Voinovich School projects, faculty, alums highlighted in magazine on building hope in the region

The latest issue of Yale Insights, titled "Building Hope in Appalachian Ohio," focuses on the many strong initiatives to overcome regional legacies of poverty and underinvestment, including several initiatives of the Voinovich School.

The issue’s feature article takes up the question, “Can Appalachian Ohio Build a New Economy?” To provide an answer, the article examines, in part, the work of multiple entrepreneurs and companies supported by TechGROWTH Ohio, a part of the Voinovich School. These companies include Ecolibrium Solar, which manufactures systems to make solar panel installation more efficient, and Global Cooling, Inc., which develops and manufactures the Stirling Ultracold, an ultra-low temperature freezer with worldwide applications for life science, pharmaceutical, bioresearch/clinical and biotechnology customers. The article also examines the Voinovich School’s Social Enterprise Ecosystem project, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission and bringing venture development services to regional for-profit and nonprofit social enterprises, which combine a market-based approach with a mission for social good. Examining these efforts and others, the article does not conclude with any guarantees for the regional economy’s future – but it does conclude with the optimism of local leaders, who see a robust Appalachian Ohio economy on the horizon.

In another article, the magazine profiles Cara Dingus Brook, an alumna of both the Master of Public Administration and Voinovich Undergraduate Research Scholar program, whose professional career was launched through her scholar placement [PDF] at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio – where she is now the executive director. Yale Insights interviews Brook, delving into the role of philanthropy in the region and Brook’s work to help the region achieve its potential.

Another section of the issue features “Portraits of Appalachian Ohio,” taken by the School’s 2016-18 Photojournalism Fellow, Erin Clark. Clark highlights the beauty of the region as well as efforts to make a difference in the region – including the efforts of Faith Knutsen, the Voinovich School’s director of social innovation and entrepreneurship who leads the Social Enterprise Ecosystem project.

To read these articles and more, visit the full issue online.