CDA Student Spotlight: Jordan Jurinsky

Jordan Jurinksy B.S. Sociology Q: Where are you from originally and what did you do before Vanderbilt?  I spent most of my childhood living in small town named Maryville right outside of Knoxville in east Tennessee, but I’ve also lived in North Carolina, Colorado, California, Texas, Florida, and Nagoya, Japan. Immediately prior to coming to…

Posted by Janine Christiano on November 25, 2018 in Current Students, Current students

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CDA Entrepreneur: Dawn Harris of Tree of Life Education Center

Recently, several alumni of our program have utilized the skills they gained in human and organizational development in new ways—by starting their own businesses. One of those includes Dawn Harris (M.Ed. ’16) of Tree of Life Education Center. Here’s what she has to say about her business and the path she took to get there: “The CDA program taught me the…

Posted by Janine Christiano on November 2, 2018 in Alumni, Alumni

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2018 Final Projects

Of the 2018 CDA graduates, 5 completed a project for their final assessments. These projects, designed and conducted within an organizational or community context, integrate core philosophy, coursework, and field experience of the Community Development & Action program. Accompanied by a final document and presentation, the final projects account for a minimum of 100 hours of…

Posted by Anna Warren on May 7, 2018 in Current Students, Final Projects and Theses, Current students, Final Projects

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2018 Theses

Of the 2018 CDA graduates, three completed theses for their final assessments. These intensive, independent research projects covered a wide range of scholarly interests that intend to contribute to the field of community development. This year’s completed master’s theses are described below. Lauren Baer Foster Care for Teenagers: Motivators, Barriers, and Strategies to Overcome Barriers Forty-three…

Posted by Anna Warren on May 7, 2018 in Current Students, Final Projects and Theses, Current students, Theses

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Meet an Alumnus: Geordie Brackin

Geordie Brackin, M.Ed. 2010 Director of Global Innovation, Bridge International Academies “I came to the CDA program having themed interests in education and community-building, but not knowing what my path would be. I’ve now been living abroad and working in international education for the past 6 years and I owe that to the experiences I…

Posted by Anna Warren on April 9, 2018 in Alumni, Alumni

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Meet an Alumna: Sarah Imran

M.Ed. 2017 Director of Policy and Research, Metro Human Relations Commission “The CDA program provided an excellent balance of structure through core courses, as well as freedom to carve out our own unique paths.” Q: Where are you from originally and what did you do before coming to Vanderbilt? I am originally from Islamabad, Pakistan,…

Posted by Anna Warren on March 12, 2018 in Alumni, Alumni

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Meet an Alumna: Gabby Flynn

Gabriella Flynn  M.Ed. 2015 Program Coordinator, Columbia University Medical Center, Program for Global and Population Health “The way that CDA prepares you to be a reflective, generative practitioner who works with the community interests in mind is something that is invaluable to my work now as a researcher.” Q: Where are you from originally and…

Posted by Anna Warren on February 2, 2018 in Alumni, Alumni

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Meet an Alumnus: Courtney Williams

M.Ed. 2011 Dillard University, Director of Student Engagement and Leadership “I rely a lot on my training with CDA, helping students to see the college as the community that they should develop.” Q: To begin, can you tell me a little bit about your background? Where you are from originally and how did you end…

Posted by Anna Warren on January 19, 2018 in Alumni, Alumni

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CDA Alumni: Where are they now?

Check out what our alumni are up to after graduating from the Community Development & Action program:

Posted by Anna Warren on January 9, 2018 in Alumni, Alumni

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