criticizing CURL’s findings. But when the New York City Council was considering whether to allow Walmart to expand its presence there, they called upon one of the researchers on CURL’s study for input. The Washington Post also asked the lead researchers on the report to write an op-ed about their findings. Though the results weren’t meant to attack
Walmart, they still had a big impact. “I think we really rattled a few cages,” says David Van Zytveld, CURL’s associate director. “I don’t know of a report we’ve done that had, quite frankly, such innocuous results that got so much attention.”
TWO-WAY STREET Whether or not their work garners headlines, CURL maintains a commitment to research projects that have a tangible outcome—not only for the com- munity but for the University as well. “I think we have been a benefit to a variety of communities, but it is not a one-way street,” says Van Zytveld. “Our community partners have helped us—both CURL and the University—in our educational mis- sion. We’ve been able to make connections and they have extended our classroom.” Part of the learning process involves being
open to hearing the concerns of a community and following their lead on research projects. A 2002 collaboration with a group of teenage girls in the Uptown neighborhood, for example, focused on questions of race and culture related to how the young women styled their hair. It wasn’t a topic CURL’s researchers would have come up with on their own, but it proved to be a valuable learning experience for both sides. Developing relationships with people in the
community has been a highlight for Nyden, who this year will transition into retirement after 20 years as CURL’s director and nearly four decades at Loyola. At times, he admits, the work can be dis- heartening, as it provides an up-close view of the toll that issues like poverty and domestic violence take on people’s daily lives. “You put a face on these problems and sometimes that’s disturbing,” he says. “But there’s also a lot of hope there too. That is really critical in the kind of work we do. And it keeps you going.” It also adds pressure to work toward change.
And looking back, Nyden sees the great strides CURL has made both locally and beyond. The cen- ter has been a model for researchers at universities nationally and internationally, and its work has had far-reaching policy implications. “You’ve got to make gains,” Nyden says. “They
might be small gains, but those small gains shared with thousands of people are really going to change the quality of people’s lives.” L
From CURL to the world
LOYOLA UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS are a big part of CURL’s research process. By working alongside University researchers and community leaders, Loyola students learn valuable skills that can be applied in whatever career they choose after graduation. And as these three alumni can attest, many former students are inspired to carry on CURL’s social justice mission long after their time at the University.
REUBEN J. MILLER (PHD ’13) CURL GRADUATE FELLOW/PRE-DOCTORAL FELLOW, 2007–2013
Where he is now: Miller is an assistant professor in the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work, where his research focuses on the lives of current and former prisoners, criminal justice and social welfare policy, race and ethnic relations, and urban poverty.
‘‘CURL, Phil Nyden really, taught me how to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with community-based
organizations and researchers on the national and international scene… I have since gone on to lead my own research teams, but more importantly, I’ve estab- lished research partnerships—like the ones Phil taught me to establish—with partners in the U.S. and Europe, and I formed an affinity group on criminal justice research with departments of corrections and third sector and public sector social service providers.”
ALENA CHAPS (BA ’06) CURL UNDERGRADUATE FELLOW, 2005–2006
Where she is now: After graduating from Loyola, Chaps worked for a human rights organization, served as a racial justice commu- nity organizer, and worked for a public policy organization that en- courages investment in youth and families. She’s now completing her JD at Boston College with plans to become a public defender.
“CURL’s mission of promoting equity and opportunity gave me a strong foundation for my future work with social
justice… In the same way that CURL uses research as a tool, I hope to use the law as a tool to empower people and build stronger, more equitable communities. Using my knowledge of the law in partnership with my clients, I want to approach my representation in a collaborative way, in the same spirit that CURL works with community-based organizations.”
ROBERT GUTIERREZ (BA ’07) CURL UNDERGRADUATE FELLOW, 2005–2006
Where he is now: Since 2014, Gutierrez has been director of com- munity based learning at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, where he teaches and supervises courses that involve students working with community organizations, schools, and businesses around the Chicagoland area. He also helps to develop community-based learning opportunities and partnerships across the university.
“CURL was hugely influential in my personal and professional development. CURL showed me how impactful academic community partnerships could be and how important it was to integrate the community into the research process. These factors have been key in my approach to social problems and the manner in which I guide my program. CURL provided me with a model that leveraged the strengths of academics, community organizations, and everyday citizens to address social issues.”
SPRING 2016 25
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