College of Arts and Sciences

• Department of Biological Sciences

Partnership with New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center
Effective December 1999, state legislation expanded the definition of "designated offender" for the purposes of collecting and indexing DNA samples, and further required collection and inclusion of DNA samples for certain convicted offenders whose service of sentence has not been completed. As a result, the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center has experienced a significant increase in the number of DNA samples it is required to analyze and include in the DNA identification Index, creating an unprecedented demand for additional trained personnel. This situation has become common to Crime Laboratories nationwide. The New York State Commission on Forensic Science has established minimum standards and a program of accreditation for forensic laboratories in New York State in order to guarantee the integrity of test results. In addition to implementing certain operational protocols and procedures, the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center, along with the other accredited forensic laboratories statewide, must ensure that their DNA examiners meet the Commission's minimum education and work experience requirements. Contact: Dr. Jonathan Bartow

College of Computing and Information

NYS Public/Private Sector Cyber Security Workgroup
Private- and public-sector executives who represent critical industry sectors -- such as telecommunications, financial and economic, utilities, public safety, health, and food -- are concerned with maintaining the continuity of critical infrastructure. The NYS Public/Private Sector Cyber Security Workgroup is examining the current state of cyber readiness of the entities within each sector, assessing vulnerabilities, and identifying mitigation strategies. Peter Bloniarz, Dean of the College of Computing and Information serves on this workgroup.  Contact: Peter Bloniarz

• Department of Computer Science

Center for Information Forensics and Assurance
It's easy to hack into your computer and use it without your knowledge to conduct malicious activity or steal your information. The Center for Information Forensics and Assurance (CIFA) focuses on training and educating citizens and public employees in information privacy, security, and assets and infrastructure protection. The Center emulates the classic teaching hospital, where real problems allow students and practitioners to hone their skills under expert guidance. A joint project of UAlbany the New York State Police and the New York State Office of Cyber Security & Critical Infrastructure Coordination, CIFA is affiliated with the Department of Computer Science. It is a co-host of the Annual New York State Cyber Security Conference. Contact: George Berg

Research to improve web-based public participation
See entry under the Institute for Informatics, Logics and Security Studies.

• Department of Informatics

Program for Financial Market Regulation
Recent upheavals in the mortgage and financial markets have drawn attention to issues about how they are regulated. The Program in Financial Market Regulation educates students and conducts research in financial market regulation. It is a cooperative project of the financial services industry, regulatory organizations, and major law firms with the College of Computing and Information, School of Business, and Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, and Albany Law School.  Contact: David McCaffrey

Research to improve web-based public participation
See entry under the Institute for Informatics, Logics and Security Studies.

• Department of Information Studies

Website assessment for NYS Education Department
When people visit the New York State Education Department website <www.nysed.gov>, which contains approximately 600,000 pages, can they efficiently access the information they need and conduct the business they desire? Jenny Yuan, Professor of Information Studies, is conducting a series of usability studies to measure the quality of a user's experience when interacting with specific sections of this website. The studies will determine whether users can accomplish their respective tasks and measure the overall effectiveness of the resources available. Contact: Jenny Yuan

Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy

Faculty members at Rockefeller College conduct research that frequently has action implications for those who seek to formulate and implement public policy or who generally strive to enhance the mechanisms of governance at the local, state, national and international levels. Governments, especially the State of New York, contract periodically with units of Rockefeller College to conduct this research and to provide extended learning opportunities for their employees. These units include: Center for Legislative Development, Center for Policy Research, Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Reseach, and the Professional Development Program. The projects of these units are described primarily in this section following the summary below of other outreach activities of the College.

Annual Burton Lecture and Public Service Awards Ceremony
Rockefeller College annually invites a leading public official to share his or her views on an issue of the day and present awards to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contribution to public service.

Intergovernmental Studies Program (IGSP)
The Intergovernmental Studies Program (IGSP) works to improve intergovernmental performance and collaborative outcomes for state and local governments. IGSP builds an understanding of effective intergovernmental practices through case research and partnership projects with state agencies and local governments.  IGSP works extensively with NYS agencies, as well as local governments, on projects designed to improve the performance of intergovernmental collaborations.  Some current and recent initiatives involve case studies, consulting, strategic planning, and action research. Contact: Syd Cresswell

• IGSP has a long-standing partnership with the Office of the State Comptroller on several projects.  The Program is in the midst of studying and documenting a large-scale business and staffing transition at the agency.  IGSP created and administers the Strategic Leadership Institute training program for up-and-coming agency leaders.  OSC also contracted with IGSP to research and report on fostering a sustained dialogue on local and state governance issues.
• The Program also recently worked with the NYS Office of Real Property Services on two projects.  IGSP conducted a case study on full market valuation and service delivery to local assessors.  The Program also worked with the agency’s executive team to create strategic objectives for intergovernmental development.
• IGSP recently completed two local government case studies, about collaboration and consolidation efforts in the towns of Waterford and Rhinebeck, for the NYS Department of State.

National Center for Security and Preparedness (NCSP)
The National Center for Security and Preparedness (NCSP) is located within the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy (Rockefeller College) at the University at Albany (UAlbany). It was created by the State University of New York System (SUNY), utilizing specific State appropriation funding, and located at UAlbany and the Rockefeller College, who enjoy both administrative and operational authority and responsibility.  NSCP is working on several projects with state agencies.  Through collaboration, creativity, and a commitment to excellence, the National Center for Security and Preparedness supports the nation's efforts to be secure from acts of terrorism and to be prepared to respond to incidents of high consequence and disasters through research, education, training, and technical assistance.  Contact: Jeff Straussman

• The Center is developing and delivering training programs, along with consultation services, for the NYS Office of Homeland Security.
• The Center is collaborating on certain campus preparedness training workshops for colleges and universities in the state with the NYS Police, NYS Emergency Management Office, and NYS Education Department. 

Professional Internship Program
An established and successful component of the College's public service degrees, the program places graduate students in public administration, public policy and political science in organizations with a public service focus. To date, this program has placed interns in more than one hundred different organizations, nationally and internationally. Organizations that have participated in this program have acquired highly qualified, professional assistance. Organizations have included: The Red Cross, The United Nations, The New York State Assembly and Senate, The New York State Office of the Attorney General, The College Board, Health Research, Inc., The Rockefeller Institute of Government, Whitney M. Young Health Center, St. Joseph's Housing Corporation, Citizens' Campaign for the Environment, Albany County, New York City Council, Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, Albany Girls Club, Inc.  Contact: David Liebschutz

Rockefeller College Tuesday Policy Lunch
A weekly event held on Tuesdays that brings major players in New York State together with faculty and students to discuss issues of common concern.  Contact: Syd Cresswell

State Comptroller Partnership for Strategic Leadership Institute (SLI)
The Strategic Leadership Institute (SLI) is a management education program with curriculum specifically tailored by Rockefeller College faculty for the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC). SLI provides a series of six intensive two-day courses for mid-level managers to prepare for future leadership roles in OSC. The course focuses on the roles of directing, coordinating, facilitating, innovating, and managing intergovernmentally at the senior management level.  The eighth cohort of SLI begins in fall 2008.  Contact: Syd Cresswell

• Center for International Development

The Center for International Development is a university-wide institution that designs and implements international technical assistance and training projects, conducts policy-oriented research, and contributes to both the theory and the practice of international development. Through its in-country development projects, and its conferences, publications, research, and outreach activities, the Center works to enhance the capacity of developing nations to meet critical challenges.

Housed within Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, the Center draws upon the University's intellectual and technical resources and serves as a key component of the university's overall commitment to excellence in international education, cross-cultural exchange, and sustainable development. Since 1986, the Center has implemented more than $150 million in international development projects on five continents in the areas of democracy, governance, and civil society; economic development; and environmental policy.

CID works with a number of state agencies to plan meetings and seminars for delegations, which typically include parliamentarians from such countries as Ghana and Malawi.  The Center also partners with the NYS Legislature to host CID fellows who work in the office of an elected member of the NYS Senate or Assembly for six to nine months.  Five CID fellows were hosted by legislative offices in 2008. For more information:http://www.cid.suny.edu.

• Center for Legislative Development

Municipal Governance Assistance Program: Strengthening Foundations for Governance in Lebanon
Since 1970, the Center for Legislative Development has delivered path-breaking training and technical assistance programs aimed at strengthening the capacity of governmental institutions-particularly legislatures-to support democratic development and good governance. The Center has been working with the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Lebanon since 1993 and currently has a $19 million grant from USAID to continue its efforts to strengthen municipal institutions in Lebanon and increase their effectiveness in support of democracy.  

CLD's technical assistance is designed to empower local governments by improving their financial and administrative capabilities to deliver government services to citizens and to encourage greater cooperation between local governments and the citizens they serve. The systems developed by CLD include municipal budget preparation, municipal expenditure, municipal revenue, payroll, human resource management, document tracking and registration system for services provided to local citizens, citizen complaints, and homepages for selected municipalities.  Contact: Nan Carroll

• Center for Policy Research

Initiative for System Dynamics in the Public Sector
The Initiative for System Dynamics in the Public Sector contracts with state agencies, local governments, the federal government and nonprofits to develop training and formal simulation models to address critical problems.   The Initiative has developed formal simulation models for the NYS Department of Mental Health, the Division of Disability Determinations, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, and the National Institute of Justice over the last couple of years.  These projects provided the agencies with insights about key problems and allowed them to test different policies in a simulated environment to determine likely future outcomes.  The Initiative has also provided systems thinking training to managers in NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the NYS Office of the Comptroller, NYS Department of Education and the Lake Placid Town Board.  The training goal is to provide participants with a set of tools for framing persistent problems. Contact: Rod MacDonald

Korean Professional MPA Program
The program provides mid-career public service professionals from South Korea with graduate education toward Master of Public Administration and expanding their field experience in local, state, or federal agencies in the US.  Since 2006, five to seven mid-career executives have enrolled in the program each academic year. The program is designed to develop human resources and capability in comparative perspective by offering not only extended academic opportunity but also a diverse learning environment to program participants. It widens the cross-cultural research activities of the Center for Policy Research and the University at Albany.  Contact: Ik Jae Chung

Local Government Assistance Program
The Local Government Assistance Project (LGAP) partners with municipalities and state-wide entities like the Office of the State Comptroller to devise strategies for managing their limited resources to deliver basic services better and to invest sensibly in infrastructure. LGAP strives to develop an understanding of yearlong financial management, foster sound financial management practices, and introduce a longer-term fiscal policy perspective into New York State municipalities.

LGAP works with municipalities to identify strategies and financial planning alternatives.  The decision on whether and how to implement them rests solely with the municipality.
All LGAP services are provided without cost to a municipality.  LGAP develops and maintains a confidential client relationship with each municipality.  The municipality’s leadership retains full control of the extent of the efforts undertaken, the services provided, the presentation of interim and final results, and the responsibility for all decisions and outcomes.
LGAP collaborates with a municipality’s leadership to develop financial data and to devise multiyear estimates with assumptions that reflect the municipality’s operating environment.  This is an iterative process undertaken by the municipality’s executive and financial officer, with LGAP support.
Once an initial multiyear estimate is completed to the satisfaction of the municipality, LGAP is prepared to assist further with:
• Financial management and fiscal policy alternatives
• Presentation materials and public participation strategies
• Multiyear capital plans and debt affordability analysis
• Multiyear operating plans and budgets
Contact: Owen Goldfarb

System Dynamics Society
Overview:  The System Dynamics Society is an international nonprofit organization devoted to the development and use of systems thinking and system dynamics.  Contact: Roberta L. Spencer

The Brunswik Society
The Brunswik Society is an informal association of researchers who are interested in understanding and improving human judgment and decision making.  Its primary activities have been an annual international meeting held every year since 1985, a yearly newsletter (since 1986), a website (since 1994), and an Internet discussion list (since 1993).  The Center for Policy Research has supported all these activities and currently maintains the Society's website.  Contact: Tom Stewart

The Education Finance Research Consortium
The Education Finance Research Consortium is a collaborative research and policy analysis venture between the New York State Education Department, the New York State Board of Regents, and education scholars, researchers, policy makers and educational institutions in New York State and around the country. The EFRC is based in the Center for Policy Research at the University at Albany.

The mission of the Education Finance Research Consortium is threefold:
• To foster an exchange of information and ideas that informs education policy decisions
• To assist education policy decision-makers in identifying issues that require initial or further study
• To produce quality and timely research that contributes to the development of sound education policy
Each year the EFRC sponsors conferences where research studies are presented and discussed with New York State educational policymakers and key stakeholders.  Issues the EFRC has studied include: teacher quality, compensation and labor markets; school and student performance in response to revised learning standards; and the impact of higher learning standards on curriculum, graduation rates and school budgets.  To date EFRC has commissioned and published more than twenty reports, sponsored three symposia and has played an important role in connecting educational researchers from across the nation to assist in the development of state and local educational policy in New York. 

• Center for Women in Government & Civil Society

Directed by Dr. Judith R. Saidel, the center conducts research, offers a fellowship and educational programs, conducts a Liberty Partnership Program for at-risk students, and undertakes other outreach activities. (See also Education K-12 and Diversity and Cultural Awareness) CWIGCS is working with eight state agencies on training, fellowship, and research projects:

• The NYS Education Department receives training programs regarding positive youth development.
• The NYS Department of Health receives training and fellowships on such topics as HIV/AIDS, community health, and tobacco control.  The Department’s AIDS Institute is also involved in a Center survey research project on core competencies and national training standards for healthcare interpreters.
• The NYS Office of Mental Health gets training and fellowships on Medicaid restructuring, workforce diversification, and quality management.
• The NYS Department of Transportation receives training and fellowships on civil rights.
• The NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance gets training and fellowships on immigrant and refugee assistance.
• The NYS Office of Technology receives training and fellowships.

Fellowship on Women and Public Policy
A competitive annual program that accepts up to 20 talented graduate students from a college or university within New York State. In addition to academic coursework, Fellows work in the state legislature, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations. Additional outreach components of the program include a statewide network of mentors, workshops and conferences, policy field trips and community service opportunities. The Fellowship on Women and Public Policy is an intensive leadership development program designed to promote equity and excellence in public service and encourage government to be more responsive to the needs of women, children, families, and communities in New York State.

By offering policy-related placements in New York State agencies, the Legislature and statewide nonprofit advocacy organizations, the fellowship encourages graduate students to pursue careers in public policy while increasing the capacity of New York State Government. The program is administered by the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, a part of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, State University of New York.

The fellowship offers a $9,000 stipend and tuition assistance for academic coursework. The program takes place in the spring semester during which fellows are full-time graduate students at Rockefeller College with policy-related field placements (in Albany) for thirty hours a week from January through June.

Governance Futures
This is a nationwide search via key informants in progress to discover governance structures, strategies, and practices that vary significantly from conventional practices. Dr. Judith Saidel has introduced and discussed the project at a number of meetings and conferences to raise awareness on governance challenges and innovations, including: "Innovation, Change, and Continuity in Nonprofit Organization, Governance" conference held in Kansas City, MO; Human Services Forum, Springfield, MA; Maryland Association of Nonprofits, Baltimore, MD.

Lectures and Seminars
The Center hosts a number of seminars and lectures on current issues and topics. Please visit www.cwig.albany.edu for an announcement about upcoming events.

Nonprofit management certificate
The Certificate in Nonprofit Management is designed to provide you with the knowledge and tools to successfully navigate increasingly complex and demanding changes in the nonprofit world. Whether you are a nonprofit manager, a clinician with supervisory or management responsibilities, or an individual making a career shift to the nonprofit sector, the Certificate is the vehicle to move you to the next level. You are in the nonprofit sector for the challenge of creating opportunities, enriching lives and communities, and empowering fundamental change. This is more than a promise or ideal. Those choosing the responsibility of nonprofit leadership carry an obligation to effectively implement their programs against a backdrop of challenging issues. Under the auspices of the Nonprofit Education Initiative at the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, faculty and nonprofit practitioners developed the Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership to realize a shared commitment to the pursuit of lifelong learning. The Nonprofit Education Initiative was supported by a four-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. See http://www.albany.edu/rockefeller/pad/pad_cert_nonprofit.htm for more information.

Policy and Management Roundtables
The Roundtables bring together members of the nonprofit, for profit, government and University communities to explore policy issues of concern. An annual Research & Knowledge Exchange connects academic researchers and nonprofit practitioners.

Research
Publications include the following and are available on the center's website, www.cwig.albany.edu. 2006.  High-Tech Growth and Community Well-Being: Lessons Learned from Austin, Texas. 2005. Women in State Policy Leadership, 1998-2005: An Analysis of Slow and Uneven Progress reports trends in the status of women in five major categories of leadership in state government.

• Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research

The Institute for Traffic Safety was established in 1978 as a partnership between the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the University and is funded completely with grants. It is a true partnership with the New York Governor's Commission on Traffic Safety. The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), which is part of DMV, originally funded Section 402 funds to receive highway safety funding from the federal government. Nine staff perform data analysis for studies of DMV or GTSC, draft the Highway Safety Plan Annual Report, process all competitive applications for the T21 Highway Reauthorization bill for which the state received $32 million this year, and also work on the Department of Transportation Safety Plan. GTSC funds the Institute with $1 million a year. Other projects include: motor carrier safety administration through DOT, creating practical applications and national models for other states, a master's program for city and regional planners, pedestrian safety, and the reconfiguration of Washington Avenue and Western Avenue patterns of urban traffic and design. Examples follow of the Institute's training programs, information services, meeting coordination and facilitation, and technical assistance and consultation.   Contact: Debra Rood

Information Services and Resources
Through its partnership with the Department of Motor Vehicles, ITSMR has access to the key traffic records systems in the state containing information on motor vehicle crashes, traffic tickets and driver's license information.  Through a cooperative agreement with the DMV, ITSMR serves as the state's primary source for traffic safety data.  DMV Data Services - ITSMR fills data requests from DMV's internal and external customers, including federal, state and local agencies, the news media, and other public and private entities.  County Traffic Safety Data Reports - Since 2001, ITSMR has compiled reports containing tables and graphs of selected county and state crash and ticket data for each of the 62 counties in the state.  These reports are updated annually and are posted on the GTSC website www.SafeNY.com.  They are an important resource for local highway safety programs and are used to identify their specific highway safety problems, develop appropriate strategies and monitor progress toward their goals and objectives.  Statewide Statistical Summaries - On an annual basis, ITSMR generates a statewide summary report that includes 10 standard tables related to motor vehicle crashes in the state; summary reports are also generated on a number of traffic specific safety topics including motorcycle, pedestrian, bicycle, large truck, school vehicle and alcohol-related crashes.  Additional reports are generated as requested.  ITSMR Research Notes — Periodically the Institute publishes summaries of research studies and statistical data on specific traffic topics. These are made available through the ITSMR and GTSC websites.  Contact: Debra Rood

Meeting Coordination and Facilitation
The Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research is frequently called upon to coordinate interagency committees and task forces established to bring together expertise and resources from agencies and organizations at the federal, state and local levels including public, private, and not-for-profit groups to address an issue of mutual concern. Currently, ITSMR is coordinating the Traffic Records Coordinating Council and the Impaired Driving Task Force.  Previously, leadership was provided for the state's Drowsy Driving Task Force,  20/10 Initiative and Safety Management System.  ITSMR is also assisting the NYS Department of Transportation in organizing a steering committee and several working groups to develop a comprehensive Strategic Highway Safety Plan for New York State that encompasses all facets of highway safety:  enforcement, education, engineering and emergency medical services.  Meeting Facilitation - ITSMR plans and facilitates meetings for very agencies as requested. Most recently, ITSMR planned and facilitated a meeting of upper management from the GTSC member agencies to discuss agency efforts to address the state's major highway safety priorities and identify new strategies.  Contact: Debra Rood

Technical Assistance and Consultation
The Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research receives funding from a number of sponsors to provide various types of technical assistance and consultation services to the sponsoring agency and its state and local partners. Examples of these services include assistance in data analysis, survey design, traffic record system assessment, grant preparation, and program evaluation. Sponsors who have contracted with ITSMR for these types of outreach activities include: New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee; New York State Department of Transportation; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Region I (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT); and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Region II (NJ, NY, PR, VI).  Contact: Debra Rood

Training programs
The Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research conducts a number of training programs.  Performance-Based Program Planning and Management Training Programs — These programs, ranging from 1 to 3 days, have been developed and presented as requested. Audiences include: New York State's Governor's Traffic Safety Committee staff members, Highway Safety Office staff in other states: NHTSA Region I (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT); Region II (NJ, PR, VI).  Problem Identification for Local Highway Safety Programs — Training sessions on the use of traffic safety data to conduct problem identification presented at 10 regional grant application workshops coordinated by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. Audience included prospective applicants for highway safety grants. Estimated total audience attending workshops; 250-300 local agencies and organizations conducting highway safety programs, e.g., police agencies, hospitals.  Commercial Vehicle Safety planning sessions are conducted each year for representatives from the federal (FMCSA), state (DOT, State Police, DMV) agencies and private sector organizations concerned with improving safety for commercial vehicles and other vehicles sharing the road.  Contact: Debra Rood

• Professional Development Program

The Professional Development Program has been a leader in the engaged university through its commitment to continuing professional education and extended learning for the public service for the past 33 years. A recognized, award-winning resource to federal, state, and local governments as well as for many non-profit organizations, PDP represents state-of-the art capacities in education, training, research and evaluation, video production, and public education campaigns.

PDP coordinates a number of projects involving dozens of NYS agencies, including:

• The Public Service Workshops Program provides non-credit education and training workshops to certain NYS employees in the Public Employees Federation.  The Program is sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations, and participants come from 63 NYS agencies. 
• Through the Tobacco Interventions Project, PDP works with the NYS Department of Health and the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to provide training and technical assistance to addiction programs and professionals.
•  PDP’s Department of Computer Training Services provides instructional design services about systems and applications to local social services departments through the NYS Office of the Aging, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, NYS Office for Technology, and NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
• PDP works with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and the NYS Department of Health on the Medication Administration Training Program for child day care providers.
• The Health Workforce Retraining Initiative involves coordinating the applications, tracking, and reimbursement processes for nurse training programs with the NYS Department of Health, NYS Office of Mental Health, NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and NYS Department of Corrections.
• PDP provides training and technical assistance about HIV/AIDS through contracts with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and the NYS Department of Health AIDS Institute.

PDP has a current portfolio of over $40 million of sponsored funded contracts and grants with a staff of over 240 employees supporting a wide range of programs geared to assist workers in nearly very NYS agency as well as reaching local government workers in every NYS county. During 2007, PDP conducted over 2500 educational programs enrolling over 31,000 learners statewide.

Strengths of the program have been cited as: good command of adult education and non-traditional program design; well-established, long-term relationships with state and local government agencies; a partnership-based entity that forges and manages effective linkages in providing contract deliverables. Today, PDP is expanding the use of its technology based and mediated learning programs with an increased emphasis on post-baccalaureate, workforce-oriented education with existing and potential partners.  Contact: Eugene Monaco

School of Business

Advisory Council
The School of Business Advisory Council consults corporate leaders on a variety of issues related to the School, its academic programs and students. The Council also helps improve the visibility and enhance the reputation of both the school and university in the region’s business community. Contact: Don Siegel

Capital Region Cyber Crime Partnership
As technology has been incorporated into everyday activities to make life easier, it has also been leveraged to facilitate and commit crimes. Criminal cases where a computer or other electronic device plays a pivotal role are increasing and we need to build to capacity to support the analysis of and prosecution with this electronic evidence. The Capital Region Cyber Crime Partnership is a consortium made up of eight district attorneys in the Capital Region, the New York Prosecutors Training Institute, the New York State Police and the University at Albany. It has enabled these partners to pool their expertise and resources to improve law enforcement and prosecutorial efforts related to cyber crime.  Contact: Sanjay Goel

School of Criminal Justice

Center for Law and Justice
Dr. Frankie Bailey has served as chair and/or on the Board of Directors of the Center for Law and Justice since 1992. The Center for Law and Justice is an Albany community-based organization that focuses on alternatives to incarceration and other criminal justice issues. Contact: Dr. Frankie Bailey

Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center
Affiliated with UAlbany’s School of Criminal Justice, the Center’s mission focuses on conducting quality research. Through this activity, the Center pursues a variety of objectives, including the development of policy recommendations in the field of criminal justice, the dissemination of research results through publication in scholarly journals, sponsorship of brown bag lunches and other colloquia, and the provision of opportunities for graduate students to learn research skills and to develop dissertation topics. Over the past 30 years, the Hindelang Center has employed more than 100 Graduate Research Assistants.
Since its inception in 1972, the Center has been engaged in many projects on a variety of criminal justice topics such as antisocial behavior among youth and violence against women. The Collaborative Crime Analysis Project provides analytical support for strategic crime-reduction in selected cities in New York State. Service Outcomes Action Research (SOAR) is a national leader in developing practitioner-generated information for evidence-based practice with youth and their families.  Funding for research comes from the State and Federal level as well as from the University. Contact: Alan Lizotte

International and National Policing Initiatives and Advisory Councils
Professor David Bayley has participated in numerous national and international policing initiatives in research, advising, and policymaking capacities. Recent activities include collaborating with Rockefeller College Public Policy Professor Thomas Constantine on the Northern Ireland Peace Project; serving on the Ford Foundation's Vera Institute Advisory Panel on Police Reform in India; advising on police reform in three Central America countries in the Washington Office on Latin America; and assisting Professor Constantine in the development and planning of a New York State Police Executive Training Institute. Contact: Dr. David Bayley

Internships and Police Programs
The School of Criminal Justice has several students engaged in internships with the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the New York State Police as well as other criminal justice agencies. In addition, each year six New York State Police Officers and two New York City Police enroll in the School's M.A. program under special programs established with the State Police and New York Police Department. Contact: Dr. JoAnne Malatesta

Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
Funded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics is the nation's pre-eminent source of statistical information relevant to criminal justice. The Sourcebook has been based in Albany since 1972 and is indelibly linked to the School of Criminal Justice and the Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center. Dr. Kathleen Maguire and Ms. Ann Pastore have been the co-editors, and several staff members and assistants are employed in the publication. The Sourcebook is a national resource of information for the criminal justice community as well as the general public. Staff regularly respond to questions from practitioners and policymakers in all levels of government in New York and other states, and from scholars, researchers, students, and the public. Since the book became available on the World Wide Web in 1996, it has been visited by a steadily growing number of people from the United States and internationally, registering over 12,000 hits in July 2000, alone. The Sourcebook's URL is http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook. The Sourcebook has developed into an accessible information resource serving a broad community and additionally employs several individuals who have pursued community activities reflecting their professional and personal interests. Contact: Dr. Kathleen Maguire

Sponsored Conferences
The School of Criminal Justice has sponsored several widely attended conferences and public forums. The conferences and public events have included: The Death Penalty in New York: Past, Present, and Future (Professor James Acker); Zero Tolerance Policing (Professors James Acker and Wayne Logan); Hate Crimes (Professors James Acker, Colin Loftin, and Wayne Logan); Lessons from the Diallo Case (Professor James Acker); and Restorative Justice: Healing Harms and Preventing Violence Among Youth (Professor James Acker and Adjunct Professor Dennis Sullivan). In October 2000, the School cosponsored a conference focusing on Crime, Science and Ethics in connection with an exhibit at the University Art Museum, "Searching the Criminal Body: Art/Science/Prejudice, 1840s to Present." In 2006, the Albany Symposium on Crime and Justice was titled "The Next Generation of Death Penalty Research: Priorities, Strategies and an Agenda." Contact: Dr. Julie Horney

School of Public Health

The School of Public Health, located on UAlbany’s East Campus, links academic study to the world of public health practice, addressing critical issues from cardiac care to HIV treatment to environmental health. Research and partnerships with many groups, including New York State Department of Health, help inform public policy, evaluate public health interventions, and improve practices. Important resources include, for example, the Center for Public Health Preparedness and the University at Albany Prevention Research Center, focusing on community-based interventions to prevent chronic diseases. The newly established Center for Global Health will collaborate with public health agencies and universities in several countries.

• Center for Public Health Preparedness

The Center for Public Health Preparedness provides highly relevant emergency preparedness training, resources, and assistance to public health professionals and their community response partners. Educational programs are delivered in the most appropriate method for the subject and audience, including, but not limited to live and online courses, workshops and conferences, drills and exercises, satellite broadcasts, webcasts, podcasts, videotapes and DVDs. The Center also assists its partners with technical assistance, planning and implementing drills and exercises and evaluation support for all related activities.  45 archived videostream files on a variety of preparedness topics (for example, Addressing At-Risk Populations in Emergency Preparedness Planning and Pandemic Planning for Academic Institutions) are available at no cost via the UAlbany CPHP website.  Selected programs are also available in podcast format at no cost via the iTunes Music Store.  Original satellite broadcast/webcast series aired between October 2003 through June 2008. The Center for Public Health Preparedness is part of a national network developed by the CDC, Associations of Schools of Public Health, state and local public health agencies and other academic and community partners to improve the capacity of the public health workforce, particularly in New York State, to respond to current and emerging public health threats with a focus on bioterrorism and infectious disease outbreaks. Contact: Maggie Watson Skarlis or Cheryl Reeves

• Department of Epidemiology

Health Partnerships with County Governments and Community Health Services
The School of Public Health has active collaborations with a number of counties throughout New York State to provide support for these communities as they develop regional community health assessments and regional approaches to health policy and program development. Among these partnerships are the Healthy Capital District Initiative (Albany-Schenectady-Rensselaer counties) and a consortium of seven counties in the lower Hudson Valley.  Contact: Edward Waltz or Louise-Anne McNutt

• Northeast Regional Public Health Leadership Institute (NEPHLI)

Each year NEPHLI prepares 25 to 30 emerging public health leaders from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont through a combination of residential retreats (at the Rensselaerville Institute) and distance learning. Participants engage in a public health project to improve their local community. This year-long training program builds and improves the leadership skills of current and future public health practitioners and focuses on improving effectiveness in essential public health functions related to community health assessment, policy development, budgeting and quality assurance. Participants attend workshops, examine case studies and interact with nationally known leaders. NEPHLI provides participating scholars with opportunities to gain practical experience from experts in a variety of fields.  The Institute supports emerging leaders from state and local public health departments (for example, NYS Department of Health has participated for three years) and allied public and private organizations to broaden their vision of public health policy, practice and collaboration and foster improved decision making within their organizations.  Contact: Dwight Williams

• Office of Continuing Education

Basic Environmental Health Program
The School of Public Health partners with the NYSDOH Center for Environmental Health to provide mandatory training to newly hired sanitarians, public health techs and others working in environmental health in local county health departments across the state. This course includes distance-learning technology (online courses), field exercises and in-person classes and trains approximately 80 new hires each year.  Contact: Cheryl Reeves

Field Epidemiology
This training is geared toward front-line public health nurses and environmental health staff. The goal is to provide state-wide access to training in basic epidemiological concepts applied to outbreak investigation. The live regional workshops include training followed by practical application of principles to actual or simulated case files.  Contact: Cheryl Reeves

NY Safety Resource Center
The resource center and web site offer workplace safety and health training tools including course materials, informative brochures, topical outlines, videos, reports, checklists, and more. Most of the documents in the original collection were developed through grants from the Hazard Abatement Board administered by the New York State Department of Labor. Three staffers affiliated with the Library School and the School of Public Health manage the Center.  It is located at the State Office Campus and is open from nine to five on weekdays. The School of Public Health Continuing Education Program administers this project for the New York State Department of Labor.  Go to NYSafety.org for more information.  Contact: Cheryl Reeves

School of Social Welfare

Partnership with New York State Office for the Aging
The Office for Aging and the Center for Excellence in Aging Services co-share a Research Associate who writes grants and addresses critical research needs in the State of New York. Contact: Dr. Philip McCallion

Center for Technology in Government

The Center for Technology in Government (CTG) at the University at Albany (UAlbany) is a university-wide applied research center that works with government to develop well-informed information strategies that foster innovation and enhance the quality and coordination of public services. We carry out this mission through applied research and partnership projects that address the policy, management, and technology dimensions of information use in the public sector. CTG's research interests and expertise are focused on government problems or issues that are complex, cross-boundary, and multi-dimensional. Current thematic focus areas are inter-organizational information sharing and integration, international digital government research, digital preservation, and IT-enabled innovation and value generation in the public sector.

Since 1993, CTG has conducted applied research projects in active partnership with dozens of state and local government organizations in New York. These projects have included ground-breaking work in government use of the World Wide Web; interorganizational information sharing to support human services, public finances, and criminal justice; and exploration of new ways to connect state agencies and local governments in their joint responsibilities for services to citizens. The Center has won 17 research awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Department of Justice, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, and the Library of Congress, among others, totaling more than $7 million.

The results of CTG research are widely known and well-respected, and the Center's unique philosophy and innovative research methods are regarded as the most effective in the world for working in the digital government domain. For more information go to: www.ctg.albany.edu.

Institute for Informatics, Logics and Security Studies

ILS is a multi-disciplinary organization conducting advanced research and Ph.D. level graduate education in various aspects of computational informatics. The Institute's mission is to increase the University at Albany's reputation and visibility as a center of excellence in information technology research and education, contributing to various University-wide initiatives such as bio-informatics, information science, information assurance and security. Through collaboration with key members of academia, government, and industry, the Institute is working to develop educational programs, advance pioneering research, create innovative technologies, transfer valuable knowledge and expertise, and foster an environment of cooperation and trust among its partners. The Institute is sponsoring a computational informatics seminar series, and serves as a host for visitors from industry, academia, and research-sponsoring government agencies. Contact: Lynne Casper

Research to improve web-based public participation
Citizens who comment on proposed government regulations should be able benefit from each other’s comments, and have their comments understood by the public servants who proposed those regulations. While the Internet has made it easier to provide and collect comments, their increased volume has made it harder to find related comments and synthesize what they mean. With their grant from the National Science Foundation, Nick Webb and Jennifer Stromer-Galley are developing methods to improve web-based public participation. This is a partnership among the Departments of Computer Science and Informatics, and the Institute for Informatics, Logics, and Security Studies.  Contact: Nick Webb, Jennifer Stromer-Galley

Northeast Regional Forensics Institute

The Northeast Regional Forensic Institute (NERFI) is an innovative organization that addresses the current high demand for trained professionals in forensic laboratories while simultaneously fostering the research required to improve the speed, accuracy, and effectiveness of future forensic analyses. The DNA Academy, NERFI’s forensic training program, is unique in its dedicated learning environment and its fast-track to DNA specialization and professional development.  Each of NERFI’s academic programs takes advantage of an unprecedented collaboration and cooperation between the University at Albany’s Department of Biological Sciences and the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center. A 2004 grant from the National Institute of Justice made this collaboration possible.  NERFI has a growing reputation as the foremost research and training site in forensic science. Director W. Mark Dale, former director of the New York State Police Laboratory System, has collaborated with the Northeast Forensic Science Community to devise curricula for professionals already established in their careers and for students starting out in this dynamic, highly relevant field.  Contact: Mark Dale

Office of Undergraduate Studies

Internships (UNI 390)
Approximately 300 students university-wide participate in an extensive general internship program with for-profit, not-for-profit and government organizations each year. Through this program, advanced students learn how to effectively apply their studies to work in relevant professional settings of their choosing. They provide meaningful assistance while earning credit through an academic component. Internship experiences been conducted in a wide variety of fields, including the arts, the environment, government, and healthcare. Contact: Sue Faerman