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 The Voinovich Future Leaders in Public Affairs, a group of committed students from the Voinovich School, met Wednesday, Oct. 21, for their fourth meeting of the semester. The group's president, second-year MPA candidate Ryan Lovingood, explained that the group was revived recently in an attempt to provide more networking opportunities for students. "We noticed in our first year that there was a disconnect between the first-year students and the second-year students, as well as between the MPA students and the MSES students," Lovingood said. "We were approached by faculty who really want to start to bridge this gap. So they selected some students and asked us if we would like to become involved... and the Voinovich Future Leaders in Public Affairs is what came out of that."  At the Oct. 21 meeting, the group discussed producing promotional materials, potential professional development opportunities that the group could facilitate and expanding to conduct or participate in community service activities. The primary focus of the meeting, however, was planning for the upcoming Fall Potluck and Ridges Tour on Friday, Nov. 6. The evening will begin at 4:30 p.m. with a potluck, followed by a walking tour of The Ridges led by the Athens Historical Society. The event is free and will be open to all Voinovich School students, staff, faculty, friends and family. Click here to RSVP. Graduate students and Undergraduate Research Scholars at the Voinovich School interested in getting more involved with the group can contact the group's executive board at v.s.futureleaders@gmail.com or attend one of the group's weekly meetings at 7 p.m. every Wednesday in the conference room in The Ridges Building 21.
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 The Mayors' Partnership for Progress (MPP), an organization that promotes collaboration among mayors from 11 counties in Appalachian Ohio, held its 20th anniversary dinner on October 8 in Jackson.
The Jackson Telegram highlighted the partnership in a recent article.
The Partnership was founded in 1995 to help mayors problem-solve together and organize around common needs and goals. Sometimes this collaboration manifests in more experienced mayors offering informal assistance to those newer to the role, and occasionally this manifests in sharing of resources, such as snow removal equipment.
The Partnership also hosts informational forums for mayors to learn about and discuss issues that are important to the region. Throughout its existence, the Partnership has maintained a relationship with Ohio University and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. The Voinovich School has offered technical assistance to the MPP, which has, in turn, provided students and faculty with opportunities to learn about MPP projects and network with the participating mayors.
Robert Gordon, Voinovich School research associate and the MPP coordinator, pointed to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's resource directory on water and wastewater as one prime example of the Partnership's success. The directory offers a place to search for instruction on issues related to water and wastewater, particularly for leaders in small communities. Gordon said the contribution of the MPP to this project was invaluable, as the Partnership helped facilitate the collaboration and communication between local leaders needed to make the guide as practical and useful as possible.
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When the Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA) sought facilitators for its July 2015 board retreat, it turned to community and economic development experts at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University.
The OEDA, a membership organization representing more than 300 economic development professionals statewide, selected two Voinovich School employees to facilitate the group's board retreat. Dr. Jason Jolley, MPA director and assistant professor with the Voinovich School, and Robin Stewart, Senior Project Manager with the Voinovich School devised the agenda for the retreat and guided the group's decision-making processes.
The retreat was held July 23-24 at the Ohio University Inn and also included a tour of the Ohio University Innovation Center.
Stewart believes the Voinovich School was selected to facilitate the retreat because of the school's high caliber work in economic development and its prior relationship with the OEDA. "We have a reputation for community economic development and the work that we do," Stewart said.
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The Consortium for Energy Economics and the Environment (CE3) welcomes Mary Anne Flournoy, president and co-founder of the Sugar Bush Foundation, as she discusses her local environmental and social justice advocacy work and her career at Ohio University. She will also share the vision that led to the development of the Foundation 30 years ago to help the University and local communities improve the quality of life in Appalachian Ohio through civic engagement and sustainable environmental and socioeconomic development.
Flournoy is the associate director emerita of the Center for International Studies and is a member of Women in Philanthropy. She earned her Ph.D. from Ohio University, B.A. from Rice University and M.A.T. from Johns Hopkins. She received the Social Justice Award from United Campus Ministry in 2009 for her longtime involvement in many community organizations across the region.
CE3 Brownbag Lunch
Friday, November 6, at Noon
Bldg 22, The Ridges, Room 221
Pizza will be provided
To learn more about the Sugar Bush Foundation, watch this YouTube Video:
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A.J. Auld, founder and CEO of Titanium Lacrosse, will speak on sports administration leadership from 6 - 7 :30 pm. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Walter Hall Rotunda, as part of the Center for Entrepreneurship Guest Lecture Series.
Auld has been involved in two sports administration start-ups and holds numerous leadership roles in the lacrosse community. Be sure to check out this event and learn from his expertise! Detailed information is provided in the flyer on the Voinovich School blog.
If you have any questions about the event, contact the Center for Entrepreneurship at ce@ohio.edu.
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 Great food, great weather, great company -- these three themes captured the essence of the annual Voinovich Environmental Studies cookout, held on the evening of Thursday, September 3, 2015.
The start-of-semester cookout, held on the back porch of the Environmental Studies Building 22 at The Ridges, attracted roughly 30 students and faculty members, representing Masters of Environmental Studies (MSES) students inside the larger Environmental Studies program, CE3 and the Voinovich Undergraduate Research Scholars program.
"Coming together in informal settings is essential to advancing our many dynamic peer to peer learning opportunities," Geoff Dabelko, director of the Environmental Studies Program, said. "Our people bring diverse experiences and networks to the School and discovering each other's strengths and interests is both fun and practically helpful as we learn and work together."
The cookout provided a space for faculty members to connect with new students and learn about their anticipated contributions to the Voinovich School.
 Dabelko was enthusiastic about connecting with students and faculty within the integrated Environmental Studies program.
"I revel in the diversity of interests and experiences that Voinovich School students bring to the classroom and the project teams," Dabelko said. "As program director, I get to know all of the students and most faculty and staff within the School...I enjoyed playing matchmaker throughout the cookout."
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 Dr. Geoffrey Dabelko, director of the Environmental Studies program, was a recently a featured speaker at the Society of Environmental Journalists' 25th Annual Conference in Norman, Oklahoma. The SEJ conference agenda featured five days of workshops and sessions on weather, water and energy topics aimed at those who report on environment-related issues.
On Friday, Oct. 9., Dabelko participated in a climate panel offering new angles for reporters as the Paris Conference of Parties in late November approaches. Foreign policy and defense experts, including Dabelko, explained how climate change can undermine political stability, how to separate fact from fiction about "climate wars" and "climate refugees," and identified some surprising opportunities for mitigating conflict and climate.
For more on the Society of Environmental Journalists and the Oklahoma conference, visit their website.
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Karie Whitman knew her professional development in Madagascar last summer was too fruitful to not return. However, she also knew she would need to find significant financial support for future research. Thanks to a Graduate Student Senate travel grant, she is one step closer to that goal.
Whitman was recently awarded $500 to reimburse her international airfare from her first trip to Madagascar, which she visited following her first year as a student of the Voinovich School's Master of Science in Environmental Studies program. Whitman spent a month there learning about and helping with sustainable rice agriculture and alternative livelihood practices like fish farming and beekeeping. She stayed with a local host family next to the field site chosen for her in the village of Anevoka - a village that would change her perspectives forever.
The organization that organizes the alternative livelihood opportunities is called GERP (Groupe d'Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar) and members of the villages surrounding the forest choose to participate in these opportunities.
"While I was there, I shadowed a Peace Corps member and members of GERP to find out how they work with community members to achieve sustainability goals," Whitman said. "It was a very eye-opening experience."
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The International Water Association (IWA) is the global reference point for water professionals working in all aspects of the water cycle. With a network of over 10,000 members worldwide, they are able to help water professionals deliver innovative, pragmatic and sustainable solutions to challenging global needs. As am AquaRating Technical Officer with IWA, you will be located in The Hague in the Netherlands and will be responsible for managing the AquaRating knowledge base, including various products, technologies and new technical developments. For more information and to apply, click here. Closing: November 1, 2015 |
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3 Minute Thesis® Nov. 12, 7 - 8 p.m.Stocker 103 Nov. 16, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Glidden 550
More information
Theater Delta Nov. 2 & 3, 5:15-6:45 p.m.
Center for Entrepreneurship
Guest Lecture Series: A.J. Auld
Nov. 3, 6-7:30 p.m. Walter Rotunda Fall Film Sustainability Series: Black Ice
Nov. 4, 7-9 p.m.Athena Cinema Voinovich Scholar Meet & Greet
Nov. 6, 4:30-7:30 p.m.The Ridges, Building 21 More information
CE3 Brownbag Lunch Series
Nov. 6, 12 - 1 p.m.
Nov. 13, 12 - 1 p.m.
Balkans Delegation (special session)
Nov. 20, 12 - 1 p.m.
Tracy Sabetta,
Initiative Consulting
The Ridges, Building 22
GIS Day
Nov. 18, 12 - 2 p.m.
Dennis Dimick, Executive Editor of National Geographic
Schoonover Center
Important Dates
Nov. 6-8
Dad's Weekend
Nov. 11
Veterans' Day Holiday (classes not in session)
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"The main critique of climate change in peace-building and humanitarian work is that we can only take care of the short term. Yet, the short-term often becomes the long-term."
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Impact & Innovation is a newsletter for the students, faculty and professionals of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.
Have an article idea? Contact Laura Alloway, Voinovich School Director of Marketing and Communications.
Impact & Innovation is written and created by undergraduate students Diana Wiebe, M.C. Tilton, Jasmine Grillmeier, Daniel Kington, with photography by Jillyann Burns.
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Dr. Geoff Dabelko, Professor and Director of the Environmental Studies program, quoted in Thomson Reuters Foundation article, "
