The Heller School for Social Policy and ManagementReturn to this website's homepageBrandeis University

Associate Professor and Director, Center for Youth and Communities

curnan@brandeis.edu  •  Heller-Brown Building  • 341  •  781-736-3771

Expertise

Social Policy and Management, emphasis on leadership and management innovations with mission driven organizations and businesses.

Courses

  • HS 256f - Community Building for Managers
  • HS 317b - Children, Youth and Families: Problems, Policies and Programs
  • HS 320f - The American Gay Rights Movement: Social Justice and Social Policy
  • HS 335f - Perspectives on Youth Policy, Program Management, and System Design
  • HS 511b - Contemporary Issues in the Management of Child, Youth, and Family Services

Scholarship

  • Hughes, Della M., Susan P. Curnan, Lisa A. LaCava, and Sheri Dursin. Unitarian Universalist Association "Leap of Faith Evaluation Report: Growth and Vitality in the UU Congregation". 2012.
  • Curnan, Susan P, Della M. Hughes and Susan Lanspery (eds.). Curnan/Hughes, Co-PIs. Resilience, Resolve, Results: A Compilation of Readiness Phase Studies of The Skillman Foundation's Good Neighborhoods and Good Schools Initiative, 2008-2010. 2011.
  • Curnan, Susan P., Della M. Hughes, Susan Lanspery. Curnan/Hughes, Co-PIs. From Tower to Ground: Systems and Policy Change in the Good Neighborhoods/Good Schools Initiative. 2011.
  • Hughes, Della M., Erika Moldow and Susan Lanspery. Curnan/Hughes, Co-PIs. Changing the Odds for Kids: Part 1 and Part 2. 2011.
  • Hughes, Della M., Erika Moldow, Susan Lanspery, and J.F. Morgan Associates. Building Neighborhood Capacities to Support Youth and Families in Good Neighborhoods and Good Schools Initiative. 2011.
  • Hughes, Della M., and Susan Lanspery. Curnan/Hughes, Co-PIs. Resilience, Resolve, Results: Background of the Readiness Phase of The Skillman Foundation's Good Neighborhoods and Good Schools Initiative. 2011.
  • Curnan, Susan P, Andrew B. Hahn, Lawrence Neil Bailis, Joseph Frees, Christopher Kingsley, Lisa A. LaCava, Susan Lanspery, Alan L. Melchior, Erika Moldow. Innovating Under Pressure: The Story of the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative: Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis & Marion County, Phoenix & Maricopa Count. Employment and Training Administration (ETA), US Department of Labor. 2010.
  • Curnan, Susan P. "Memories and Lessons from Eleanor Roosevelt's Kitchen Cabinet, 1931-1970." The Hudson River Valley Review: A Journal or Regional Studies Vol.26, No.1. Autumn 2009 (2010): 9-20.
  • Curnan, Susan P. "The View from Val-Kill." Brandeis Magazine Fall 2010: 20-25.
  • Susan P. Curnan, Christopher Kingsley, Lisa A. LaCava, Alexandra Pineros Shields. Emergency Assistance (EA) Reform in Massachusetts: A Report from Ten Regional Forums. Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School, Brandeis University. Boston: 2010.
  • Susan P. Curnan, Christopher Kingsley, Lisa A. LaCava, Joseph Frees. Unfinished Work: Building Excellence in Washington DC's Summer Youth Employment Program. Center for Youth and Communities, Heller School, Brandeis University. Washington: 2010.
  • Curnan, Susan P. "Memories and Lessons from Eleanor Roosevelt's "Kitchen Cabinet." A four-part series of articles." The National Trust for Historic Preservation Newsletter (2009).
  • Curnan, Susan P. "Youth Development and Ordinary Days at Val-Kill Farm." Hudson River Valley Review (2009).
  • Curnan, Susan P with Della M. Hughes. "Evaluation Readiness and the Culture of Learning". Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. New York City: 2006.
  • Curnan, Susan P with Della M. Hughes. "Proving the Possible - Improving Systems: Transferable Lessons for Managing Growth and Change." A Report on Business Expansion 2004-2006. MY TURN, Inc. Brockton, MA: 2006.
  • Curnan, Susan P. "Lobbying for Social Change." Rev. of Lobbying for Social Change, by Willard C. Richan. November 2006: Back cover.
  • Curnan, Susan P. "The Power of Combining Youth Development Principles with Culture & Arts Programs: Findings of a Study of the Culture & Arts Youth Development Initiative". The Skillman Foundation. Detroit, MI: 2006.
  • Curnan, Susan P. Currently Principal Investigator for two large-scale evaluations: The Hitachi Foundation's Global Corporate Citizenship Initiative and America's Promise and The Alliance for Youth Community Mobilization Demonstration. 2003.
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Profile

Professor Curnan's management scholarship and practice is grounded in the promotion of social justice and well-being for children, youth and families, especially those who face greater odds as a result of economic insecurity, family conflict , discrimination or disconnection.

 

Degrees

Yale University
M.F.S.

State University of New York at New Paltz
M.S.

SUNY at Stony Brook
B.A.

Awards and Honors

  • 2016 Task Force, Co-Chair, Detroit, Results oriented leadership for community change (2010)
  • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation National Leadership Team for Post Secondary Success Initiative (2010)
  • Center for Law and Social Policy, CLASP, Postsecondary and Economic Success Advisory Committee, Washington DC (2010)
  • Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Thought Leader Advisory Panel for New England Education Systems Change (2010)
  • Northeast Institute for Quality Community Action Advisory Board (2010)
  • Honored for 25 years of dedicated service to Brandeis University. Celebrated with President, Provost, Dean and colleagues. (2008)
  • United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley Youth Council. Three year commitment. (2008)
  • Appointed, National Research & Evaluation Advisory Board. The Skillman Foundation. Up to 10-year term (2007)
  • Appointed, National Scientific Research Council, America's Promise: The Alliance for Youth, Washington, D.C. (2005)
  • Appointed Fellow of Berkeley College, Yale University in recognition of leadership and shared interest in environmental matters (on-going) (2003)
  • Awarded sabbatical from Brandeis University. Traveled around the world, worked on manuscript for book about growing up at Val-Kill Cottage in the 1950's and 60's. (2003)
  • Board on Children, Youth and Families of the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. Frequent workshop discussant. (2003)
  • National Governors' Association's Youth Development Faculty Member, Washington, D.C. (on-going) (2003)
  • Selected Disney Corporation "Thought Leader" for Community Relations Department to help shape their brand and platform for "Helping Kids Shine" (2003)
  • The Hitachi Foundation, Yoshiyama Fellowship Award Committee, San Diego, CA (on-going) (2003)
  • Co-Founder and Chair, Institute for Just Communities (2001)
  • Co-Founder and Editor of the Community Youth Development Journal and CYD Anthology (2000)
  • VIP at Presidential Summit on National Community Service, Philadelphia, Spring (1997)
  • Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Women, Who's Who in American Education (1995 - 1996)
  • Presented with the Key to the City of New Orleans and Certificate of Honorary Citizenship by Mayor and City Council in recognition of work on behalf of at-risk youth (1993)