events also motivated me to read Susan Buck-Morss' Hegel, Haiti, and Universal History, which explores Haiti's relationship to slavery and freedom.  It's an informative read.  I encourage you to continue exploring the world’s response to these types of catastrophic events, investigating with both a critical eye and a compassionate heart.

Be well--

Lisa

In December, I had the opportunity to travel to Austin, Texas to be part of two discussions on the topic of “micro-lending,” the practice of loaning small businesses operating capital for their start-up phases or simply for their ongoing survival.  For many businesses a small loan can make a significant difference.  One of my discussions took the form of an interview with a local anchor from public radio station KUT 90.50, Jennifer Stayton.  KUT 90.50 is operated by the University of Texas at Austin.   To listen to the interview please visit the following site: http://kut.org/items/show/19342.

My second discussion took place at a speaker series hosted by PeopleFund, a Texas-based nonprofit organization dedicated to creating economic opportunity through small business loans, affordable housing initiatives and community outreach.   At the PeopleFund discussion, I focused on explaining the role of micro-lending (small loans typically less than $35,000 dollars) in the U.S. and the various myths surrounding this field.  What I was interested in conveying during this trip was the particular challenges of micro-lending and the problems with the microenterprise industry.  I explained how these challenges must be addressed if the field is to reach its potential. 

Additionally I outlined how micro-lending can be a valuable and versatile tool during these difficult economic times, and that for some companies, it is perhaps the only means of acquiring the necessary capital to stay in business.  Small businesses should at least consider micro-lending as a viable alternative during this economic downturn and the financial tools and training offered by various microenterprise organizations.

I truly enjoyed my stay in Austin—after all, it was December!  The People Fund was very welcoming and gave me plenty of ideas and questions for how the industry of microenterprise could and should be improved.  Although they say “everything is big in Texas” micro-lending continues to be a fascinating field to watch evolve – one that provides an important method for obtaining significant results.

Be well-

Lisa

The New Voice features workshops in which no actual instructors will be present; instead, participating members are evaluated and critiqued by other members using Toastmaster’s proven methods.  In these forums, participants gain valuable insights towards improving their communication and public speaking skills, something, as we all know, almost anyone can benefit from.

After all, what good is having a lot of earned knowledge if you can’t express yourself, or communicate your ideas effectively?  Conquering your fear and becoming more comfortable speaking before an audience -- enhanced by knowing how to organize your speaking points -- can definitely boost your potential for achieving your career goals.

The club will meet this Friday, March 26 from 6:00 pm – 7:30pm at 6 East 16^th St., Room 1107.  Meetings are held on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Friday of each month.  The group is open to anyone (alums, community members) who would like to participate.

Founded in California almost 90 years ago, Toastmasters International began with only a few members and now boasts to having over 12,000 clubs in 106 countries worldwide.  Toastmasters International’s proven track record -- the best in the industry, no doubt -- is the reason that I am thrilled that students here at The New School have taken the initiative to create such a club for our students’ benefit.

So I hope you won’t pass up this great opportunity to improve your communication skills.  In my own experience, I had to rely mostly on practice (a lot of it), and from years of regularly being in a classroom in front of students.  This is a great opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and confidence from the feedback and evaluations you will receive.  Communication skills and leadership skills go hand in hand -- you can’t have, I believe, one without the other. 

I hope you’ll sign up for The New Voice today.  For more information, or to join The New Voice, send an email to tmthenewvoice@gmail.com.

And if you’re anxious to get started and don’t want to wait until they meet, click on the following link for “10 tips to improve your public speaking”: http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp

Be well-

Lisa

On November 17, the Provost, Tim Marshall and I traveled to New Orleans to attend the 2009 JPMorgan Chase Community Development Competition and cheer on our students. The Chase Competition is a New School tradition that uniquely challenges students to take on projects with real world learning experiences. As the competition describes, it gives students “an opportunity to partner with a New Orleans nonprofit organization to develop a real estate project that is feasible, sustainable, and helps to build and strengthen the local community.”

I am very proud to announce that The New School took third place in the competition and was awarded $10,000 for their nonprofit partner, Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA). I want to offer my congratulations to the students involved in this project including: Roy Abir (URB), Jennifer Chang (URB), Erin Kenny (NPM), Kevin Ly (URB), Laura McElherne (NPM), Valerie Zekas (NPM), and their professor Desiree Andrepont as well as various students from Parsons.

Their design project entailed developing a plan to create a community resource center in the Lower Ninth Ward as well as a much needed grocery store for the community. The entire space would be used attract and encourage community development and growth. As I learned from the students’ presentation “there is one grocery store for every 18,000 residents in New Orleans, while the national average is one store for every 8,000 residents.” This is an alarming health issue that presents an obvious burden to residents to find fresh food.

It is truly remarkable the amount of effort and hard work that our students put into this project. It shows incredible commitment and deep passion to improving the Lower Ninth Ward, and we are proud!

Be well,
Lisa

“Money Talks” is a series on WUNC that “explores the mechanisms of the American economy, putting current financial news in context.” The interview was aired on October 27 to provide a preview of what would be discussed at the annual African American Economic Summit that took place at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke universities (November 1-2). The current U.S. economic crisis continues to deeply impact communities of color, and has increased racial gaps in income and wealth, making this an issue of great urgency to all Americans. The summit brought together scholars to talk about the current recession’s affects on African-Americans, and, more specifically, they held policy discussions on issues such as housing, education, labor, wealth, and health.

To listen to the interview please follow the link below:

http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/sot1027b09.mp3/mediafile_view 

Be well-

Currently, Amber Seely is the Director of Finance for Renaissance Neighborhood Development, the housing and neighborhood development unit of Volunteers for America Greater New Orleans. Amber’s passion and fascination with New Orleans began in 2007 when she traveled there with the Milano community development finance lab to conduct research in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Amber was drawn to the unique challenges and culture of the area. Since graduating from Milano, she has returned to New Orleans through a Rockefeller fellowship with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence. At this time her work includes development of two mixed-income housing areas (350 units in the Gentilly and Tulane Avenue area, and 150 units in the Covington and Lower Garden District), as well as active involvement in community-outreach programs.

My congratulations to Amber! Her commitment and hard work over her (relatively few) years in New Orleans -- in addition to her enthusiasm for the people and the area -- are exemplary! She is truly an agent of social and economic change and we, of course, are extremely proud of her ongoing success!

Be well-

Lisa

Darrick Hamilton, assistant Assistant Professor at Milano – The New School for Management and Urban Policy and William Darity Jr., Arts & Sciences Professor of Public Policy Studies and Professor of African and African American Studies and Economics at Duke University, explore this question in a recent article, Race, Wealth, and Intergenerational Poverty in the September 2009 issue of The American Prospect. Focusing on the disparaging racial gap in the United States, the article traces its history and indicates, “regardless of age, household structure, education, occupation, or income, black households typically have less than a quarter of the wealth of otherwise white households.”

Hamilton and Darity’s work aims to understand why the black-white wealth gap persists and how to directly close (or at least greatly decrease) the gap, through public-sector intervention. Perhaps the most interesting and crucial aspect of this article dispels the commonly cited discriminatory myths that were “crafted” to explain why inequity exists, such as “blacks are less frugal when it comes to savings” and lack “financial literacy.” Through their research, Hamilton and Darity find that both statements are false and present their findings in the article.

To further get at this question of why the racial wealth gap remains, the authors’ analysis indicates that “inheritances, bequests, and intra-family transfers account for more of the racial wealth gap than any other demographic and socioeconomic factor, including education, income, and household structure.” Hamilton and Darity provide necessary policy proposals that will help us begin move far and beyond this racial divide.

Be well-

Lisa

I look forward to volunteering on Saturday along with students and alumni, as well as with my own kids, in East New York, Brooklyn, at the Transitional Living Community (TCL) Therapeutic Garden. This project will consist of sprucing up -- raking, weeding, pruning, and painting -- a quarter-acre community garden that is mainly used as a psychiatric and therapeutic space for 40 mentally ill homeless women in the neighboring woman’s shelter. Originally a vacant lot, this outdoor space has since been turned into a vegetable and flower garden.

Milano Cares Day not only provides us with opportunities to help local organizations do much-needed work in the community, but, perhaps more importantly, it also provides opportunities for us to see first-hand and also reflect, and question the policies and institutions that make volunteering necessary. While volunteering is only one step, what else, we must ask ourselves, can be done to help those in need?

I hope you’ll join us this coming Saturday -- thank’s in advance to those of you participating in the 2009 Milano Cares Day; we hope to make this an annual event, and with your help, I’m sure we can. Please let me know about your own experience on Saturday, and also check back for my recap of the day.

Be well-

Lisa

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you are interested in volunteering for either of the two projects (below) that still need volunteers, please sign up by sending an email to reichv@newschool.edu and write “Milano Cares Day” in the subject line. Also, please indicate your preference of projects.

Volunteer Project 1

Boys Town of New York 

Project: Annual Career day. Volunteers sit on a panel and speak about their careers.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 24th, 2009

Time: 9:45 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Location: 167 Willoughby Street, at the corner of Flatbush/Willoughby

Each year Boys Town holds a “career day” for its students in which men and women from all professional walks of life come in and talk about how they achieved their careers. The students will receive valuable tips (secrets, strategies, do’s and don’ts, etc.) on how to “get there” in the professional world. About 45 boys, in all, are placed in the Boys Town organization’s care by New York City’s juvenile justice system. Boy’s Town is always looking for good role models as it endeavors to introduce distinct, varied and critical aspects of society to the resident youths.

Volunteer Project 2

The Doe Fund, Inc 

Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

So let me know…

• Do you have a blog? Or have you ever thought about starting one?
  
• What blogs (or types of blogs) do you keep up with and read? Which is your favorite?
  

For me, the best aspects about blogging are being able to share my perspectives with others quickly, as well as providing a record or “history” that allows me to look back and see what has taken place. Send me your blog links and we’ll post them here.

Be well-

Lisa

On October 5, Milano and the Center for New York City Affairs presented a lecture on “Race and the Subprime Crisis: The Future of Minority Neighborhoods” featuring Hon. Maxine Waters, U.S. Representative (D-Calif.). This program also included a discussion with James Carr, COO, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Sarah Ludwig, Executive Director, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP), Edward Wright, CFO, City National Bank, and was moderated by our own Darrick Hamilton, Assistant Professor, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy.

For a full two hours the lecture and discussion captured the audience’s full attention. Waters presented a compelling, lucid narrative of the events leading up to the current situation. You could feel the energy in the room, as the audience heard sobering statistics of the racial wealth disparity in the United States. Here are a few of the statistics presented regarding race and the wealth gap in the United States:

• Blacks and Latinos would have to save 100% of their income for 3 years in order to close the wealth gap.
• For every $1 a white person earns, Blacks earn a dime.
• 1 out of 4 homeowners owe more on their homes than their homes are worth.

So why is there such a gap between wealth and why are minorities so affected by this subprime crisis? We discussed the history leading up to the crisis and the related discriminatory policies. Among the determinants was the fact that, homeownership is the primary source of wealth for most Americans, but even though whites are considerably more likely than blacks to own their home, among blacks with positive net worth that share of black wealth attributable to housing is nearly twice as large as the white share. Therefore the loss of home equity hits blacks harder than it does whites. That however, is only part of the problem. Please read the engaging remarks by  Congresswoman Waters and  Professor Darrick Hamilton, which offer a thorough explanation of what went wrong.

It was a sobering discussion, and as I mentioned to all the evening, perhaps the clearest explanation we’ve had, so far about the crisis and what implications it has for hundreds of thousands of homeowners and communities.

Be well-

Lisa

P.S. One of the places I like to go to stay updated on issues related to the financial crisis is NPR’s Planet Money podcast. Check it out.

Be well-

Lisa

Through the 2009 Competition, the New School was able to partner with the Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA) to “develop a real estate project proposal aimed at rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana.” Each year the project brings together students from both Parsons The New School for Design and Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy with a variety of backgrounds and skills, such as architectural design, urban planning, and finance management. It’s obvious that hands-on, real-world experience is the best way to learn and gain knowledge. I look forward to seeing the advancement of this collaborative project – I’m sure this project will be an effective part of the redevelopment of the 9th Ward.

In the coming weeks, our students will find out if they've made the finals of the competition, to be held in NOLA on November 17th.  We'll keep you posted.

Be well-

Lisa

Paul Polak, the elder statesman of the group and author of Out of Poverty urged students in the audience who want to be social entrepreneurs to simply go out and do the work. I heard echoes of Herb Sturz (blog post 9/25/2009), who similarly urged our students to get out on the street and talk to the people who are experiencing the problems we all want to solve.

“Don’t be afraid to fail,” said Polak. “I have one success for every nine failures. So go forth and fail!”

Be well-

Lisa

My “true confession” is that I first met Herb about a year ago, knowing only a fraction of the work he has done in New York City. As I read the book during the summer, my respect and admiration for Herb grew as I learned more and more about the breadth of his influence and the depth of his commitment.

During our conversation last Thursday, which was attended by students, faculty, administrators, board members, and other Milano supporters, I realized that there was one thing missing from the book—a diagram that would show all of the people to whom Sturz is connected, and another showing all of the organizations that have spun off from the Vera Institute of Justice, which Sturz founded. I realize that Roberts probably did not include such diagrams because they would have been virtually impossible to complete.

I asked Herb a question at the event, about how we should be training our students who want to follow in his footsteps. His advice? “Get them out of the classroom, and out onto the street. That’s where the real learning takes place.” Okay, I admit it, I felt validated by his response, because that is exactly what we do at Milano. Thanks, Herb

Be well-

Lisa

As a faculty member I taught Policy Analysis—a required course for all of our Urban Policy students—for seven years, and when I read TomRidge’s book I realized that his job entailed him to make the kinds of decisions we are training our students to make. Decisions about how to allocate finite resources -- for example, whether to fund more cancer research or to stockpile anthrax vaccines. In short, I anticipated Tom Ridge’s visit to Milano eagerly as a terrific learning opportunity for our community.

At Milano, we are very intentional about providing our students with both management and policy tools. As an official charged with getting a range of disparate agencies to cooperate and with making policy in a post-9/11 world, I knew that Tom Ridge had certainly confronted serious challenges involving how to integrate management and policy. His offer to speak to our community, and to answer questions, seemed to me a terrific opportunity for our students to engage with what they are learning in a very real way. Making the classroom permeable is central to my teaching philosophy and I saw this morning’s event as one of many opportunities we provide to our students to learn about how things really get done in the world.

What happened was far from what I expected. Soon after Tom Ridge completed his formal remarks, and Bob Kerrey began to moderate the question and answer portion of the program, a small group heckled and harassed both of them, preventing any questions from being asked or answered, and stifling meaningful dialogue. President Kerrey, who had indicated his intention to give the floor to Milano students, had no choice but to shut down the event. For my own part, I was literally shocked by the disrespect shown by this small group—none of whom I recognized as Milano students; I wish I had had the presence of mind to act more swiftly. The deplorable behavior exhibited by this small group flies in the face of the academic values we hold dear and that lie at the center of The New School’s identity. Shutting down a conversation, a legitimate debate is anathema to me. I remain deeply troubled by what happened on Thursday and am committed to working with my colleagues across the university to find ways to preserve the ability for all of us to engage in a free and open exchange of ideas.

The hecklers left as soon as the President terminated the event; they thought they had achieved their goals, which clearly did not involve learning, or challenging their own ideas.

What happened next, however, gives me hope. Secretary Ridge remained with those of us who stayed, and talked with a group of at least 25 students and other members of our community. He stayed for over an hour, long past when the formal program would have ended, and answered every question. He was gracious, open to taking challenging questions, and thoughtful in his responses.

It was not the program we envisioned, but the conversation took place nonetheless. Many will dwell on the theatrics—and indeed, the university will need to respond appropriately to the actions of those who disrupted the program. And while I believe it is important to condemn their behavior, I also want to shine a light on those students who came to learn, and who persisted in that goal.

Be well-

Lisa

The reason for the festival? Today is the International Day of Peace -- established back in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly -- a day in which the world observes the occasion as a day of cease fire and non-violence. As George D’Angelo, the architect of International Peace Day indicates, this day provides a chance for individuals, organizations, communities and nations to create and participate in practical acts of peace. It also presents an opportunity to “inspire individuals and empower communities to celebrate victories for peace that have been won throughout the year, and to rededicate our commitment to work for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world all year long.”

To me, Peace Day signifies an important time for us to learn about the differences that divide us and come together through acceptance and cooperation. Join me in observing the International Day of Peace!

Be well-

Lisa

More than ever, nonprofits need help to survive these challenging times. One truly effective way to invest in one’s community, as well as support a nonprofit, is through volunteer work. Many of us here at Milano – students, faculty, administration, and alumni – regularly contribute time and energy volunteering for organizations whose missions resonates with us.

In Brooklyn, where I live, I go with my son and other kids and parents from his school to a senior residence where we sing songs and play games with the people who live there. My kids also love to bring a plastic bag and pick up garbage from the sidewalk on our walks to school. “Reduce, reuse, recycle” has been imprinted onto their brains and they are learning to live what they learn. We all can attest to the value of their volunteering efforts, and the synergistic spirit created in the process – benefiting both the target organizations, as well as the volunteer him- or her-self.

Last fall, we filled a bus with students, faculty and staff and headed to Pennsylvania to do campaign work for the presidential election. For me, it was an eye-opening experience to spend the day talking to people whose lives are very different from mine. I know that I also felt a special connection to the others who chose to spend that day volunteering.

This fall, on Saturday, October 24th, our students, faculty, administration, and alumni will come together in teams to dedicate that day to supporting their communities through volunteering. On that day – named Milano Cares Day – each team assigned to a nonprofit will share its strengths, skills and ideas, providing much-needed assistance to an organization and, in the process, gain new perspectives and create community within our Milano family.

Volunteering your time is a great habit to have. It can help you learn new skills, meet new people and break down barriers of misunderstandings and fear. And it may very well help you deal with your own struggles, or even influence the work you do in the classroom. In addition, it’s a beneficial way to make new contacts, which may ultimately help you with your own career.

If you haven’t started already, I want to encourage you to adopt a new (good) habit. You will reward yourself through helping others, and you will be joining us in our efforts to make a real difference on Milano Cares Day.

Stay tuned for further details on how to participate in Milano Cares Day.

Be well-

Lisa

September represents the official end of summer in academia as well as a clean slate and lots of different opportunities. Strive to put your best foot forward this semester (I’m sounding like my mother now!). I know you have all heard this before, but here are a few tips to keep in mind to have a successful semester.

- Be organized. A planner or personal organizer allows you to write down all your assignments and important dates.

- Talk to your professors. Be an active participant in class and schedule time to talk to professors during office hours. Even if you don’t have specific questions, make your professors aware of your own interests and passions. Seek out more advanced students and alumni to help you chart your course.

- Set realistic goals. Challenge yourself to accomplish something you have always wanted to do. Or work on breaking a bad habit. Remember – this is school. Resist the temptation to stay in your comfort zone. Take a risk, develop a new skill – be willing to fail. Write your goals down and hang them up in a place where you can see them every day.

- Explore new options. Look for opportunities to become involved with student groups and organizations.

- Be proactive. Don’t panic when you feel overwhelmed about your courses – take things step by step. If you have questions or need help, make sure to ask your professor or TA right away before things get out-of-hand.

- Remember to exercise. Take the time to stay active – do yoga (my favorite), go to the gym, or even just go for a walk. The Union Square Greenmarket is a block away every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Good luck and have a fantastic semester! Make the most of your time at Milano – it will go quickly. Your hard work will pay off. Feel free to post here and keep me updated on how your semester is going.

 Be well-

 I’m very proud and excited to announce that The New School has just been selected to be part of the Ashoka Changemaker Campus Consortium. Only four other universities were chosen this year to form this remarkable partnership -- The University of Colorado at Boulder, Tulane University, College of the Atlantic, and Babson College. Not only is this news exciting to us, but the Ashoka announcement has already been picked up and blogged about by popular social change blog, Change.org.

Ashoka, “the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs,” is based in Washington DC, and has teams, fellows, and staff located all over the world. Together, they’ve created the Changemaker Campus Initiative, with the aim of bringing together “students, faculty, and staff from across campus to transform their university into a hub for social change.” Specifically, this partnership with Ashoka and other universities represents “an effort to share best practices and bridge the gap between theory and practice” in the field of social entrepreneurship. In addition, the New School joins the ranks of last year’s four Changemaker Campuses – Cornell, George Mason, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Maryland .

The Ashoka initiative presents so many extraordinary opportunities for the New School -- and I can’t wait to see what results will emerge. Teaching social entrepreneurship across divisions has been on the agenda at this university for some time now and has evolved rapidly over the past 10 years. We are uniquely positioned to offer courses that draw upon the strength of various divisions (namely, the Graduate Program for International Affairs (GPIA), Eugene Lang College
The New School for Liberal Arts, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, and Parsons The New School for Design at the New School) that bring people together to work creatively and innovatively to solve problems. Such courses include Parsons’ Design Workshop, Milano and Parsons’ Social Entrepreneurship through Design, Milano’s Community Development Practicum, and the 2009 International Field Project in Guatemala that linked GPIA and Parsons’ students.

Over the years, more and more students have expressed interest in social entrepreneurship and we have recently added a great new faculty member, Michele Kahane, who will serve as Professor of Professional Practice of Social Entrepreneurship. Michele has been very instrumental in taking the initiative on the Ashoka Changemaker Campus Consortium at The New School, and will work to further develop it on our campus.

While the term social entrepreneurship itself is so challenging to define, what I find most intriguing about the Ashoka Consortium is that it will help us examine the ways in which the field intersects with so many aspects of our lives and social problems. The partnership will allow us to continue to explore new options for students, faculty and staff from numerous disciplines and departments to deepen and broaden teaching and practice in social entrepreneurship. Additionally, the initiative will allow us to strengthen the university’s contribution to the field both here and abroad, and thus expand our network.

I look forward to increased focus and dedication to social entrepreneurship on our campus – the ideas, thought-provoking discussions, and changes it will produce. I’ll try to keep you updated about developments with Ashoka as we move forward in this new initiative.

Be well-

I hope everyone can join us at the University Convocation on Thursday, September 3rd, where I will present Mary with the award.

Be well-


University Convocation will be held on Thursday, September 3, at 3:00 PM
John Tishman Auditorium
66 West 12th Street
It will be followed by the Annual Back to School Block Party on 12th Street.

Rather than talk about the accomplishments and complexities of the field itself, I thought I would muse just a bit about something that gave me pause as I sat with my fellow panelists, looking out at the room. What was it, I asked myself, that drew a capacity crowd to Wollman Hall on a hot, muggy evening in late July when, arguably, it would have been preferable to be at the beach or in a cool movie theater? I tend to think that there is something very broadly compelling about the notion of people bettering their situations through hard work and some outside investment, primarily in the form of training and capital. In the US in particular, we love a good rags-to-riches story, the bootstrap ideology that underlies microfinance. I love it, too. But I also recognize that it is appropriate for only a limited number of people, and I urge all of us who care about persistent poverty and lack of opportunity to think more creatively—as well as generously—about a broader range of ways in which we could match up hardworking people who have few opportunities with investment that allows them to improve their lives. Helping them start a business is one way, but it is far from the only way.

Links to some of my work in the microfinance field:

"Microenterprise Development in the United States: Current Challenges and New Directions," Economic Development Quarterly 2006 

"Policy Options to Support Entrepreneurship Among Low-Income Americans," New America Foundation, 2005  

“Microenterprise Programs and Women: Entrepreneurship as Individual Empowerment.” Gender and Planning. 2005  

Bootstrap Capital: Microenterprises and the American Poor. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press: 1999. 

In the New York Post article entitled, “Save the Subways” reporter Nicole Gelinas draws attention to labor costs, which alone account for most of the MTA’s financial woes; and she prominently cites the research done by Milano students. One of Gelinas’ examples shows how our students’ research revealed that, while the balance between the MTA and the track workers of the Transit Workers Union is maintained and adequately funded (the track workers earn on an average of $59,000 annually plus benefits and health care, which, as Gelinas’ article implies, should be “enough”), a lot of the needed work doesn’t get done, in spite of it being paid for.

The Milano students, therefore, were successful in identifying at least one potential money saver in this area: namely, that the MTA should schedule the track workers during times when they can actually work. This research is also mentioned in Nicole Gelinas’ article “Transit for Tomorrow” in City Journal (check out the podcast of Gelinas discussing the story). Even Mike Bloomberg, in his latest “Plan to Reform Mass Transit” unveiled on August 3, states that his plan entails altering track workers schedules to achieve cost savings and footnotes this research.

In the second round of Policy Lab this past spring, urban policy students, Jeremy Friedman, Lorran Garrison, Kate Maher, Germaine Simon, Ingolf Boettcher, and Maddi Zachacz, along with advisor Cindy Green, worked with the Manhattan Institute to produce this study of subway track workers, and they discovered that the MTA schedules workers -- for almost a quarter of each workday -- “when no work can take place,” because of union safety rules prohibiting them from working during peak rush-hour times. So track workers end up having to be paid for unnecessary overtime -- resulting, as you might expect, in a significant overage of labor costs.

Thus, it seems obvious that trimming costs could be achieved by having the MTA schedule track workers simply in a more practical (logical) manner. But our Milano students also realized something a bit surprising and, perhaps, eminently controversial: that such changes would require “the abolishment of the eight-hour shift, [which is] an important bargaining agreement for the Transit Workers Union.”

Our own Milano students, through their research, recognized the importance of considering the differing and/or opposing perspectives, allowing for the delicate balance that exists to keep our mass transit system operating. We, on the other hand, -- the rider-customers -- can only hope that it finds a way to keep the service in operation. Thanks to some of our dedicated students, however, there might be a solution in the not-too-distant future.

Case in point: my immediate predecessor, Fred Hochberg, who served as Milano dean from 2004 – 2008, has just been sworn in as the 23rd president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), the official export credit agency of the United States. In this capacity, Hochberg serves as chairman of the board. During the Clinton Administration, from 1998 through 2001, Hochberg served as deputy, then acting administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), where he helped to lead an enhancement of customer service and substantially increased lending to minority and women small-business owners. We are excited to have a member of the Milano community in such an important position in the Obama Administration.

And Edward J.Blakely, who preceded Hochberg as dean, just stepped down after nearly three years as the New Orleans recovery czar in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I saw Ed on a recent trip to New Orleans and he reflected on the opportunities and challenges that position offered. We have brought our expertise to that city through student project teams—the Finance Lab and the Chase Competition—over the past few years, and Ed was always extremely generous with his time, meeting with students and helping connect them to others in city government.

We wish both Fred and Ed the best of luck as they begin their next chapters!

I got to DC in time to have a drink with Ritta McLaughlin, Milano alum Urban Policy 1995 who is also a member of the Dean’s Alumni Council.  McLaughlin recently left Bear Stearns in New York City to return to DC, her hometown, to become the Associate Treasurer for the district.  She is doing fabulously.  I am hoping we can schedule a field trip to DC for students in the fall—we now have so many members of the Milano family  there—alums, board members, and even a former dean!  Fred Hochberg  was just sworn in as head of the Import Export Bank. It’s an exciting time to be in DC.

This past Thursday, I co-facilitated an economic development conference at Rutgers University with Roland Anglin (now at Rutgers but has taught at Milano), Edwin Melendez (now at Hunter College but formerly at Milano), and Norm Glickman (Rutgers).  Doctoral students Anne Visser and Jeannette Rausch also attended.  It was a fantastic gathering of academics, practitioners, and people from the foundation world who gathered to talk about the vexing economic development problems—and opportunities—of our time.

There were people at both the DC and the Rutgers meeting who have worked closely with the new administration or are part of it. What struck me most about my conversations with and the presentations by these people is their openness and willingness to look for new ideas. Gene Sperling gave the keynote at the DC conference and, rather than take questions when he had finished, he asked the audience members to give him ideas to take back to the administration.  There is also an orientation toward working across the agency silos that typically characterize DC.  This kind of interagency work is critical to making radical change happen, and I am so energized by the work that is going on.

What a good time we all had two weeks ago for Milano’s commencement ceremony! We started the day on Thursday, May 21, with a Dean’s Brunch for graduating students and it was terrific. We all sat around a big table eating and talking about Milano—what worked, what we could improve on—and what folks were up to next. In the late afternoon we invited our graduates to bring their friends and families to an Open House in our building. We spread the party between the 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th floors of 72 Fifth Avenue, had chamber music and jazz, champagne and cupcakes. And let me tell you I have never seen so many huge smiles in that building! I always love the Milano ceremony because it gives us a chance to meet our students’ families. We have such a diverse community, and this celebration gives me a real appreciation for where our students come from and the kinds of communities they will affect.

Our ceremony was terrific, too. Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority, gave a truly inspired keynote speech. His remarks were wide-ranging but also focused on all of the good work that needs to be done, and will be done by our graduates. Speaking about the architect Cass Gilbert, who designed the Woolworth Building and the George Washington Bridge, Ward urged all of us to answer the question: “What is your George Washington Bridge?” I am still thinking about that question. How would you answer it?

Whereas the Milano ceremony is more “down home,” the university commencement exercises at Madison Square Garden definitely lean more toward pomp and circumstance. New School President Bob Kerrey addressed the graduates and conferred honorary degrees. Dean of Yale Law School, expert on international law, and advocate for human and civil rights Harold Hongju Koh delivered the commencement address. Honorary Degree recipients included philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah; playwright, performer, and activist Eve Ensler; legendary opera singer Regina Resnik; and statesman and philanthropist John C. Whitehead. The student speaker was Miles Strucker, a BA student from Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts.

Milano students showed up in fine form and definitely made the most noise per person of all of the divisions. One of my fellow deans asked me later, “What have you been putting in the water over there at Milano?” Water, indeed—our folks were fired up!

I hope those of you who have graduated will continue to check in with us, let us know what (and how) you are doing, and stay engaged in Milano as we continue to grow and evolve.

I’ve been to New Orleans probably eight times in the past two years, for a variety of reasons. I learn something new every time. This time, my trip was motivated primarily by the group of Milano and Parsons students who presented their final project to Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association , a community-based organization located in the lower ninth ward which, as you probably know, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.  The students’ work  will be entered into the Chase Community Development Competition, which the New School has won more than any other school, in the fall.   The students presented a terrific piece of work—a design for a new building that will house offices, retail space, and a business incubator—and the client was thrilled.   On Sunday evening, the night before the students’ presentation, we all had dinner and were joined by Ed Blakely, former Milano dean and current Executive Director for Recovery Management in New Orleans, as well as Amber Seely (Urban Policy ’07) and Denise Beal (Urban Policy ’03).

I spent the rest of my time there with Denise, who is working with us to develop deeper relationships with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).  Denise is also a Xavier alum, and we are beginning this work with Xavier and Dillard.  We had terrific meetings with a range of people at both institutions and we are excited about the potential for partnerships that could enrich all of our institutions.

As engaging as New Orleans is, and as much progress has been made since Katrina hit nearly four years ago, there is so much work that remains to be done.  Reading the current issue of The Economist on the flight down, I came across a short article called “City of Sickness ” that discusses how the numbers of chronically sick have risen dramatically since the storm while the medical services industry continues to struggle. Hospitals have closed, and many medical professionals have left the city or commute out of the city to work. Problems like this are invisible to those of us who are temporary guests, but they seriously threaten the viability of this amazing place and deserve our continued attention and best effort.

One of the Milano’s best kept secrets is the great work that our part-time faculty members are doing outside the classroom. Well let this be a secret no longer!

I was particularly excited to find fellow bloggers among this group. Hank Goldstein is consultant for philanthropic organizations and has been with the firm the Oram Group since 1964. Wow! (Don’t worry, Hank, we won’t do the math).  Hank contributes some great posts on Oram Group's blog, commenting on current events and matters of importance to the non-profit community. Interesting stuff!

Another part-time faculty member, Leo Quigley, is a consultant for Housing and Community Development, and you can check out his current work and impressive background at on his website.  He recently added to the online public policy dialogue on thebigmoney.com with his article Run for Shelter, Use the federal TARP money to preserve affordable housing.

Finally, for all you folks who are still searching for summer employment, this article by Lee Miller may be just the advice you need. When Lee Miller isn’t teaching at Milano, he is a career coach and works with a social media company.  This company has developed private professional/social networking tool that was designed so that relatively small not for profits can have their own network and avoid the downsides that come with placing their network on Facebook or LinkedIn. Maybe your current or future organization (wink wink Milano students) could benefit, have a look!

 Let this post be just a sampler of the great work being done by Milano folks. I will keep you posted on other cool projects as I hear about them, and I hope you all will do the same and send stuff my way. 

What a couple of days at Milano!  Last night I opened the annual Bill Green forum, an annualevent that memorializes the late Honorable Bill Green (1929–2002), who represented the East Side of Manhattan in Congress from 1978–1992. Bill Greenwas an independent thinker who frequently crossed the aisle to collaborate on critical issues such as the environment, urban policy, and affordable housing. He served as a trustee of The New School and a board member of Milano. This forum pays tribute to his deep commitment to bipartisanship.

This year’s topic was The Obama Agenda: Overcoming Poverty in New York and the Nation.  And Center for New York City Affairs director Andrew White and his team did a fabulous job of putting together a panel of experts from think tanks, the public sector and nonprofit organizations that serve the poor.  The panel was terrific—lively, provocative, somewhat in your face.  Many of us are incredibly excited to see renewed support forpublic programs to address poverty. It’s been a long time, ladies and gentlemen, since the federal government gave this problem the attention it deserves.  And that means not only $$$, but a willingness to experiment, innovate, test new ideas, tinker with them and try them again. 

At the same time as the Bill Green panel was happening, the Echoing Green competition kicked off with a dinner.  We are hosting the competition this year, and I opened the Friday morning session.  Echoing Green is an organization that supports social entrepreneurs with funding, networks, and other assistance.  This year, nearly 1,000 people applied for fellowships; the final 22 were in our Henry Cohen conference room at 8:30 Friday morning ready to sell the judges on their ideas.  After welcoming the group to Milano, I watched them do their “90 second pitches” tothe rest of the group, and I was completely blown away by the ideas.  One finalist is working on ways to build housing using charcoal in order to lower moisture and decrease disease rates such as tuberculosis. Another is developing technology that will allow people to do volunteer work during down times—like riding the bus or waiting in line—via their smart phones.  Yet another is working on an application that will allow consumers to find out all kinds of information about food products—how is it grown? What are the labor practices of the company?—using, once again—you guessed it—the smart phone.

We are so proud that Maritza Martinez, Milano Non Profit Management alumna from 2005 is a part of the Echoing Green team, and I thank Mary Watson, Management Chair, and John Green, Associate Dean, for making the event a big success.

I was back for one hectic day and then… there was Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.  I had talked about it weeks ago with my 6-year old, C.C., and she was excited about it. The university’s program is for kids 8 and up, so I realized I’d have to keep her occupied all day myself. When I first planned to bring her, I thought it would be good for her to see me at work, to understand better the place that has me leaving the house early so many mornings and has me returning home late so many nights.  My original intention was to keep the day largely clear from meetings, but somehow I allowed one thing and then another to get put on my calendar, and next thing I knew I was pretty scheduled from 8:30 in the morning until 5:30 in the evening.  “Perhaps I shouldn’t bring her,”  I thought the day before as I analyzed the calendar and wondered how she would weather the day. “She’s probably forgotten by now….”  I don’t know if she remembered or not, but I decided to bring her anyway, with an agreement from my husband to take her to lunch while I met with some board members.

It was the right decision.  First off, she was so happy to be with me.  We brought plenty of things for her to do and, for the most part, those I met with welcomed her with warmth and enthusiasm.  As we walked into one meeting that had been scheduled the day before, and I realized that it included several senior university administrators, I wondered how it would go.  It was late afternoon and it had already been a long day.  But she was a trooper—she made a necklace and drew pictures sitting next to me at the large table.  And when she got bored, she just got down on the floor and played with her toy farm animals.  Afterwards, she declared, “I like your work, Mama, but that meeting was pretty boring.”

It seems that we are particularly adept in this country at separating work and family, and that work occupies an increasingly greater amount of parents’ time.  A few weeks ago, I clipped a great photo from the New York Times.  The caption read: “Two Votes for Denmark: Hanne Dahl, with her baby, voted Thursday at a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.” The photo shows Dahl sitting at a table with other legislators, and with both piles of official papers and her baby on the table in front of her.  I am also thinking about a guest lecture I did at Columbia in the fall shortly after becoming dean of Milano.  It was a course on women and leadership, and several of the women in the class wanted to talk to me about how to balance work and family. It’s difficult, even in a relatively forgiving field like academia.  There is no magic balance—some who study these issues have taken to calling it “work life blend” rather than “work life balance,” in tacit recognition that balance is elusive at best.

I know many of you have children and are also workers and students.  How do you navigate these waters?

I leave you with a link to an audio clip from a radio piece my good friend Anne Stuhldreher wrote for public radio—it was broadcast this past fall.

Did anyone read the April 12 New York Times article in the Week inReview section titled, “With Finance Disgraced, Which Career Will Be King?”Really interesting piece.  It talksabout how smart college students tend to follow labor market cues that signaljobs that will pay well and offer prestige.  How during the Depression civil engineering was popular, andhow people flooded the science and technology fields during the cold war.

In recent years (certainlysince I graduated from college in 1986), Wall Street has beckoned many of thebest and the brightest.   Itoffered status, glamour and power. And oh the bonuses!  UntilSeptember 2008, when suddenly the golden paving of the street began to wearthin.  Job losses in the financialsector have been enormous, and the New York City economy has been hitparticularly hard.

So, the article asks, what willbe the next status sector?  Some are betting on areas that offer deeper gratification than thepromise of wealth.  Many morepeople are giving non profit sector work closer consideration than they mighthave five or ten years ago.  Applicationsto non profit management and public policy programs like ours are up.  We are certainly pleased about that,not just because it’s good for the school but because the shift portends animportant cultural shift.

And there is a greaterrecognition that an understanding of all three of the sectors—public, private,and non profit—is key to succeeding in today’s labor market. The Times article cites a young woman who isgraduating from business school and considering two public sector jobs.  “Am I going to be a federal employeefor the next 30 years? Probably not,” the woman says. “But public-privatepartnerships are going to be increasingly important in almost any field. Andthe timing is right to do this.”

I had the opportunity to chatabout the importance of cross sectoral understanding  yesterday over lunch with Milano alum Mario Marin in SanFrancisco. Marin graduated from Milano in 1995 with a degree in urbanpolicy.  He won a prestigiousPresidential Management Internship and went to DC for two years, after which hereturned to his hometown of Los Angeles and worked in local government.  When the candidate he supported formayor did not win, Marin decided it was time to get out.  He landed a job with Grainger doinggovernment sales and says that his understanding of public sector culture iscritical to his success in the private sector.

 I, for one, feel energized by the changes in Washingtoninitiated with the November elections. And I know I’m not alone. At Milano, weare seeing an increase in the number of people who are changing careers—sometimesby choice and sometimes by necessity. This time around, they tell us, they want to make a difference. 

Wow.  I justfinished a day—spent with many other Milano colleagues and one from Lang—at aworkshop run by Catherine Orenstein who founded the Op-Ed Project.  And let me tell you, it was a day wellspent.  Orenstein started theProject after learning about the dearth of women who publish on the Op-Edpages, and decided to do something game changing.  About 85% of what you read on the Op-Ed pages is written bymen, which means they control some pretty important conversations about what’simportant.  It turns out that atleast one reason women get only 15% of that very valuable real estate is thatthey are responsible for only 15% of the submissions.

I read about Orenstein in a New York Times piece a year or so ago in which her work was profiled.   I had just come off of a yearspent as a Visiting Research Fellow at The New America Foundation in DC; likethe other fellows, part of my charge was to get my ideas out into places thatlots of people read.  However, mostof the other fellows were journalists, not academics like me.  And I had no clue about how to write anOp-Ed piece.  In the end, I wasvery successful in writing academic journal articles and policy briefs, but Idid not get a single Op-Ed published. So I was pretty excited when I read the piece in the Times.  But I wasn’t able to figure out how to tap into whatOrenstein was doing.

Fast forward a year later, when I spent a year as a ResearchFellow at the Center for Work Life Policy.  When I logged on to the computer in my new office for thefirst time, it said “Welcome Catherine Orenstein” and asked me for mypassword.  The name rang abell.  “Does Catherine Orensteinwork here?” I asked.  It turns outshe had done some work for CWLP.  Igot her contact information, and ultimately contacted her soon after I becamedean.  I wanted to bring herexpertise to Milano faculty and staff.

And today more than a dozen of us spent the day withher.  We were women and men (butmore women, which is a requirement of the Project given the stats), faculty andstaff, senior and junior.  Welearned that we are all experts and that we have something to say.  Something important.  All of us left the workshop at the endof the day with a draft of an Op-Ed piece.  And I, for one, left feeling energized to write and to workharder at figuring out how my ideas can become part of the public debate onissues about which I care deeply. Stay tuned—you may be seeing a slew of very public work coming out ofMilano over the next few weeks…

I had just finished reading (well, almost finished) Novogratz’s recently published book, The Blue Sweater:  Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World.  The book (which, incidentally has its own Facebook page —I didn’t know inanimate objects could have Facebook pages, but I suppose that just dates me)—is part memoir, part philosophy, part theory of how to change the game when it comes to solving the poverty problem.  It gets you inside the head of someone who really wants to make a difference and realized she would need to change the rules in order to do it.  

Reading the book, I related to Novogratz in several ways—we are close in age and so our journeys have been of similar lengths.  I’m sure if you asked her, she would tell you that when she graduated from college she never would have dreamed she’d be where she is today.  She started out on a path and then let the world and its opportunities guide her.  She made choices that might now seem rational to the outside world—leaving the ladder of investment banking to go to Africa and do development work, for example.  I, too, started out in investment banking, and never imagined I’d be the dean of a policy and management school 23 years later. My father, who died three years ago this month, always told me: “Surround yourself with good people.”  And I have based so many choices in my life on that advice.  It’s clear that Novogratz did the same.  She made sure she had the tools she needed in order to effect change, but she also made sure to create space for her heart, her gut.

Novogratz came up with an idea—the Acumen Fund—that is neither pure business nor pure philanthropy although it draws on both.  It is a true example of integrative thinking in that it shines a light on the fact that our old categories for thinking about global issues simply don’t work.  We need new standards for measuring success, and a new language for thinking about issues and for crafting interventions.  I’m convinced that it is Novogratz’s openness that has enabled her to imagine a new way forward.  In the book, she recounts how, early on in the Acumen Fund’s emergence, a mentor nudged her to take some risks.  “Let the work teach you,” he said.  It’s clear that Novogratz listened to that advice and has not stopped learning from her experience.  What has your work taught you?

Why is this story important for a school of management and policy?  To this day, the tragic events of that day stand as an important reminder to those in the labor movement.  The fire helped to catalyze a process to set in place new and urgently needed management practices and policies to protect workers.  And although much progress has been made on these fronts, much work remains to be done, particularly with respect to immigrant workers who are so often voiceless.

Our job is to remember.  My good friend Audrey participated in a project last week in which volunteers like Audrey went to the addresses where the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire had lived.  They wrote the names of the victims in chalk in front of these addresses, and stayed through the day to tell the stories of these people to passersby . When Audrey told me about what she had done, I was struck by the creativity of this way of keeping the story alive, and of individuating the victims.  They were daughters, mothers, sisters, friends, people with lives and stories.  These stories must continue to inspire us to do our good work, to move the world forward another inch in a positive direction.

Today (Sunday, when I’m writing this) is World Water Day. Water, like so many things those of us who live a privileged life have, is too easy to take for granted. And if you think it’s hard to get adults to grasp how critical this issue is, try teaching a 4- and a 6- year old. My kids love nothing more than splashing around in the bathtub. “Fill it more up!” they’ll shout. And when I’m at my wit’s end trying to figure out how to entertain them, nothing works better than a big pot of water and some plastic cups and toy dinosaurs. But today we talked to them about how so many children do not have clean water to bathe in, to drink or to cook their food. “Why?” they ask. Try answering that question.

Figuring out how to conserve water, and how to get clean water to all people, is a huge and basic policy and management challenge. Here’s an excerpt from the World Health Organization:

“Each year more than 1 billion of our fellow human beings have little choice but to resort to using potentially harmful sources of water. This perpetuates a silent humanitarian crisis that kills some 3900 children every day and thwarts progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The consequences of our collective failure to tackle this problem are the dimmed prospects for the billions of people locked in a cycle of poverty and disease.

The root of this underlying catastrophe lies in these plain, grim facts: 4 of every 10 people in the world do not have access to even a simple pit latrine and nearly 2 in 10 have no source of safe drinking-water. To help end this appalling state of affairs, the MDGs include a specific target (number 10) to cut in half, by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking-water and basic sanitation. In addition, the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Water and Sanitation recently recognized that integrated development and management of water resources are crucial to the success or failure of all the MDGs, as water is central to the livelihood systems of the poor.”

If you’d like to learn more about World Water Day, go to www.worldwaterday.org. And do what you can, even if your actions seem small, to use less water. Remember to turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth and to keep a cold pitcher of water in the fridge so you don’t need to let it run to get cold enough to drink. Or better yet, share a shower.

This is good news, because CDFIs are small but essential players in the financial services landscape, and they have gotten close to no media attention during this crisis when financial institutions are very much in the news. Some worry that, given the difficulties in obtaining funding, this sector might be on the verge of collapse. CDFIs serve people and neighborhoods that are generally not well served by mainstream financial institutions such as banks. They provide an alternative to informal and costly providers of financial services in low-income communities such as loan sharks, check cashing outlets, pawn shops and rent to own businesses.

Here is an excerpt from a post on the community development banking listserv, to which I subscribe:

"This latest announcement that infuses some of our hardest hit communities with much needed capital further demonstrates Treasury's commitment to swift, efficient and effective implementation of the various components of the Administration's comprehensive economic agenda,” said Treasury Secretary Geithner. "The Recovery Act is enabling more funds to flow to these community-based lenders that are responsibly providing financing to help small businesses, creating needed jobs and saving homes in low-income areas across the country that have been hit hard by this economic crisis."

The Recovery Act provides an additional $90 million in CDFI Program Financial Assistance (FA) and Technical Assistance (TA) awards; $8 million for the Native American CDFI Assistance (NACA) program; and $3 billion in additional tax credit authority for the New Markets Tax Credit program (FY2008 and FY2009). The total FY2009 funding available for FA/TA is now $145 million and for NACA it is $14.5 million. The CDFI Fund stated that it plans to award all the Recovery Act funds in less than 90 days and will begin disbursing the awards within 120 days.

"I commend Secretary Geithner and the Treasury Department for moving quickly to implement these innovative programs to help underserved communities," said Vice President Biden. "They are exactly what the President and I had in mind when we put forth the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

In brief, the CDFI Fund will re-open its 2009 CDFI Program and NACA Program award rounds to enable additional applicants to apply and will offer current applicants the opportunity to request larger awards. Applicants that did apply under the initial FY 2009 award rounds will have the opportunity to increase the amounts they requested in their applications to as much as $2 million under the CDFI Program and $750,000 under the NACA Program. As a reminder, the Recovery Act waives the matching funds requirement as well as the general requirement that no single awardee (or its affiliates) can receive more than $5 million from the CDFI Fund over a three-year period.

For NMTC, the CDFI Fund will allocate $3 billion of tax credit authority as follows: $1.5 billion to CDEs that applied for allocation authority under the 2008 NMTC allocation round but did not receive a 2008 allocation; and $1.5 billion to CDEs that apply for allocation authority under the 2009 NMTC allocation round. Note this is in addition to the $3.5 billion already allocated for FY2009.

If you have applied for the FY2009 round, the CDFI Fund may contact you for additional information.

Reporting: Reporting requirements are still under development, but be prepared that the requirements will be extensive! Please review the Office of Management and Budget’s memorandum regarding potential reporting requirements:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/memoranda_fy2009/m09-10.pdf

To view the implementation plan, go to

http://www.cdfifund.gov/recovery/implementationplan.pdf

New Program Announced

The CDFI Fund is also planning additional support to CDFIs and Native CDFIs. “The CDFI Fund is pleased to announce additional support for CDFIs during these critical times. While CDFIs are united by the challenges they face, too often they lack the same level of access to resources they need to meet these challenges. In the coming months, the CDFI Fund will unveil a new capacity-building initiative that will provide high-level training, outreach, and intensive, one-on-one technical assistance directly to CDFIs and Native CDFIs.”

I can say from my own experience that receiving that award was one of my proudest moments as an educator—to have been nominated by my students, and to see my students and colleagues in the audience when I received the award. It felt good. Please join me in congratulating Nidhi, Mary and Aida on their nominations.

Be well-

l.

What a great lecture Myron Orfield gave on Wednesday night! Orfield is passionate about racial disparities, and he has devoted much of his life to thinking about how public policy could be used to provide more equal opportunities to all groups. His lecture touched on issues related to schools and housing, and he advocated regional solutions to making progress on these problems.

I first read Orfield’s work over a decade ago, in 1998, shortly after his first book Metropolitics had come out. I was teaching a course on urban poverty theory and policy and his novel way of mapping patterns of segregation and poverty across metropolitan regions struck me. It struck a lot of other people, too, and his innovative use of maps has been adopted by progressive policy makers and planners in many metro areas who are trying to make some headway against the vexing problems associated with persistent urban poverty. Fast forward 10 years to last spring when I found myself on a panel with Orfield, David Rusk, and Manuel Pastor—real heavy hitters in these areas. I looked at the great minds sitting on either side of me and felt like I’d really made it as a researcher—I particularly admire the way each of these thinkers has connected their research to practical solutions that can make a difference.

Faculty members Darrick Hamilton and Alex Schwartz (along with Tom Wright of the Regional Plan Association) were provocative respondents to Orfield’s talk, and a lively discussion ensued with audience members afterward.

Here’s a link to my  introductory remarks , and one to the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota, which Orfield directs.

I feel fortunate that the crisis has not affected me or my family in such a direct way—unless you count the hit my retirement account, or my kids’ college accounts have taken.  But I know I am the exception. And I know our students are struggling—in so many ways.  Some do not have the luxury of being able to pursue a graduate degree.  Others are challenged with how to continue.  Those who are graduating face anxiety about the job market. 

And all of us are working hard to understand the forces driving the crisis and wondering when it will hit bottom. Last semester, in response to student demand, we hosted a workshop with experts to talk about what was going on, and the policy choices we face as a nation.  We’re working on another workshop given that the environment, and the policy responses, continues to shift.  What are your burning questions?  What would it help you to understand?  What kinds of people would you like to hear from?  Please comment here, or email me, and we’ll try to accommodate your requests.

In the meantime, do what you can to stay apprised of what’s happening. One of my favorite sources of information on this topic is the Planet Money podcast produced by NPR , which comes out two or three times a week.  Check it out, and let us know how you want us to address these issues here at Milano.

I’m in Chicago, attending the Urban Affairs Association annual meeting—Alex Schwartz is here , too, and a lot of other cool people who have devoted much of their lifework to thinking about cities and figuring out how to make them work better for everyone.  I’ve been to some terrific panels, eaten some amazing food, and zipped over to the Field Museum to purchase my share of dinosaur paraphernalia for my kids—the guilt booty that working parents employ to keep themselves out of trouble when they travel more than their children would like. There was a reception this evening at the Chicago Cultural Center which, if you have not been there, is completely worth the trip.  What an awesome building  in a city that is known for its awesome buildings!

There is a real sense of optimism and energy at this conference this year, and this is remarkable given the financial crisis and how hard it is hitting our cities.  It’s so clear that the hope stems from Washington, where this city’s most famous resident recently has put a stake in the ground.  It has been so long since this country had any kind of national urban policy.  So long.  So I was pretty excited when, in December, the Obama administration announced that it would create a White House Office of Urban Affairs.  Imagine that.  Somehow I missed the February 19 executive order announcing the creation of this office.  Here’s an excerpt:

“About 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, and the economic health and social vitality of our urban communities are critically important to the prosperity and quality of life for Americans.  Vibrant cities spawn innovation, economic growth, and cultural enrichment through the businesses, universities, and civic, cultural, religious, and nonprofit institutions they attract.  Forward-looking policies that encourage wise investment and development in our urban areas will create employment and housing opportunities and make our country more competitive, prosperous, and strong.  In the past, insufficient attention has been paid to the problems faced by urban areas and to coordinating the many Federal programs that affect our cities.  A more comprehensive approach is needed, both to develop an effective strategy for urban America and to coordinate the actions of the many executive departments and agencies whose actions impact urban life.”

It seems like common sense, right?  And yet lifting up the urban agenda, putting it front and center, seems almost radical.  I think it’s also terrific that New York City’s own Adolfo Carrion will run this office.  Carrion served two terms as Bronx Borough President.  Several years ago he was a client for a Milano Lab team that I advised—he was a terrific client.

I am choosing to be optimistic at this time but recognize that it will not be easy to forge an urban agenda in these times.  I’d love to know what you think—is this office a good idea?  What should be the priorities of Obama and Carrion when it comes to urban America?

Second, recent grad Stephen Krasner (’08) is about to announce his candidacy for Town Supervisor (Mayor) in the Town of Newburgh, NY, which is located an hour north of NYC in Orange County's Hudson Valley region.

Krasner writes “I just wanted to thank the School for my time there as it has had a profound impact on my decision to pursue this path forward.”  Rock on, Stephen!  We will share Krasner’s website with you when it goes public.  Good luck!

In addition, we have a Community Development Finance Lab team currently working on a terrific project with Unity/Common Ground New Orleans—the work has to do with making policy recommendations around permanent supportive housing. And Heather Sheridan, a Milano Urban Policy student in her final semester is also doing interesting work in New Orleans.  As a consultant to the Initiative for Regional and Community Transformation (IRCT) at Rutgers University, Heather traveled to New Orleans in January to meet with housing and workforce development specialists, advocates and developers.  These meetings proved productive as she discussed her project which is an investigation into the prevelance of job vacancies still existing in New Orleans.

Last year, between working on Chase and attending a couple of terrific conferences in New Orleans, I also got bitten by the bug and wanted to do my part to lend some assistance to that city.  Like most of the students I traveled there with last year, I got completely drawn in by the people, the culture, the music, the food (the food!) . . . and the enormous need. I spent a week in January with Urban Policy student Leanne Roncolato studying an historic retail strip—Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard—that no longer has much retail on it.  Located in the Central City neighborhood that is now best known for its high crime rate, OC Haley Boulevard was once known as the “black Canal Street.”  We’re working on understanding how it can be revitalized without turning ownership over to outsiders.

In January, a big group of us had dinner—the Finance Labgroup with instructor Blaise Rastello (Urban Policy ’04), Heather, Milano alum Amber Seely (Urban Policy ’07—now working for Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans), Leanne and me.  And I was so proud of the way we are bringing so much of our energy and our skills to a city that deserves this kind of focused attention.

We run a course called the Community Development Practicum that culminates in the Chase Competition. The competition was held in New York and run by Dennis Derryck for nearly all of the years that it has taken place. Last year it moved to New Orleans, given the enormous need there, and I had the privilege of supervising the Milano part of the Chase team. It was honestly the most exhilarating, exhausting, and rewarding teaching experience I have ever had. The team worked on a mixed-use, mixed-income housing project on a sliver of high ground near the river. Check out the amazing work the Parsons and Milano students did. Last year we came in second, behind MIT, and this year we are back in New Orleans again. Stay tuned for progress reports on how this year’s team is progressing, and to hear about how the ground-breaking for the Fortune Society went.

Thanks and be well,

l.

Well, we do a lot of that at Milano already—particularly in our Urban Policy and Nonprofit Management programs—and we are poised to do more. We are currently searching for a new faculty member in the area of social entrepreneurship, and four students from Dennis Derryck’s fall ’08 course are finalists in the William James Foundation Competition on Social Entrepreneurship. Also, have you heard about Cleanup Soap? Cleanup soap is an actual product launched by students who took Dennis’ class a few years back and generated the idea there. The soap is the size and shape of an actual landmine, and $2 from the sale of each bar goes to de-mining organizations. (It’s also really terrific soap and comes in Rosemary Mint and Coconut).

We currently have a group of faculty working on understanding what’s going on in the area of social enterprise and social entrepreneurship (which Columbia sees as a subset of social enterprise) at other universities. I’d love to know your thoughts, such as whether you would be interested in more courses in this area.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out the Skoll Foundation’s website  and blog. There’s a great piece that Roger Martin wrote for the Skoll Foundation that defines the field. Check it out, and let me know what you think

Thanks and be well.

l.

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Almost every Wednesday, 12:10 pm to 1:30 pm there is a Brown Bag Faculty seminar in the Henry Cohen Conference Room, 72 5th Avenue – 3rd floor. Students are always invited and welcome to attend. We will make sure you are alerted and encourage you to come to hear about things that interest you as well as learn the challenges of research and how to deal with them. Following are the seminars for the spring semester.

February 11: Nidhi Srinivas, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, “A Critical Perspective on Nongovernmental Action.”

February 18: Carlos Ornelas, (Visiting Professor) Teacher’s College, Columbia University and Professor at Universidad Autonomo de Mexico, “Politics, Power, and Classrooms: A Critique of the New Federalism.”

February 25    Teaching roundtable:  “Moving beyond the basics of Black Board: pedagogical issues, innovations, benefits, and pitfalls” (with Jim O’Connor, Academic Director of Online Learning, The New School)

March 25   Todd Sorensen, University of California, Riverside, “Occupational Response of Native Born Workers: Impact of Immigration on the Wage Structure of Local Labor Markets.”  (Co-hosted Milano and SCEPA, 72 5th Ave, 12:30 to 2pm)

April 1  Erica Groshen, The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, “Turbulent Firms, Turbulent Wages?” (Co-hosted Milano and SCEPA, 72 5th Ave, 12:30 to 2pm)

Whether or not that was true for any of those deans, I wanted to figure out how to make it not true for me.  I wanted to create some ways to keep a pulse on what’s happening on the ground at Milano.  How could I communicate—easily and regularly—with our stakeholders about what I’m doing and thinking about? The obvious answer was to use some of the tools I’m sure most of you use on a regular basis.  Didn’t technology play a big role in the Obama campaign?  The almost daily emails I receive from Barack, Michelle, Joe, and David Plouffe, certainly create a sense of connection. I am not exactly a luddite, but many of my friends and family members find it a bit funny that I have done research on the digital divide given my own sluggishness when it comes to tech stuff.  Let’s just say I’m not what you’d call an early adopter.  So this feels like a big leap for me. And an exciting one.

I want this blog to be a space for sharing ideas, making connections, and staying in touch.  I want it to be interactive. And it is only one of many ways I intend to stay connected.  I am updating my website and creating a Facebook page.  On the low tech end of the spectrum, I’m working with Sue Morris to schedule some informal events so that I can meet with students.  I’ll be visiting classes.  And I invite you to come see me during my office hours—Tuesdays 3 – 5 pm.  Let me know what works and what doesn’t, and if you have any better ideas for how we can connect.

Thanks and be well-

l.