Home - About Us - Services - Conferences - Membership - Join - Training - Recognition - Publications

Annual Conference

Program Information

Scheduled Keynote Speakers

Bill Coplin is Professor of Public Affairs and the Director of the Public Affairs Program of the Maxwell School in Syracuse University. He is a researcher, professor, speaker, and author of more than 100 books and articles in fields such as citizenship and “doing good”, public policy, political risk analysis, social science education, and international relations. Since 2000, Coplin has focused his efforts on reforming high school and college education to better prepare graduates for citizenship and the workforce. He consults with schools, works on related policy development, and writes extensively on how to bring about education reform in order to better meet the needs of students who see education as a path to better employment opportunities.

Coplin is an advocate for the benefits of public services activities, jobs while in college, student activities and career services as an essential part of a college education.  He has designed and implemented curriculum used by thousands of high school and college students to develop citizenship skills and participation in government. He has served as curriculum consultant to the High School for Leadership and Public Service in New York City, advisor to College Parents of America, and consultant to New York State’s Office of Workforce Development-Children and Family Services.  His work has been recognized with numerous awards including the President’s Award (Boys and Girls Club), the Civic Leadership Award (Onondaga Citizens League), and the Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished Service Award and Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence (Syracuse University). Coplin received a B.A. in Social Science, and an M.A and Ph.D. in International Relations. His books include Ten Things Employers Want You to Learn in College and How You Can Help: An Easy Guide for Doing Good Deeds in Everyday Life. His latest book, entitled 25 Ways to Make College Pay Off : Advice for Anxious Parents from a Professor Who's Seen It All published by AMACON in mid-2007.

For Additional Information about Bill Coplin and his books please visit: 

http://makecollegepayoff.blogspot.com
http://sites.maxwell.syr.edu/dogooddowell/

Patricia Burak has been a member of the Syracuse University community for 30 years. She is responsible for administration of the Slutzker Center for International Services, serving both students and the scholars who come from abroad and overseeing all immigration advising. Under her direction, the Slutzker Center is responsible for all non-immigrant faculty and researchers at SU as well. Since the passage of IRCA in 1986, the Slutzker Center has had responsibility for managing the I-9 Employment Verification system for all non-resident alien employees of the university.
 
Syracuse University has over 2300 international students and about 150 faculty and researchers from abroad on campus each year. Of these, approximately 600 hold graduate teaching, research or administrative positions, and as such, are employees of the university. In addition, well over 300 international students hold part-time on-campus positions during the year.
 

Burak became the director of the Slutzker Center in 1989. She earned the Doctor of Arts degree at Syracuse University in 1996. An academic as well as an administrator, Dr. Burak teaches two courses of Russian literature in the College of Arts and Sciences each semester.