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This Month at the McCormack Graduate School
February 2020
Dean's Message
As part of the event  Salute to Those Who Served – A Black History Month Celebration ,  I was humbled to present to long-time UMass Boston friend, Charlie Desmond (pictured with me), a Commendation from the Massachusetts State Senate honoring his service as a decorated Vietnam veteran, civic leader extraordinaire and scholar.
 
Later in February, billed as a McCormack’s Black History Month Informal Lunch and Discussion, and moderated by MPA student Esther Rogers, a lively conversation at the end of the month included some debate over whether there should be a Black History Month at all -- some see it as too focused on the history of slavery, some see it as a celebration of too few “celebrities” while ignoring the challenges of regular people and communities, and some ask why should it only be one month.
 
My own view is that the more such conversations the better.
 
And we certainly don't focus our interest in African American issues, or Africa itself, into one month. This February newsletter describes work that McCormack faculty and students are doing in Nigeria and South Africa through the year. And it also contains reports from Afghanistan, as well as the neighborhoods of Boston.
 
Next week (March 6) it will be McCormack's second annual Africa Day -- a daylong celebration of scholarship and culture organized by Professor and Associate Dean Rita Kiki Edozie , and keynoted by Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed, African Union Permanent Mission to the UN. 
 
Staying engaged in civil and civic discussions of politics and policy from the national to the local, McCormack co-hosted Republican candidate for President, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld for a Town Hall, and cosponsored an event with Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia, as part of UMass Boston’s Office of Community Engagement’s event,  Our Shared Work: Lifting up Democracy from Grassroots to Grass-tops.

McCormack Making A Difference
Photo of Esther Rogers and KrystalGayle O'Neill
McCormack Speaks

McCormack Graduate School came together as a community to have lunch and talk about #BlackHistoryMonth! Joining us was MPA student, Esther Rogers ( left), who led a conversation about what Black History Month meant to each of us.
Photo of Conflict Resolution, Masters Student, Jumakhan Rahyab
Student Success

Masters student Jumakhan Rayhab surveys Afghanistan's tumultuous year. In South Asia Voices article, Fulbright Graduate Fellow suggests 2019 political upheaval may presage even greater shifts.
Faculty Accomplishments

With the recent advances in technology, Prof Aroon Manoharan shines a spotlight on how the creation of e-centers can bridge the digital divide between rural provinces and create more active participants in civil society.
Photo of Imari Paris Jeffries, Susan Crandall, and Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson
Events and Engagement

University and community leaders came together for a fireside chat on grassroots movements and how they can impact our communities. Among the speakers at the event are MGS's own faculty: Susan Crandall and Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson.
Photo of Bill Weld talking with students
Events and Engagement

In a town hall forum, the former Republican governor is highly critical of President Trump, and offers unusual priorities to protect rising generations.
Photo of Darren Kew, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance
Centers Delivering Impact

Last December, professor Darren Kew led a small international group, hosted by the United States Agency for International Development, to evaluate the state of democracy and governance in Nigeria as it tries civilian rule.
Photo of Michael Sulprizio, Deputy Commissioner for Administration & Finance
Alums Making a Difference

East Boston's Michael Sulprizio, holder of a McCormack Master's in Public Administration, has gone city-wide. After years at the Boston Center for Youth and Families, he has taken over as Deputy Commissioner for Administration and Finance in the City's Property Management Department.
In the Media (a snapshot of recent McCormack news items)
Truth North, February 2
David Cash, Dean, McCormack Graduate School
The Boston Globe, February 4
Len Fishman, Director, Gerontology Institute
Reuters, February 14
Jan Mutchler, Professor, Department of Gerontology
Fortune, February 19
Christian Weller, Professor, Public Policy and Public Affairs
The Patriot Ledger, February 21
Susan Crandall, Director, Center for Social Policy
The Enterprise, February 25
McCormack Graduate School
Join us for these upcoming events!
Colloquium: Two Concepts of Military Glory with Nir Eisikovits
Date: Tuesday, March 3 at 5:30PM
Location: Campus Center, 3rd Floor, Room 3545
Professor of Philosophy Nir Eisikovits focuses on the ethics and culture of war and will discuss two concepts of military glory. This is part of the Conflict Resolution colloquium series.

March 2020: McCormack Pizza and Policy -  Super Tuesday Debrief Special
Date: Wednesday, March 4 at 12:30PM–2:00PM
Location: Campus Center, 3rd Floor, Point Lounge
We promise good food and great conversations! J oin a discussion about policy and politics, including a debrief of the Super Tuesday results that took place that night.

Africa Day 2020: Challenges to Pan Africanism: Afrophobia and Migration Across African Borders
Date: Friday, March 6 at 12:00PM–8:00PM
Location: Campus Center, 3rd Floor, Ballrooms
Join us at Africa Day 2020 here at UMass Boston with a focus on our introspection of Pan Africanism.

2020 Democratic Senate Debate
Date: Wednesday, March 18 at 7:00PM–8:00PM
Location: Western Mass News Studio, Springfield, MA
UMass Boston’s John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, WBUR, The Boston Globe and WCVB Channel 5 will host a democratic primary senate debate broadcasted at the Western Mass News Studio.
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John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies
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