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From his platform as college president, Levinson gets a bird’s eye view of how student success —or the lack of it—impacts quality of life for individuals and their families and in turn dictates the strength of the workforce, the welfare of the community and even the future of the nation. It’s a concept that’s recently been embraced by President Obama, who champions that community colleges, by providing access to affordable, quality education, have the power to revitalize the economy and help America regain its position as a global educational leader. “Sociologists use the traditional tools of research and analysis to bridge the gap between what is, and what could be,” Levinson notes. “I am committed to linking scholarship with activism to create a just society.” Levinson takes sociology out of the classroom in order to impact change in the community. For example, he has become an activist for narrowing the achievement gap in Connecticut, the largest in the nation. The achievement gap is the significant disparity between the academic achievement of low-income and minority students and their white, higher income peers. He helped launch the first Service Learning program at Norwalk Community, which provides an opportunity for students to volunteer in the community while earning college credits. NCC students tutor middle school children at a campus-based afterschool program, assist senior citizens, and volunteer at agencies for AIDs patients and the homeless. Not surprisingly, when Levinson teaches an Introduction to Sociology class, his students learn about social theory through the lens of real case studies, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans’ displaced poor. Levinson was appointed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell to Connecticut’s Early Childhood Research and Policy Council and is an advocate for quality child care and pre-K learning experiences. “Research on early childhood development confirms that children who participate in pre-kindergarten readiness programs are more likely to excel academically, finish high school and earn higher incomes,” Levinson said. He co-founded Norwalk ACTS for children, a taskforce of city leaders in Norwalk, Conn., who identify ways to improve the lives of children from birth through their transition into adulthood. Levinson was the featured speaker at a series of Conversations on Race hosted by TEAM Westport, a community organization in Westport, Conn., that promotes diversity and inclusion. He also spearheaded a Community Conversation with a local anti-poverty agency on ways Norwalk Community College can help residents become self-sufficient. Levinson has given numerous presentations on educational issues at the annual meetings of the American Association of Community Colleges, American Council on Education, American Educational Research Association, American Sociological Association, League for Innovation in the Community College, and the Society for the Study of Social Problems. He is a member of the American Council of Education’s Commission on Lifelong Learning. Through his interest in combining theory with practice, Levinson has become an active member of the national Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP). Founded in 1951, the society promotes research on, and serious examination of, problems of social life. Society members are an interdisciplinary community of scholars, practitioners, advocates and students interested in the application of critical, scientific, and humanistic perspectives to the study of vital social problems. Levinson was recently elected chairman of the SSSP Budget, Finance and Audit Committee and will serve a three-year term through 2012. He also serves on the Program Committee for the society’s 60th Annual Meeting, to be held from Aug. 13-15, 2010 in Atlanta. The meeting’s theme will be “Social Justice Work” and will focus on the interdisciplinary perspectives and methods activist scholars use to impact social change. Levinson previously served as Chairman of the SSSP Education Problems Division, Co-Chair of the Program Committee and Co-Chair of the Membership Committee. In September, he was appointed to the American Sociological Association’s (ASA) Public Understanding of Sociology Award Selection Committee. He will serve a three-year term through 2012. Active in the association, he organized a session on “Community Colleges and the Reconstruction of Civic Life” at the ASA’s 2009 annual conference. Levinson discussed the growing body of research on the role of the community college as a gateway to the American Dream for immigrants, minorities and working class students. Levinson earned a master’s degree and doctorate in sociology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is the general editor of Education and Sociology: An Encyclopedia, published by RoutledgeFalmer in 2002 and author of Community Colleges: A Reference Handbook, published by ABC-CLIO in 2005. He served as guest editor of Community College Journal of Research and Practice for thematic issues on “Faculty Scholarship in the Community College” and “Community Colleges as Civic Institutions.” © Copyright by ConnecticutPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of ConnecticutPlus.com, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. 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