Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs

Dr. Evelyn Rivera is working to preserve the history of Cleveland’s Latin American community.

Through the Latin American Historical Society of Cleveland Ohio, Dr. Rivera is helping document stories, contributions, and histories that have often been overlooked. A graduate of the Levin College Master of Public Administration program, she credits her public service education with helping shape her career in community leadership and advocacy.

Read more about Dr. Rivera’s work:
https://levin.csuohio.edu/news/csu-alum-dr-evelyn-rivera-changemaker-for-clevelands-latin-american-community

Andrew Thomas, director of Levin College’s Energy Policy Center, is featured in a JobsOhio news release on the center’s latest Shale Investment Dashboard in Ohio.

Co-authored by Thomas, the report found that Ohio’s shale-energy sector attracted $2.9 billion in direct investment during the first half of 2025, bringing cumulative investment since 2011 to nearly $117.5 billion.

Read more:

Ohio's Shale Energy Industry Attracts $2.9B in Direct Investment in First Half 2025; Cumulative Investment Reaches $117.5B Discover funding opportunities that support business growth, innovation, and community development through available loans, grants, and tax incentive programs.

Andrew Thomas, director of Levin College’s Energy Policy Center, discusses Ohio’s deregulated electricity market in a Cleveland.com article about House Bill 862. The article looks at nuclear energy, utility ownership, and potential impacts on customer costs.

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/05/could-ohio-repeat-the-mistakes-behind-its-largest-public-corruption-scandal.html

Could Ohio repeat the mistakes behind its largest public corruption scandal? Ohio rebuilt the wall between utilities companies and the power plants that generate our electricity in the wake of the state’s largest public corruption scandal. Now a pair of lawmakers want to allow an exception.

Dr. Elaine Yi Lu, Director of the Levin School, will participate in the upcoming Reason Foundation webinar, “Managing the $5 Trillion of State and Local Government Debt,” on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.

Learn more and register through this shared post:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1TzZQCteMJ/

How can state and local governments fund essential services, pay down $5 trillion in long-term liabilities, implement sustainable budgets and give taxpayers more transparency?

Join Reason Foundation and public finance experts on May 21 for a conversation on how to address these challenges.

Register at the link in comments.

Congratulations to alumna Reylene Robinson, a graduate of the Levin School of Urban Affairs’ Master of Public Administration program, on her role as executive director of Thrive by 5 Louisville.

Robinson’s work supports early childhood education and child care access, building on her extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, community engagement, fundraising, and public service.

Read more:
https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/potmsearch/detail/submission/6572822/Reylene_Robinson

Reylene Robinson, Professionally Recognized at Thrive By 5 - Louisville Business First Connect with professionals in the Louisville business community. Louisville People on the Move.

How can a historically industrial landscape become a locally led, regional resource?

Graduate students from Levin College's Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs will explore that question during “Haydite Quarry: The Next Chapter,” a capstone presentation focused on future possibilities for the former Haydite Quarry site in Independence.

Developed in partnership with West Creek Conservancy, this interdisciplinary studio brings together students in Urban Planning, Public Administration, and Nonprofit Management. Their work examines land use, governance, environmental conditions, and community priorities.

Join us:
Monday, May 4, 2026
4 to 6 p.m.
Dively Auditorium, Glickman-Miller Hall
Levin College of Public Affairs and Education
Cleveland State University

The presentation will include time for discussion and light refreshments afterward. We hope you can attend.

Levin alumna Selina Pagan is featured in The Land for her work as executive director of the Young Latino Network.

A 2018 graduate of Levin College with a double major in Economic Development and Urban Affairs, Pagan is helping advance civic engagement, cultural education, and leadership opportunities for Cleveland’s Latine community.

Read more:
https://thelandcle.org/stories/csu-graduate-leads-civic-growth-for-clevelands-latine-community/

Last month, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education faculty represented Cleveland State University at the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Conference, sharing research and ideas with public administration scholars and practitioners from across the country.

Through presentations, panels, and conversations about the future of public service, our faculty contributed to work that often happens quietly but has real impact. It also feeds back into the classroom, helping ensure our students are learning from faculty who are actively engaged in the field.

We’re sharing a few photos from ASPA to recognize and thank everyone who took part. 👇

Levin College has named Dr. Isabelle Nilsson as the Albert A. Levin Chair in Urban Studies and Public Service at the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs.

Nilsson will join Cleveland State University on August 17, 2026, bringing a strong record of scholarship in transportation, housing, neighborhood change, and spatial analysis.

In this role, she will contribute through teaching, research, and service while engaging with Cleveland and the greater Northeast Ohio community through thought leadership, community engagement, and public-impact initiatives.

Read more:
https://levin.csuohio.edu/news/dr-isabelle-nilsson-tapped-albert-levin-chair

Graduate programs in the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs earned national recognition in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.

Urban Policy ranked No. 3 nationally and highest in Ohio, and Local Government Management ranked No. 10 nationally and first in Ohio. Levin School programs also ranked No. 30 in Nonprofit Management and No. 34 in Public Management and Leadership.

Read more:
https://levin.csuohio.edu/news/levin-college-among-nations-best-graduate-schools-in-2026-us-news-world-report-rankings