• Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service - Civic Engagement Research Group
• One Hundred Somerville Residents: Local Issues and The Potential for More Civic Involvement
• Ostrander's current project is an ethnographic case study of the city of Somerville, Massachusetts with a focus on civic and political engagement by an older white working class (now middle class); ethnics who still run the city; newer immigrants from Central America, Asia, Haiti and other sending nations; and new young and not-so-young upper middle class urban professionals. The study deals with critical events and pressing issues of concern as "terrains of struggle" around which active engagement occurs, and the role of community organizations in providing opportunities for engagement.

Biography and Interests:
Specializing in issues of class, gender, and race, Susan Ostrander has published widely about social justice philanthropy and the contradictory role of philanthropy in both reinforcing and challenging social inequalities. She has been recognized on campus and nationally for her work in the area of civic engagement and higher education, and in 2003 founded and co-leads the Tufts University Civic Engagement Research Group. She has co-chaired the board of the Women's Funding Network, served as a board member of the Association for Research on Nonprofits and Voluntary Action, member of the Research Committee of Independent Sector, and in an advisory role to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.

Her special pleasures include frequenting local jazz clubs and coffee shops, tending her outdoor flower pots, and traveling (ideally to warm and sunny climes).

Learn more about Professor Ostrander on the following pages:

• Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service Civic Engagement Research Group
• Tufts Online Faculty Guide - View Scholarship and Research
• TUCC Interview with Susan - download the PDF