September 2025 - Nonprofit Academic Centers Council

A Message from Your Board President: September 2025

Angela R. Logan, PhD
St. Andre Bessette Academic Director
Master of Nonprofit Administration
Teaching Professor of Management & Organization
Mendoza College of Business
University of Notre Dame

Back to Life…Welcome to a New Reality

For those of you who don’t know me well, I am a proud member of Gen X. Whether we are called “The Latchkey Generation”, because we were the first generation to let ourselves into the house after school, or “The Forgotten Generation,” sandwiched between our Boomer parents and our Millennial siblings, those of us born between 1965 and 1980 were formed and shaped by major cultural and historic moments. Most of us watched the Challenger explosion at school, and then had to shift to fractions. We remember the start of the technology age (anyone else have a relative with a “bag cellphone?”) . And our worldview was shaped by the launch of MTV. Music videos captured our imagination, exposing us to genres of music that we then wanted to record on cassettes while waiting for the DJ to stop talking over the song.

This time of year, I often catch myself humming the words of a song from that era: R&B soul band Soul II Soul’s “Back to Life (However Do You Want Me).” Written by Caron Wheeler, the song chronicles her feelings after a near death experience, and her frustrations about literally being brought “back to life.” But in true Gen X fashion, we channeled her frustration about coming back from a near death experience, and turned this song into a party anthem. What can I say: our Boomer parents’ version of mental health was to tell us to “Rub some dirt on it!” For those of you unfamiliar with the song, it begins, “Back to life, back to reality. Back to the here and now, oh yeah!”

Every start of the academic year, I think to myself, “THIS is the year I’m going to not get behind in my grading, work on my book proposals, and find more time for self-care.” And then, as sure as Midwestern weather is predictably unpredictable, I am greeted with a harsh reality. I would love to stay on top of my grading, but there are classes to teach, meetings with college leadership to prepare for, office hours to hold, and donors to entertain. Yep: it’s definitely “back to life.”

Only now, we are all faced with being “back to a new reality!” Each of us, in some way, suddenly find ourselves dealing with state and federal officials offering “insights” on how and what we can teach. General Counsel is suddenly offering advice on how to avoid the ire of the state Attorney General or the Department of Education. And it feels like every day, there’s a new executive order that will significantly impact our own lives, and those of our students.

What’s an Academic Director to do? Other than consistently playing the lottery or looking for a magic genie, I have decided to tackle this new reality in true Gen X fashion: tackle it head on. Yes, it’s all too much and not enough at the same time. Yes, there are days when I feel like Prometheus, whose punishment for giving fire to humanity (which is where the word φιλανθρωπία, meaning “love of humanity” comes from) was to have an eagle eat his liver by day, only to have it regenerate by night. Okay, faculty meetings aren’t THAT bad, but you get the idea. And yet, isn’t that why we keep showing up? To prepare and empower the next generation of nonprofit practitioners, scholars, and leaders to show up… and keep showing up? To make the world a better place than they found it?

So, as I transition my closet from Summer to Fall, and whittle down the number of assignments so as not to get too far behind, I’m reminded of the bridge of “Back to Life (However Do You Want Me):”

“I live at the top of the block
No more room for trouble and fuss (No more room, no, no, no there’s not)
Need a change (Oh), a positive change
Look, it’s my writing on the wall (Oh, oh, however do you want me, oh).”

We are all sitting, at the “top of the semester,” looking around at a world that doesn’t have the time or bandwidth for our delay and self-doubt: our world, our sector, and our students need us to make a positive change! So Friends, put on your dancing shoes, and dance with me, as we make a positive change!

Grace and peace, Friends!

Angela R. Logan
Board President, NACC

By N.A.C.C.|2025-09-23T17:34:33-04:00September 23rd, 2025|President's Message|

NACC Welcomes New Member: Merrimack College Master’s in Nonprofit Management and Community Engagement Program

Audrey Falk, EdD
Director, Nonprofit Management
and Community Engagement Master’s Program
Professor, Merrimack College
School of Education and Social Policy,
Department of Applied Human Development
and Community Studies
Country Director, USA – Northeast Region,
International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association

The Nonprofit Academic Centers Council is pleased to welcome Merrimack College’s Master’s in Nonprofit Management and Community Engagement (M.Ed.) program as its newest member. Part of Merrimack’s School of Education and Social Policy, the program is one of the few of its kind in the nation, blending nonprofit leadership, community organizing, and digital strategy into a comprehensive curriculum. Designed for aspiring changemakers, the 100% online program offers hands-on experience through community partnerships and a self-branded capstone project, providing graduates with both the academic foundation and the applied skills to make an impact. Merrimack’s School of Education and Social Policy is guided by Augustinian values, preparing students to be reflective, engaged practitioners committed to the common good.

We also welcome Dr. Audrey Falk as Merrimack’s NACC Member Representative. Dr. Falk is Professor and Founding Director of the program, with a distinguished record of leadership in education, diversity, and social justice. She has served as Chair of the Department of Applied Human Development and Community Studies and is currently Country Director, USA – Northeast Region, for the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association. Her scholarship and leadership reflect a deep commitment to global engagement, community inclusion, and social change.

We congratulate Merrimack College and Dr. Falk on joining NACC, and we look forward to their contributions to our growing international community of nonprofit and philanthropic studies.

Learn More

By N.A.C.C.|2025-09-18T09:42:56-04:00September 18th, 2025|NACC Announcement|

Assessing the Adaptability of Resilience Models

Mark Schuller, Northern Illinois University

Mark Schuller, PhD
Director, Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies
Professor of Anthropology
Northern Illinois University

Assessing the Adaptability of Resilience Models
Mark Schuller
NSF Award Number 2448608. Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences. 2025.

This research is supported by a $284,044 award from the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, in alignment with NSF’s mission to advance knowledge with both intellectual merit and broad societal impact.

Hazards such as hurricanes or wildfires are notorious for their severity in frontline and coastal communities and their difficulty to predict and mitigate. Scientists have increasingly investigated why systemically designed models often fail to meet their objectives and reduce vulnerability. This project tests the adaptability of resilience models across multiple scales. Lessons learned from this research will be ever more important for communities facing disasters of increased intensity. Findings will be widely shared and made available open access, to improve the public’s understanding of science and the scientific method. In addition, the research offers a range of broader impacts such as integrating research and teaching and building research infrastructure.

This research asks how adaptation of models from one context to another is possible, and how communities can craft resilience plans addressing local realities. This research also identifies factors that facilitate or hinder implementation. Answering these questions, this research employs a mixed-method, multi-sited approach including public conferences, hazard mapping, and risk perception surveys. Resilience plans are crafted at workshops bringing together scholars/students, organizations, elected officials and community leaders learning about other successful disaster risk reduction models. Finally, the research facilitates the development of a workable process to reduce vulnerability and adapt to environmental variability.

This award reflects NSF’s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation’s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Mark Schuller is director of the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies and professor of Anthropology at Northern Illinois University. Supported by the National Science Foundation Senior and CAREER Grant, Bellagio Center and others, Schuller’s research on NGOs, disasters, globalization and gender in Haiti has been published in over fifty peer-reviewed articles or book chapters. In addition to publishing scores of public media articles, Schuller has been interviewed for dozens of traditional media stories, podcasts and documentaries. He authored or coedited eight books including Humanity’s Last Stand. He is co-director/co-producer of documentary Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy (2009). Schuller is co-editor of Berghahn Books’ Catastrophes in Context and University of Alabama Press’ NGOGraphies. He is co-chair of the Risk and Disaster Topical Interest Group at the Society for Applied Anthropology and secretary of the Association for Political and Legal Anthropology. Recipient of the Margaret Mead Award, the Anthropology in Media Award and the Haitian Studies Association’s Award for Excellence, Schuller is active in several solidarity efforts. View a more detailed list of publications and projects.

By N.A.C.C.|2025-09-18T09:31:09-04:00September 18th, 2025|NACC Member Research|

The Effect of Shared and Inclusive Governance on Environmental Sustainability at US Universities

Dragana (Dasha) Djukic-Min, MA, MBA
PhD Candidate in Public Affairs
University of Texas at Dallas

Jim Norcross, PhD, MSIS
Professor of Cybersecurity
School of Engineering, Technology,
Mathematics, and Sciences
Dallas College

Elizabeth A.M. Searing, PhD, CNP
Fellow, Venise Stuart Professorship
in Nonprofit Management & Leadership
Associate Professor, University of Texas at Dallas
Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton University

The Effect of Shared and Inclusive Governance on Environmental Sustainability at US Universities
Dragana Djukic-Min (University of Texas at Dallas), James Norcross (Dallas College), and Elizabeth Searing (University of Texas at Dallas)
Sustainability 2025, 17, 6630

As climate change consequences intensify, higher education institutions (HEIs) have an opportunity and responsibility to model sustainable operations. This study examines how embracing shared knowledge and inclusion in sustainability decision making facilitates green human resource management (GHRM) efforts to invigorate organizational environmental performance. The study examines the effects of shared and inclusive governance on campus sustainability via a regression model and the mediating role of employee participation via a structural equation modeling approach. The results show that shared governance and inclusive governance positively predict the commitment of HEIs to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and campus engagement mediates these relationships, underscoring the importance of participation. These findings align with stakeholder theory in demonstrating that diverse voices in decision making can enhance commitment to organizational goals like sustainability. The findings also highlight the importance of shared and inclusive governance arrangements at college campuses not only for ethical reasons but also for achieving desired outcomes like carbon neutrality. For campus leaders striving to “green” their institutions, evaluating cross-departmental representation in governance structures and promoting inclusive cultures that make all students and staff feel welcome appear as important complements to GHRM practices.

Dragana (Dasha) Djukic-Min is a PhD candidate in public affairs at the University of Texas-Dallas. Her research focuses on the role of civil society in advancing environmental sustainability within the business and local government sectors. Previously, she worked as a practitioner in fundraising research and nonprofit development/management. Dasha was named an Oxford-Penn Social Impact Fellow in 2024 and an ASPA Founders’ Fellow in 2023.

Dr. James S. Norcross is a professor of Cybersecurity and Computer Information Technology at Dallas College. His work centers on information systems in local government, with a particular focus on security. He brings extensive experience from federal, district, and municipal public administration, including service as a senior IT administrator and CISO. His expertise includes critical infrastructure cybersecurity, with a special emphasis on water resource systems.

Dr. Elizabeth Searing is an Associate Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas and the Fellow to the Venise Stuart Professor in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. Dr. Searing’s primary research focus is the financial management of nonprofit and social enterprise organizations, but she also conducts work on comparative social economy more broadly. She is an Associate Editor and editorial board member of Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and an editorial advisory board member at VOLUNTAS and the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management (JPBAFM). Her articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

By N.A.C.C.|2025-09-18T09:32:32-04:00September 18th, 2025|NACC Member Research|

Countering Climate Fear with Mindfulness: A Framework for Sustainable Behavioral Change

Latha Poonamallee, PhD
Professor of Management & Social Innovation
Chair of the Faculty of Management
Milano School of Policy, Management, & Environment
The New School

Countering Climate Fear with Mindfulness: A Framework for Sustainable Behavioral Change
Latha Poonamallee
Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6472

The accelerating climate crisis demands innovative approaches that address both systemic drivers of environmental degradation and the psychological barriers to sustained pro-environmental action. Traditional climate communication often relies on fear-based messaging, which risks triggering eco-anxiety, disengagement, or paralysis, ultimately underlying long-term behavioral change. This paper proposes mindfulness as an evidence-based alternative to foster sustained proenvironmental behavior (PEB) by integrating insights from neurocognitive science, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and social diffusion theory. We present a novel framework outlining five pathways through which mindfulness cultivates PEB:(1) enhanced emotional regulation (2) intrinsic motivation and values-behavior alignment (3) nature connectedness (4) collective action, and (5) cognitive flexibility. Critically, we examine structural barriers to scaling mindfulness interventions-including inequities, commercialization risks, and the individualism paradox—and propose mitigation strategies ground in empirical research. By bridging contemplative science with sustainability praxis, this work advances SDG-aligned strategies (SDG 12, 13) that prioritize both inner resilience and systemic change. It offers a roadmap for research and practice beyond fear-based approaches.

Dr. Latha Poonamallee is a tenured Professor of Management & Social Innovation and Chair of the Faculty of Management at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment & School of Undergraduate Studies, and University Fellow at The New School.

She works on two major research areas both focused on how management, organizations, and leadership can be vehicles to create a more sustainable, prosperous, just, and equitable world.

She serves as Editor in Chief of the Society of Advancement of Management Journal, a preeminent journal that has been published for over 75 years. She also received a Fulbright Scholarship to assist Botswana government, USAID, and Botswana Civil Society in developing a nation-wide social entrepreneurship ecosystem.

She is also the co-founder and Chairperson of In-Med Prognostics, a neuroscience firm that uses AI and Deep Tech to develop brain health predictive analytics. This firm has received accolades such as the Falling Walls Conference (Germany), BIRAC grant (Government of India grant), and GE Health Care’s Edison Startup Collaboration Venture.

Dr. Poonamallee received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University, M.B.A. from Pondicherry University, and B.A. and M.A. from University of Madras.

By N.A.C.C.|2025-09-18T09:12:45-04:00September 18th, 2025|NACC Member Research|

State-Led Climate Action Can Cut Emissions at Near-Federal Costs but Favors Different Technologies

Christopher S. Galik, PhD
Professor and Director
Sustainable Futures Initiative
Department of Public Administration
School of Public and International Affairs
North Carolina State University

State-Led Climate Action Can Cut Emissions at Near-Federal Costs but Favors Different Technologies
Gavin Mouat, Christopher Galik, Aranya Venkatesh, Katherine Jordan, Aditya Sinha, Paulina Jaramillo, Jeremiah X Johnson
Nature Communications, 16, Article number: 4635 (2025)

In the absence of comprehensive federal greenhouse gas mitigation policy, state-led strategies may play a pivotal role, particularly following the 2024 United States presidential election. Using a detailed energy system optimization model, we examine the outcomes of 23 climate-minded states pursuing net-zero emissions targets compared to a federal carbon cap achieving equivalent CO2-eq reductions. Here we show that state-led decarbonization results in distinct technology choices, a 0.7% increase in system costs, and nationwide emissions reduction of 46% — substantial, but insufficient for ambitious climate goals. This pathway relies more on electrification, with 952 terawatt-hours more generation in 2050, reallocating 17.2% of emissions to the power sector. Some regions favor solar, wind, and storage, while direct air capture emerges as critical, particularly in California and the Northeast. Inter-regional trading supports and complicates mitigation efforts, underscoring the need for careful policy design. Overall, our findings highlight how state-led and federal decarbonization approaches can yield differing energy portfolios to achieve similar emissions reductions.

Dr. Christopher Stephen Galik is a Professor in the Department of Public Administration and the Deputy Executive Director of the Climate and Sustainability Academy at North Carolina State University. With a Ph.D. in Forestry and Environmental Resources from North Carolina State University, a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, and a B.A. in Biology from Vassar College, Dr. Galik has a rich background in both academia and professional practice. His research, recognized in journals such as Nature Climate Change and Global Environmental Change, explores the intersection of policy and real-world environmental challenges with a focus on the role of formal and informal institutions in responding to pressing global challenges like climate change. He has received numerous accolades for his teaching and research, including University- and Departmental-Level Outstanding Teaching Awards, as well as recognition as a 2024-2025 University Faculty Scholar.

By N.A.C.C.|2025-09-18T10:08:35-04:00September 17th, 2025|NACC Member Research|

Sustainability Beyond 2030: Trajectories and Priorities for Our Sustainable Future

Dr. Marco Tavanti
Professor of Leadership
MNA Program Director
School of Management
University of San Francisco

Sustainability Beyond 2030: Trajectories and Priorities for Our Sustainable Future
Marco Tavanti (University of San Francisco) and Alfredo Sfeir-Younis (Former Director and Ambassador, United Nations)
Routledge 2025

Sustainability Beyond 2030: Trajectories and Priorities for Our Sustainable Future is an indispensable guide to understanding our planet’s sustainability past, present, and future. It is a tool for enlightenment, engagement, and empowerment towards shaping a sustainable world as we approach the milestone year of 2030. Written by renowned sustainability experts, Marco Tavanti and Alfredo Sfeir Younis, who was a pioneer in the field and participated in the first 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, this book offers an in-depth analysis of critical environmental issues, human development challenges, and the economic complexities of fostering equitable and sustainable growth. In addition to evaluating various pivotal policies

and events, by extracting patterns and trajectories that have shaped our present commitments to the 2030 SDGs and the 2050 climate goals, Sustainability Beyond 2030 boldly projects into the future, identifying core priorities likely to guide the global agenda beyond our current commitments. This foresight is coupled with well‑informed recommendations, essential for building resilience and fostering future opportunities.

This book is a call to action for current and future generations of sustainability leaders. It encourages readers, whether policymakers, academics, or engaged citizens, to participate in the collective responsibility of crafting a sustainable world for future generations.

Dr. Marco Tavanti is a sustainability and leadership international scholar whose experience stretches over 30 years and whose work has taken him to more than 18 countries in Europe, East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Dr. Tavanti’s teaching in sustainable development, leadership ethics, intercultural diversity, and NGO management is grounded in Jesuit values and his scholarship is an embodiment of the University’s mission to be of service to humankind.

Dr. Tavanti is a systems thinker whose scholarship aims at providing practical and integrated solutions to issues in international development and poverty reduction. His research methods are participatory in nature and directed at building international capacity in leaders, organizations, and institutions. Through his teaching he inspires globally engaged leaders while building professional capacity through international managerial skills across sectors.

He is President of the Sustainable Capacity International Institute (SCII-ONLUS) and CEO of its subsidiary SDG.services. He is co-founder of the World Engagement Institute (WEI), an international organization providing capacity development services for sustainable human security. He designed and directed various professional training programs on sustainable community development, indigenous human rights, anti-human trafficking and refugee service management. He has been consulting and collaborating with United Nations agencies such as the Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Compact (UNGC), the Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Through his engagement with the UN Global Compact he contributed to the development of the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By N.A.C.C.|2025-09-17T11:25:48-04:00September 17th, 2025|NACC Member Research|

Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track)

The Department of Public and Nonprofit Administration in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Memphis invites applicants for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning Fall 2026. Successful candidates will be expected to carry out a rigorous program of research, actively contribute to graduate teaching, and engage in service to the university and the profession. The position is a full-time, 9-month appointment with a standard 2-2 teaching load.

The Department of Public and Nonprofit Administration, home to the Institute for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, offers a NACC-affiliated Master of Nonprofit Management, a NASPAA-accredited MPA program, graduate certificates in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership and Local Government Management, and undergraduate minors in Nonprofit Management and Public Administration.

The Department welcomes candidates with a record of research and publication in department-aligned disciplines of nonprofit management and public administration. Those whose research agendas focus on nonprofit finance, strategic management, and/or information and communication technologies are especially encouraged to apply.

The position requires teaching in the core of the MNM and MPA programs, along with the graduate certificates offered by the Department of Public and Nonprofit Administration. The successful candidate will be able to offer courses in public budgeting and nonprofit finance and contribute to other courses across our programs.

Candidates must have an earned doctorate in nonprofit management/leadership, philanthropy, public administration, public policy, social entrepreneurship, community development, or a related field by the time of appointment.

To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by October 10, 2025. The following documents are required:

Cover letter of interest
Statement of teaching philosophy
Curriculum vitae
Unofficial transcripts
Names and contact information for three references

All application materials must be submitted through the University of Memphis online application system. For more information about the position, email Dr. Davia Downey at Davia.Downey@memphis.edu or call 901.678.4090.

Learn More and Apply

By N.A.C.C.|2025-09-10T10:08:20-04:00September 10th, 2025|Job Posting|