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The evolution of a university-based public service model that integrates leadership, applied research, and regional engagement in Appalachian Ohio

Becoming the Voinovich School chronicles the evolution of Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, a pioneering institution that blends academic rigor with hands-on public engagement. Founded on the vision of political scientist Mark Weinberg and inspired by the leadership philosophy of former US senator and Ohio governor George V. Voinovich, the school has become a national model for university-based public service.

From its modest beginnings in 1976—when Weinberg was hired to build a public administration program from scratch—the school has grown into a dynamic “do tank” serving the Appalachian Ohio region and beyond. Early initiatives like the Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development laid the groundwork for a new kind of academic center: one that connects faculty expertise with real-world problem-solving. Through applied research, GIS analysis, leadership training, and program evaluation, the school has become a trusted convener and catalyst for change.

The Voinovich School’s mission spans five key sectors: economic development, community development, education and child wellness, environmental restoration, and health and well-being. Its work is rooted in a commitment to empowering communities, especially those facing the economic and health challenges of postindustrial Appalachia. By pairing grant-funded projects with experiential education, the school has created opportunities for students to engage directly with pressing public issues while building leadership capacity across the region.

In 2007, the center was formally renamed the Voinovich School, reflecting its expanded scope and growing impact. Over the next decade, it launched new graduate programs, raised its national ranking, and became the educational partner for the Ohio Economic Development Institute. Today, the school continues to leverage state and federal funding, private-sector partnerships, and alumni networks to address complex challenges with innovative, community-driven solutions.

This book offers a compelling account of how one university unit transformed public service education—and how its legacy continues to shape leadership and policy in and beyond Ohio.

Recent years have witnessed a dramatic growth in the number of black elected officials. Although blacks still constitute barely 1 percent of elected officeholders in the nation, their increasing political power cannot be denied. In Black Representation and Urban Policy, Albert K. Karnig and Susan Welch focus on the election of blacks to mayoral and city council seats, using the most current data available on more than 250 cities. They address two major questions: What conditions promote blacks' chances of winning election to public office? Does the election of blacks to municipal office have an effect on urban policy?

In exploring the factors that underlie the election of blacks to public office, the authors found that the resources of the black community itself—the size as well as the education and income of the black population—are the best predictors of blacks' winning political office. The authors' assessment of the impact of black elected officials on urban policy constitutes perhaps their most profoundly important finding. Cities with black mayors have had greater increases in social welfare expenditures than have similar communities without black mayors. The authors point out that election of blacks to mayoral posts, then, can have more than symbolic consequences for public policy.