Urban Impact
On Kean's Urban Impact podcast, the complex issues facing urban communities are examined through meaningful conversations with scholars, community leaders and others who are driving change.
Urban Impact is recorded and produced on campus at Kean, New Jersey’s urban research university.
On the 5th episode of Kean’s podcast, Urban Impact, Kean Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., explains what nonprofits need to do to maximize their impact and how they became such an important part of America’s social support network.
Episode 4: Urban Invasion: How Invasive Species Could Collapse Entire Ecosystems
On the 4th episode of Kean’s podcast, Urban Impact, biologist and Kean Assistant Professor Brenna Levine, Ph.D., discusses how the population density and higher average temperatures of urban areas make them susceptible to invasive species that are disrupting their biodiversity.
Episode 3: Are Urban Farms and Micro Forests the Key to a Healthier Planet? Ethnobotanist Daniela Shebitz, Ph.D., Explains
Daniela Shebitz, Ph.D., explains what an ethnobotanist is, why urban farming and micro forests are so important, and why solving the Earth’s carbon problem comes down to individuals not corporations.
Episode 2: How Does This Change Anything?
(What Is Urban Research - Part 2) Kean University Provost David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., Explains
On the second episode of Kean’s podcast, Urban Impact, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., explains what Kean’s urban research designation means for students, researchers and communities across New Jersey.
Episode 1: What Is Urban Research Anyway?
Kean University Provost David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., Explains
What happens when a university is officially designated an "urban research" university? On the first episode of Urban Impact, Kean Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., explains Kean’s important role as New Jersey’s first urban research university and the impact of the designation.
About the Hosts
Michael Salvatore, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Administration, Kean University
As Senior Vice President of Administration at Kean, Michael Salvatore, Ph.D. is dedicated to improving the campus community through the democratization of data and detailed analysis. With an extensive background in education, including a University doctoral teaching fellowship in education leadership, Michael brings a wealth of experience to his role. He is committed to closing learning and access gaps and creating a more equitable and sustainable ecosystem for student success.
Barbara George Johnson, Vice President of External Affairs and Urban Policy and Research, Kean University
Barbara George Johnson is Vice President of External Affairs and Urban Policy and Research at Kean University. At the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy, Barbara oversees the work and mission of the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association, a one-of-a-kind organization of 32 urban mayors engaged in collective policymaking. Johnson has more than 30 years of experience as a public policy professional in New Jersey with an extensive background in health care, public health and public policy.