Staff

NCSS Administration

Lawrence Levy
Executive Dean

During his 35 years as a reporter, editorial writer, columnist and PBS talk show host, Lawrence Levy won many of journalism’s top awards, including Pulitzer Finalist, for in-depth works on suburban politics, education, taxation, housing and other key issues. As a journalist, he was known for his blending of national trends and local perspectives and has covered six presidential campaigns. In his leadership role at the NCSS, he has worked with Academic Director Christopher Niedt to give it a truly national profile. He works especially close with Hofstra’s strong academic community to shape an innovative agenda for suburban study, including a new Sustainability Studies degree, forge alliances with other institutions, not-for-profit groups and government agencies and promote the study of the suburbs nationwide. Levy is a member of a Brookings Institution advisory panel and was a keynote speaker at Brookings 2008 Metro Policy Summit in Washington, DC. Levy also led a collaboration between Hofstra and Boston College to create a first-in-the nation suburban ecology initiative, and another alliance between Hofstra and Cornell to sponsor the Local Government Leadership Institute. Before joining Hofstra, he was Senior Editorial Writer and Chief Political Columnist for Newsday, and remains involved in the world of journalism and politics. Levy has been a guest contributor to CNN.com, the New York Times.com, covering the 2008 presidential campaign from a suburban perspective. He also writes a regular column on politics for the Albany Times Union, and appears regularly on local and national television.

144 University College Hall
Phone: (516) 463-9770 | Fax: (516) 463-3907
Email

Christopher Niedt, Ph.D.
Academic Director

A partner in shaping the center’s mission and priorities, Christopher Niedt is currently an Assistant Professor of Applied Social Research in Hofstra’s Department of Sociology. He brings to NCSS a passion for suburban studies and strong academic credentials earned as a researcher, writer, and teacher at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his Ph.D. in geography. He has special expertise in fields of labor and housing, and has conducted research on the living wage; gentrification; and the politics of class, race, and geographic inequality in older suburban communities.

202 Davison Hall
Phone: (516) 463-4073 | Fax: (516) 463-6250
Bio | Email

Robert Brinkmann, Ph.D.
Director of Sustainability Research

As Director of Sustainability Studies in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a Professor in the Global Studies and Geography Department, Brinkmann brings a unique perspective to leading the research of suburban sustainability issues for the NCSS. He is the author of many articles and three books. He is known for his work on urban and suburban environmental issues, particularly urban soil and sediment pollution. More recently, he has focused on U.S. energy policy and community-based sustainability. He has a keen interest in how to measure sustainability in order to benchmark success. Some of Brinkmann's noted publications include the only academic book on street sweeping (co-authored with Graham Tobin), works on land use and sustainability in karst regions, and papers on urban sediment pollution.

209F Roosevelt Hall
Phone: 516-463-5826
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Ina Katz
Director of Administration

145 University College Hall
Phone: 516-463-9939 | Fax: 516-463-3907
Email