Awards

• 2008 Award of Excellence, Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs

  The Project Director of the FRU represented the team on the Fairfax County's Title IV-E Process Improvement Team.  The team received an award of excellence from the county's Office of Public Affairs.  This was a two year project that made significant changes to how the Title IV-E process is implemented. The FRU has ongoing responsibilities to facilitate the collection of centralized processes to secure child support from non-custodial parents on behalf of the children in foster care, to access Federal funds on behalf of children in foster care, and to pursue Medicaid funding for certain Medicaid eligible services for youth funded by the Comprehensive Services Act and placed out of their homes. The FRU continues to refine the process so that, where possible, fewer County tax dollars are spent to support children who are in foster care and in receipt of CSA pool funds.

• 2008 Richard E. Zody Award

  The 2008 Richard E. Zody Award for Outstanding Dissertation in Planning, Governance, and Globalization was received by Lisa Poley, EDP, for her dissertation titled Community and the Habits of Democratic Citizenship: An Investigation into Civic Engagement, Social Capital and Democratic Capacity-Building in U.S. Cohousing Neighborhoods. Lisa Poley is now a Research and Teaching Associate for VTIPG.

• 2008 American Association of University Women (AAUW) Fellowship Award

  Heather Switzer, PhD student in Environmental Design and Planning, was awarded with the 2008 American Association of University Women (AAUW) Fellowship to conduct fieldwork in Kenya for her dissertation. Known as one of the largest sources of funding for graduate women, the AAUW aims to break through educational and economic barriers in order to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.

  For more information on AAUW visit www.aauw.org

• Candace Reany, Dissertation Defense

  Candace Reany, EDP in Policy and International Affairs, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation entitled: "The Sound of Silent Partners: A Study of Charitable Choice and the Perceptions of Nonprofit Leaders Regarding the Effects of Government Funding on Religiously-Based Nonprofit Organizational Mission." Her committee, chaired by Dr. Max Stephenson Jr, highly praised her work.

• Russ Cargo Retires after Twenty-nine Years of Service

  Russ Cargo, Director of the Nonprofit and Civil Society Program VTIPG announced his retirement from the university. Dr. Cargo joined the Virginia Tech faculty in 2005 and has committed 29 years of service in the nonprofit sector. 

  He was dedicated to developing Nonprofit Management as an academic discipline and had a lead role in the outreach work done by IPG. He committed to strengthening nonprofit organizations (and the social, economic and political environment in which they operate) to enable them to enhance the quality of life for all and to contribute to more livable communities in a stronger democracy. He was a founder of the Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations (VANNO), the state association of nonprofits. He continues to serve as the President-Elect of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC) and chairs the board of directors of the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise (NCNE).

  Dr. Cargo is highly revered by both colleagues and students at Virginia Tech and throughout the nonprofit sector. He will continue to partner with Virginia Tech and VTIPG in the future.

• 2008 P.E.O. Sisterhood Scholarship

  Courtney Simon-Grohs, Master’s student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, was awarded a scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year from the Jean B. Duerr Memorial Fund. Sponsored through the philanthropic educational organization, P.E.O. Sisterhood, Courtney was recognized for her outstanding academic achievement and community service.

  For more information on the P.E.O. Sisterhood and future scholarships through the organization visit www.peointernational.org

• The Center for International Health and Cooperation’s International Diploma, Fordham University

Through the Center for International Health and Cooperation’s International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance, Tracy Cooper, PhD student in Environmental Design and Planning, was selected to attend this prestigious program at Fordham University June 2008, the purpose of which is to bring participants to the cutting edge of operational humanitarian issues in a month long, residential, intensive course with an emphasis on interactive participation.

The center was founded to promote healing and peace in countries shattered by natural disasters, armed conflicts and ethnic violence. The course recognizes the need for universally accepted basic standard of training for all humanitarian workers. The program draws applicants from around the world and accepts less than 1 in 4 of those who apply.

For more information on the Center for International Health and Cooperation visit www.cihc.org/index2.html

• Think Swiss Scholarship

Veronica Arroyave, PhD Student in Environmental Design and Planning, recently received a prestigious Think Swiss Scholarship as part of the U.S. Fullbright – Swiss Scholarship Program. The student exchange program is part of an ongoing initiative to promote mutual understanding between Switzerland and the United States. With support from government and private sector donations, sixteen to twenty grants are awarded each academic year. 

Think Swiss aims to increase the exchange of expertise in academia and the business communities in both nations. The program is focused on the enhancement of education, research, and innovation within five core topics: climate change, life sciences, design and materials, public transportation, and finance – subjects vital to the future of technology and science in both nations.

For the duration of the scholarship, lasting two to three months, students dedicate their time to doing research in one of the core areas and serve as ambassadors to promote the continued educational alliance between the United States and Switzerland.

For more information about the scholarship visit http://www.thinkswiss.org/ 

• Partners for Self-Sufficiency (PSS) Project highlighted in Virginia Governor's Press Release

Montgomery County’s Partners for Self-Sufficiency (PSS) project was highlighted in Virginia Governor’s press release for its efforts in bolstering Virginia’s job entry and retention successes. Virginia was ranked highest in the nation for its job entry rates and second highest in the nation for job retention.

As a support project for the Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW) program, and a partner with the NRV Department’s of Social Services and Employment Services Workers, PSS aids Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients in their transition from public assistance into the workforce.  

Developed, managed, and staffed by VTIPG, PSS recognizes Vocational Specialists Karen Mealy, Shawn Miller, David Marshall, Michelline Stokes and Tawana Lisic for their extraordinary efforts. David Moore, Cathy Hudgins and Karen Boone are praised for their help in initiating the program. Sharon Williams and Hazel Smith are also recognized for their assistance in keeping the program at the forefront.   

To see the Governor’s full report visit www.dss.virginia.gov

• 2007 Best Major Paper award, School of Public and International Affairs

The 2007 Best Major Paper award in the School of Public and International Affairs was received by Kate Lanham, Master’s student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning for her paper entitled: Planning as Placemaking: Tensions of Scale, Culture, and Identity. Dr. Max Stephenson Jr. served as the chair of her committee.

• Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD).

Veronica Arroyave, PhD Student; and Tracy Cooper and Maral Dilanian, Master's students in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) on October 26, 2006 presented a keynote of findings from a study on "Key Barriers Faced by INGOs in Responding to International and Domestic Disasters" at the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations' (PQMD) Special Session on Emergencies in Kansas City, MO. PQMD and its members, in alliance with related organizations, are dedicated to the development, dissemination and adherence to high standards in the delivery of medical products to under-served people and disaster victims globally (see: www.pqmd.org). The study took place initially as part of the Charity, Philanthropy and Civil Society course in the department of Urban Affairs and Planning and was conducted under the advisement of Dr. Angela M. Eikenberry from the Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP) at Virginia Tech.

• BenchMark 3: 2006 Conference on the status of Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies. March 16-19 in Tempe, Arizona.

Hosted by the Center for Nonprofit Leadership & Management at Arizona State University. Roseanne Mirabella of Seton Hall University, perhaps the leading researcher of nonprofit and public management program curricula in the United Sates, presented "University-Based Educational Programs in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropic Studies in the United States: A Ten Year Review and Projections of Future Trends" during which the Virginia Tech program in nonprofit and civil society studies was singled out as a national model for the future. Dr. Max Stephenson Jr. and Rachel Christensen presented "Mentoring for Doctoral Student Praxis-Centered Learning: Creating a Shared Culture of Intellectual Aspiration" at Bencmark and Russ Cargo led a session on "Preparing Nonprofit Board Leaders." David Moore, a CPAP PhD. student and Project Associate for IGA, also presented a paper at Benchmark entitled "On Teaching Nonprofit Administrative Ethics." Selected papers from the conference will be considered for publication in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. This conference followed on conferences held in 1986 and 1996. Each was designed self-consciously to allow for critical reflection on the evolution of this field of graduate education.

• The Nonprofit and Civil Society Studies Program is Attracting Superb Students

Rachel Christensen, an EDP doctoral student, was selected recently as the Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies for 2005-2006. The award was established by the Graduate School in 2001 to recognize exceptional performance by a graduate student from each college within the university. Rachel was nominated for her contributions to teaching and peer mentoring in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

Marcy Schnitzer a doctoral student in the EDP program, was selected earlier this year for a scholarship to allow her to participate in the University of Virginia's prestigious Institute for Environmental Negotiation Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute. She is the first graduate student to participate in the program. (www.virginia.edu/ien/IEN_home.htm)

Veronica Arroyave, a Ph.D. student in EDP, has been accepted to undertake a month long Diploma program in International Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) from the Center for International Health & Cooperation taught at Fordham University in New York. (www.cihc.org/index2.html). The center was founded to promote healing and peace in countries shattered by natural disasters, armed conflicts and ethnic violence. The course recognizes the need for universally accepted basic standard of training for all humanitarian workers. The program draws applicants from around the world and accepts fewer than 1 in 4 of those who apply.

Rachel Christensen, Marcy Schnitzer and Natalia Goldin (CPAP doctoral student) were each selected to receive a Founder's Forum Scholarship to participate in the national Conference of the American Society for Public Administration in late March and early April of this year. Selection for this honor was quite competitive.

• IGA will launch an endowed Ph.D. workshop series on April 7.

This series will allow leading scholars to come to Virginia Tech to present their work and to discuss it in depth with our doctoral students in a workshop designed just for them. These half-day sessions should allow thoughtful discussion on important topics related to nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations and civil society. These workshops will occur around the midpoint of each semester and each will be designed to deal with an important theme and to highlight research concerning it. We see these opportunities as part of a broader effort to build a program in nonprofit and civil society studies that is among the finest in the nation.

• Co-sponsor of the Washington Post Award for Excellence in 2004 and 2005

IGA served as a co-sponsor of The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management. This competitive award is a project of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement (formerly the Washington Council of Agencies); its major sponsor is The Washington Post . The purpose of the program is to seek and promote outstanding nonprofit management to members of the Washington , D.C. area's nonprofit sector. IGA has provided the staff to administer the program for the 2004 and 2005 competitions.

• Co-sponsor of the Foundation Center's International Month

The Foundation Center is a national network of libraries providing accessible information on fundraising and nonprofit management. October 2004 was named International Month by The Foundation Center. IGA served as a sponsor of The Foundation Center of Washington's educational programs. The educational programs focused on fundraising/NGO management in the international arena.

• Northern Virginia Conference on Nonprofit Management

Determining educational needs of the Northern Virginia Nonprofit Community was the role played by an IGA Project Associate in the 2004 Northern Virginia Conference on Nonprofit Management. The successful conference served nearly 200 nonprofit leaders from around the region.

• Community Research and Learning Network (CoRAL)

IGA presented "Building Analytical Capacity through Collaborative Research" at the 2004 Conference on Community Driven Research and Social Change in the National Capital Region. This was a unique opportunity for Washington area colleges and universities to share successes and challenges in their work on service-learning and community-based research.

• InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) in Washington , D.C.

The Institute organized and ran an intensive 2-day workshop on May 12-13, 2004 for the IDB on "Seeking NGO-Donor Partnership for Greater Effectiveness and Accountability." The event brought together about 50 participants from NGOs and donors working in Latin America and the Caribbean . Discussions are now underway to develop a pilot project to enhance organizational learning and accountability in IDB projects with NGOs.

• Research and Service-Learning for Local Nonprofit Organizations

Through the Virginia Tech Center for Service Learning, Professor Ebrahim arranges assignments for students as part of his graduate course on "NGOs in International Development." Students devote 2-4 hours per week (approximately 40 hours per student during the semester) to an "action research" project that links research to public service practice. This service learning experience is then linked to course instruction. To date, students have conducted research with numerous organizations, including:

Smithsonian Institution, Office of Development ( Washington , D.C. )
YMCA Student Programs (Virginia Tech)
Tekoa, Inc. Residential Treatment Facility (Southwest VA)
Valley Interfaith Child Care Center (New River Valley, VA)
Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization (Roanoke, VA)
American Red Cross (Roanoke chapter, VA)
New River Community Action (Radford, VA)
Conflict Resolution Center (Roanoke, VA)
YMCA Civic Connections Program (Virginia Tech)
World Resources Institute (Washington, D.C.)
Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley
Refugee and Immigration Services ( Roanoke , VA )