2020-2021

ARC of Rensselaer County

ARC of Rensselaer County will receive $4,000 to develop a training program to prepare direct-care staff to effectively communicate with medical professionals in the event of a crisis.

  • Institution Name: Russell Sage College
  • Community Partner: The Arc of Rensselaer County
  • Rubin Fellows: Kathleen A. Kelly Ph.D., Dean of the Russell Sage College School of Health Sciences; Tawana Davis, Director of Student Wellness at Russell Sage College

The Commission on Economic Opportunity

The Commission on Economic Opportunity will receive $15,000 to support its Babies in Waiting program. Babies in Waiting provides services that support prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum health and wellness.

  • Institution Name: Russell Sage College
  • Community Partner: The Commission on Economic Opportunity
  • Rubin Fellows: Katrin Ramsey, DSc, assistant professor of physical therapy; Wendy Gaughan, lecturer in occupational therapy at Russell Sage College

The City of Troy Environmental Responsibility Project

The City of Troy Environmental Responsibility Project will receive $14,500 to improve environmental stewardship and reduce waste-handling expenditures for the City of Troy, its residents and businesses.

  • Institution Name: Russell Sage College
  • Community Partners: The City of Troy Environmental Responsibility Project
  • Rubin Fellow: Emilly Obuya, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Russell Sage College

Troy YMCA

Troy YMCA will receive $7,681 to create a program to address childhood obesity. Children participating in the program will receive a free youth membership to the Troy Y for the duration of this program.

  • Institution Name: Russell Sage College
  • Community Partner: The Troy YMCA
  • Rubin Fellow: Neeti Pathare, Ph.D., adjunct professor of physical therapy at Russell Sage College

2019-2020

Historic Rensselaer County Adult Education Program

Rensselaer County Historical Society (RCHS) will develop an on-going monthly lecture series for adults on various topics relating to local history

  • Institution Name: TBD
  • Community Partner: Historic Rensselaer County Adult Education Program
  • Rubin Fellows: TBD

The Volunteer Leader Network of Rensselaer County

This project will create a network to support volunteering connections, collaboration, and capacity among not-for-profit (NFP) organizations in Rensselaer County 

  • Institution Name: HVCC & The Sage Colleges
  • Community Partner: Joseph’s House & Shelter
  • Rubin Fellows: Dr. Ali Schaeffing, Director of Service Learning, The Sage Colleges; Chaplain Michelle Thivierge, HVCC & Sage Colleges

Urban Design-Build Partnership

The Urban Design-Build Partnership will harness the strengths and mission of these four stakeholder institutions within the City of Troy to form an innovative design, research, and community development partnership.

  • Institution Name: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Community Partners: RPI School of Architecture; TAP Inc.; Habitat for Humanity – Capital District; and the Troy Community Land Bank Corp. 
  • Rubin Fellow: Dr. Mae-ling Jovenes Lokko, Director, Building Sciences Program, Assistant Professor of Architecture

2018-2019

Measures for Measuring

The first part of this project will create a plastic injection molding line that will make crayons. The second part will develop gaming software that the children must use to input measurements that will make the injection line work properly.

  • Institution Name: HVCC & The Sage Colleges
  • Community Partner: Children’s Museum of Science & Technology
  • Rubin Fellows: James Hamilton, Professor, Automotive, Manufacturing and Electrical Engineering Technologies; Mac-Arthur Louis, Instructor, Computer Science

Build Them Up! Providing Access to Programming & Services for the Youth of Troy

Developing partnerships with organizations that offer counseling and programs on difficult topics that youth are dealing with such as substance abuse, sexuality, and job skills.  

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges
  • Community Partner: Hope 7 Community Center
  • Rubin Fellows: Marcy Fiet, Assistant Professor of the Practice & Kiki Smith, Assistant Professor, Nursing

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area

Developing partnerships with organizations that offer counseling and programs on difficult topics that youth are dealing with such as substance abuse, sexuality, and job skills.  

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges
  • Community Partner: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area
  • Rubin Fellow: Josefina Roldan, Lecturer; Myra Marshall, Lecturer, Nursing Department

Audience Development Survey

Survey to expand programming to better serve the community.

  • Institution Name: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Community Partner: Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
  • Rubin Fellow: Weina Ran, Lecturer, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

College Entry Program

Develop a college entry program for Vanderheyden’s high school students.

  • Institution Name: Hudson Valley Community College
  • Community Partner: Vanderheyden Hall
  • Rubin Fellow: Diane Teutschman, Adjunct Instructor, Teacher Preparation Department

2017-2018

YWCA-GCR Signature Program: Phase Two

Developing a capstone program for the members of the YWCA-GCR patterned after the successful Signature capstone program at Emma Willard.

  • Institution Name: Emma Willard School
  • Community Partner: YWCA of the Greater Capital Region
  • Rubin Fellow: Jon Calos, Instructor and Chair, Science Department

Troy Youth Programming Inventory

Developing a list of agencies in the city that have summer and after-school programs catering to the city’s youth population.

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges
  • Community Partner: City of Troy, NY
  • Rubin Fellow: Nancy Michela, Associate Professor, Melissa Davis, Instructor, Nursing Department

2016-2017

Urban Oasis

Rehabilitating a vacant lot across from the front door of Public School 2 in Troy to create an outdoor classroom while simultaneously eliminating an eyesore from the neighborhood.

  • Institution Name: Hudson Valley Community College
  • Community Partner: Troy Rehabilitation & Improvement Program, Inc. (TRIP)
  • Rubin Fellow: Amy E. Kiley, Adjunct Faculty, Teacher Preparation, Hudson Valley Community College

YWCA-GCR Signature Program: Phase One

Developing a capstone program for the members of the YWCA-GCR patterned after the successful Signature capstone program at Emma Willard.

  • Institution Name: Emma Willard School
  • Community Partner: YWCA of the Greater Capital Region
  • Rubin Fellow: Jon Calos, Instructor and Chair, Science Department, Emma Willard School

2015-2016

John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve Invasive Species & Riparian Habitat Restoration Project

Design and development of two plans: 1.) a stream bank restoration plan, and 2.) a management plan for eradicating the invasive species and replacing them with appropriate native plantings.

  • Institution Name: Hudson Valley Community College
  • Community Partner: Rensselaer Land Trust, Inc.
  • Rubin Fellow: Daniel Capuano, Assistant Professor, Biology, Chemistry and Physics

Marketing Survey & Awareness Campaign

Survey to collect information from the public on special and important places to be preserved in development of Rensselaer County Land and Water Conservation Plan.

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges
  • Community Partner: Rensselaer Land Trust, Inc.
  • Rubin Fellow: Kevin Fletcher, Assistant Professor, School of Management

Website Development & Deployment

Develop and deploy a branding and marketing plan to position Troy as a cultural destination.

  • Institution Name: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Community Partner: Troy Cultural Alliance
  • Rubin Fellow: Dr. Thomas Triscari, Professor, Lally School of Management

Leveraging Partnerships to Bring Project Based Learning Experiences to Rensselaer County Schools

Provide a multiple-exposure, project-based environmental education experience for urban and rural elementary and secondary students from throughout Rensselaer County.

  • Institution Name: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Community Partners: Rensselaer Plateau Alliance, Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center
  • Rubin Fellow: Kim Fortun, Professor, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Planning for the Urban Grow Center’s Multi-Use Commercial Kitchen

Development of a business plan for a multi-use commercial kitchen to be included in the second phase of its Urban Grow Center.

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges
  • Community Partner: Capital Roots
  • Rubin Fellow: Kevin Fletcher, Assistant Professor, School of Management

2013-2014

HVCC Community Dialogue

  • Institution Name: Hudson Valley Community College
  • Rubin Fellow: Dr. Peter Sawyer

2011-2012

Nourishing Our Community

  • Institution Name: Hudson Valley Community College
  • Community Partner: Italian Community Center Charitable Foundation of Troy, NY, Inc.
  • Rubin Fellow: Carol McCarthy, Dept. of Business Administration

2010-2011

Cooking $marts Program: Combating Childhood Obesity

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges
  • Community Partners: Italian Community Center Charitable Foundation of Troy, NY, Inc., Rensselaer County Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Rubin Fellow: Sonya Irish Hauser, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Nutrition

Awareness Campaign: Making Local Search-and-Rescue Resource a Must-Call

  • Institution Name: Hudson Valley Community College
  • Community Partner: Rensselaer County Search and Rescue
  • Rubin Fellow: Fred Alm, Dept. of Marketing

Ready to Learn Program: Tackling Obstacles to Student Success in Inner-City Schools

  • Institution Name: Hudson Valley Community College
  • Community Partners: Troy Public Schools, Commission on Economic Opportunity for the Greater Capital Region Inc.
  • Rubin Fellows: Laura Germano & Antoinette Howard, Instructors (Teacher Preparation)

Youth Media Sanctuary: Giving Youth in a Tough Neighborhood Voice & Vision

  • Institution Name: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Community Partners: Media Alliance/The Sanctuary for Independent Media, Missing Link Street Ministry
  • Rubin Fellow: Branda Miller, Professor, Media Arts

2009-2010

Troy Alley Action Project

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges (www.sage.edu) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (www.rpi.edu)
  • Cooperating Agency: Osgood Neighborhood Association and Osgood South End Neighborhood Association

Art Center of the Capital Region – Marketing Plan

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges 
  • Cooperating Agency: Art Center of the Capital Region

A Problem-Solving Approach to Change

  • Institution Name: The Sage Colleges
  • Cooperating Agency: Tamarac Elementary School