Long is contributing his time to help the Johnson Center with a range of projects, including guest lecturing in the School of Public and Nonprofit Administration's courses and advising on the direction setting and development efforts for the center. He will assist in strategic planning among the center's main components including The Grantmaking School, Nonprofit Good Practice Guide, Community Research Institute, and Management and Leadership Support Services.
"I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the university's mission and excited about the chance to be a part of the wonderful team of faculty and staff of the School of Public and Nonprofit Administration and the Johnson Center," said Long. "The appointment gives me a concrete way of fulfilling the Kellogg Foundation's mission of helping people help themselves through the practice application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations."
Long will open doors to cooperation with similar academic centers nationwide and even internationally through his networks built over the past dozen years at the Kellogg Foundation. "In extending our offer of a Distinguished Professorship to Dr. Long, we mean to honor him, but his acceptance honors us far more," said Mark A. Murray, president of Grand Valley State University. "His offering of time and expertise is an invaluable gift to students, the center, university and community as a whole."
"This is a tremendous opportunity for the center," said Joel J. Orosz, interim executive director and Distinguished Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the Johnson Center. "Dr. Long has done more than anyone to build the field of academic centers for the study of philanthropy from a handful of pioneering institutions to a national network of centers for thought and action."
With the Johnson Center a part of the university's College of Community and Public Service, Long's expertise brings added value to the college as well. "His ability to work across disciplinary boundaries will be an invaluable asset," said Rodney Mulder, dean of the College of Community and Public Service. "It will allow him to capitalize on all the assets of the college and the university to make the Johnson Center even more useful to the communities that it serves."
Prior to joining the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Long served as McElroy Professor of Youth Leadership Studies at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, and was also the director of the Division of Youth and Human Service Administration. He has served as an extension youth development specialist for the Cooperative Extension Service in Illinois and Nevada, and is a founding member of the International Society for Third-Sector Research. He received a master's degree in program and facility administration and a doctoral degree in educational leadership and organization from the University of Illinois at Urbana.
The Johnson Center grows the greater good by promoting effective philanthropy, community improvement, and excellence in nonprofit leadership through teaching, research, and service. For more information about the center, visit www.johnsoncenter.org.
