Russell Sage College Faculty Lend Expertise to Projects Addressing Addiction, Women’s Health and Integrating the Arts in Social Justice Work

Russell Sage College and the Louis and Hortense Rubin Community Fellows Program have announced three projects selected to receive grant funding for 2021-2022. The program will award $45,000 across the three projects. 

The Rubin Community Fellows Program funds cooperative projects between higher education faculty members and not-for-profit or government agencies in Rensselaer County. This year, all of the partnering faculty members are from Russell Sage College. 

“The goals of higher education and nonprofits overlap in many areas,” said Program Administrator Ali Schaeffing, Ph.D. “Our faculty and nonprofit teams have designed some really interesting collaborative projects that will benefit both partners as well as the wider community.”

Projects

An award will support capacity building and strategic planning for the NØpiates Committee as it grows its programs advocating for people affected by addiction. Kevin Fletcher, Ph.D., chair and undergraduate program director of Sage’s School of Management, is the faculty fellow on the project. 

An award will support a collaboration between the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, Troy Area United Ministries and Katrin Ramsey, DSc, assistant professor of physical therapy at Sage. The YWCA, TAUM and Ramsey are partnering on a community-based wellness program for women. During the 2020-2021 funding cycle, Ramsey collaborated on online yoga classes and mentoring for the Commission on Economic Opportunity’s Babies in Waiting program, with support from the Rubin Fellowship. 

An award will support Creative Action Unlimited and its collaborations with community organizations to integrate the arts in outreach and social justice education. David Baecker, MFA, professor of creative and performing arts and Leah Rico, MFA, assistant professor of graphic and media design, are the faculty fellows on the project.

The Louis and Hortense Rubin Community Fellows Program was established in 1990 with a gift from the Rubin family. It is administered by Russell Sage College and is a cooperative venture of Sage, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hudson Valley Community College and Emma Willard School.

For more information, contact Ali Schaeffing at rubinfellowship@sage.edu or visit sage.edu/rubin.

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