March 18, 2008

CUPPA Briefing

March 2008. An E-Newsletter for Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

UIC's Brilliant Futures Capital Campaign Update
CUPPA Goal: $12,910,000
As of 03/01/08: $3,233,798.43

CUPPA Commencement Information
Public Administration and Urban Planning and Policy graduates and degree candidates for the following academic terms: July 2007, December 2007 and May 2008 Graduates and Degree Candidates along with five guests are invited to CUPPA Commencement, Friday, May 9, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon, UIC Forum, 725 Roosevelt Road (Corner of Halsted Street and Roosevelt Road), Chicago, Brief reception to follow. RSVP required by April 4th, 2008 - PA Students: Contact Sharon Sanders, shar@uic.edu, 312.996.3109; UPP Students: Contact Hazel Brown, memi@uic.edu, 312.996.6211. Special guests include University of Illinois President Joseph D. White, Commencement Speaker and 18th District Illinois State Representative Julie Hamos (invited), and University of Illinois Lou Liay Spirit Award Winner Carrie Makarewicz, MUPP '02. For more information, see www.uic.edu/cuppa/news_08/2008_commencement.htm

Career Workshops Sponsored by CUPPA Alumni Association
All events to be held in CUPPA Hall Room 110 (except where noted)
Alumni Career Stories, Friday, March 14, 2008, 4:30 p.m.
Resume and Portfolio Workshop, Friday, March 14, 2008, 5:30 p.m.
Student/Alumni Networking at Jak's Tap (cash bar), Friday, March 14, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
Interview Skills Seminar, Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 5:00 p.m.

UTC Students In Fast Lane for Awards
Congratulations to the three award recipients from UTC: Lei Tang, ITE 2008 Scholarship for Best Paper, Taha Rashidi, TRB Fred Burgraff Best Paper Award, Yong-Ping Zhang, TRB Charles Wootan Best Dissertation Award.

GCI Welcomes Vernon D. Jarrett Great Cities Fellow James W. Compton
James Compton, formerly president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, joined the Great Cities Institute as the 2008 Veron D. Jarrett Great Cities Fellow. During Compton's tenure at the Chicago Urban League from 1978 through 2006, the League refocused its interest in education and economic development and developed a new emphasis on community empowerment. He is credited with changing the organization from primarily a social service organization to a research organization advocating for public policy. The Vernon D. Jarrett Senior Fellow is an established scholar or writer invited to produce research and scholarship on issues of race, education, community development, and urban policy while in residence at the Institute.

Theodore Named to SACOM
UPP Associate Professor and Center for Urban Economic Development Director Nik Theodore was named to the international advisory board of SACOM (Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior) based in China.

Internal Auditor Certification
Congratulations to Suresh Sharma, Finance Division, Office of the Dean, who was named as a Certified Internal Auditor by the Institute of Internal Auditors.

GCI and the Urban Land Institute Launch Planning Commissioner Online (PCO) Course in April
A course providing busy plan commission members an affordable, quality educational experience while allowing them the flexibility of accessing the course when their schedules allow will begin in April. Communities throughout the Chicago area and the United States can use PCO as a critical first-learning experience for new commissioners. Students will develop the necessary tools to do their job effectively and gain leadership in planning and development that their communities need. For more information see http://pco.cuppa.uic.edu.

Voorhees Center Trains Lathrop Homes Residents
The Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement is conducting a series of training sessions on the process of public housing redevelopment for Lathrop Homes public housing residents. The residents are assessing the pros and cons of rehabbing and maintaining existing structures as public and affordable housing units, or demolishing existing homes for replacement by mixed income housing. The training is intended to assist them in understanding the redevelopment process so that they may be able to play an informed and meaningful role in the Redevelopment Working Group.

RTA Funds Voorhees Center Study with DCP
The Development Communities Project (DCP), a community organization located on Chicago's south side, has hired the Voorhees Center to assess options to extend the CTA redline from 95th Street to the city limits on the south side and to demonstrate how the extension of the redline should be a priority for development. The study funded by the Regional Transportation Authority is expected to start soon.

Voorhees Report Cited in Chicago Tribune
The Voorhees Center's recently released report, "Data and Democracy: Investing in Neighborhoods," was cited in the February 27, 2008 Chicago Tribune. The report came out of a collaboration formed with UIC's College of Education to purchase NCBG data. PhD Students Andrew Greenlee, Nancy Hudspeth, and Danielle Smith worked on the report.

CUED Studies Health and Nutrition in Low-Income Neighborhoods and Career Pathways in Finance and Insurance
CUED is conducting a community needs assessment to assist Common Threads in identifying areas of need within Chicago and is working with Policy Planning Partners on a project for the Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago analyzing career paths in the finance and insurance industries. CUED is providing labor market analysis and research support for key informant and employer interviews.

CUPPA Dean's Search Committee Information
For the CUPPA Dean Search advertisement and regular search updates, please see http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/search. For more information regarding the search, email cuppasearch@uic.edu.
Search Committee Members include:
Clark Hulse
Cynthia Barnes-Boyd
John-Jairo Betancur
Charles Hoch
Karen Mossberger
Kara Pennoyer (Public Administration Student Association)
Peter Skosey (Alumnus)
Joanne Sims
Piyushimita “Vonu” Thakuriah
Eric Welch

COMINGS:
Welcome CUPPA Babies!
Suendus Al-Kodmany, 1/22/08, 8lbs, 4oz, born to UPP Associate Professor Kheir Al-Kodmany, and his wife, Ahlam
Ruby Irene Slocum, 1/25/08, 7lbs, 2oz, born to UPP Professor Rachel Weber and her husband, John Slocum

Welcome New CUPPA Staff Members!
Jaime Masterson, Visiting Assistant to the Dean

and GOINGS:
Michael J. Clark, formerly in the Dean's Office

EVENTS:

March 18
GCI Seminar on Topics in Nonprofit Management: If Your Tree Falls In A Forest, Be Sure It Makes A Sound, Martin Berg, Director of Marketing and Communication, Community Investment Corporation, 3:00 p.m., GCI

March 18
Interview Skills Seminar by CUPPA Alumni Association, 110 CUPPA Hall, 5:00 p.m.
CUPPA Alumni Association Board of Directors Meeting, 110 CUPPA Hall, 6:00 p.m.

April 1
GCI Faculty Scholar Seminar on Community Based Cultural Socialization Among Adolescents, Yolanda Majors, 3:00 p.m., GCI

April 8
GCI Seminar on Topics in Nonprofit Management: Instituting the "Platinum Standard Via Sarbanes-Oxley, Dottie Johnson, CPA, Director of Consulting Services, Lumity, 3:00 p.m., GCI

April 22
GCI Seminar on A World of Gangs, John Hagedorn, 3:00 p.m., GCI

SAVE THE DATE:

March 21
Last day to submit approved/defended thesis/dissertation for graduation this term to the Graduate College. For thesis manual go to: http://grad.uic.edu/cms/?pid=1000027

March 24 - 28
Spring vacation. No classes.

April 6
Last day to submit APPROVED master's project to the Urban Planning & Policy Program for graduation this term with attached approval form:
http://www.uic.edu/depts/grad/gcforms/Certificate%20of%20Approval.MA%20project.pdf

May 5 - 9
Final examinations.

MAY 9
CUPPA Commencement, Friday, May 9, 2008, 10:00 a.m., UIC Forum

READ AND HEAR MORE ONLINE:

Archived CUPPA Briefings
CUPPA Daily Clips (faculty who have appeared in print and broadcast media on a weekly basis)
CUPPA Podcasts (various lectures or events audio recorded and available for download)
CUPPA Events (http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/news.html#events)

CUPPABriefing is an electronic publication by the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs for faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Published and distributed via email monthly following the meeting of the CUPPA Cabinet, CUPPABriefing will contain announcements, updates, and facts that are important to those working and/or studying in CUPPA. Questions, comments, or announcements may be sent to Jodi White Jones, Assistant Dean for Communications, jmwhite@uic.edu, 312.413.9127