Louis and Hortense Rubin Community Fellows Project Funding History

The 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.

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.

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.

The 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.

“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

Rubin Fellow(s): 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 

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.

Rubin Fellow: Dr. Mae-ling Jovenes Lokko, Director, Building Sciences Program, Assistant Professor of Architecture

“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.

Rubin Fellow(s): James Hamilton, Professor, Automotive, Manufacturing and Electrical Engineering Technologies; Mac-Arthur Louis, Instructor, Computer Science

“Build Them Up! –Providing access to programming & services for 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.  

Rubin Fellow(s): 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.  

Rubin Fellow(s): Josefina Roldan, Lecturer; Myra Marshall, Lecturer, Nursing Department

“Audience Development Survey”

Survey to expand programming to better serve the community.

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.

“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.

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.

Rubin Fellow(s):  Nancy Michela, Associate Professor, Melissa Davis, Instructor, Nursing Department

“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.

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.

Rubin Fellow: Jon Calos, Instructor and Chair, Science Department, Emma Willard School

“John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve Invasive Species and 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.

Rubin Fellow: Daniel Capuano, Assistant Professor, Biology, Chemistry and Physics

“Marketing Survey and 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.

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.

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.

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

Rubin Fellow: Kevin Fletcher, Assistant Professor, School of Management

“HVCC Community Dialogue”

Rubin Fellow: Dr. Peter Sawyer

“Nourishing Our Community”

Rubin Fellow: Carol McCarthy, Dept. of Business Administration

“Cooking $marts Program: Combating Childhood Obesity”

Rubin Fellow: Sonya Irish Hauser, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Nutrition

“Awareness Campaign: Making local search-and-rescue resource a must call”

Rubin Fellow: Fred Alm, Dept. of Marketing

“Ready to Learn Program: Tackling obstacles to student success in inner-city schools”

Rubin Fellows: Laura Germano & Antoinette Howard, Instructors (Teacher Preparation)

“Youth Media Sanctuary: Giving youth in a tough neighborhood a voice and vision”

Rubin Fellow: Branda Miller, Professor, Media Arts

“Troy Alley Action Project”

“Art Center of the Capital Region -Marketing Plan”

“A Problem Solving Approach to Change”