Name: Karun K. Singh

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Social Work, Hunter College, New York, NY

CUSSW degree and specialization: Ph.D., Social Work. Concentration in Social Administration, May 2005.

Dissertation title: The Impact of Strategic Planning Process Variation on Superior Organizational Performance in Nonprofit Human Service organizations Providing Mental Health Services.
Sponsor: Edward Mullen

Experience in the doctoral program:  "While I was enrolled in the PhD program at Columbia, my method of concentration was Social Administration and my field of practice was Mental Health Services Research. I am grateful to my advisor and sponsor, Dr. Mullen, for training me and for providing me with three NIMH T32 grants that allowed me to pursue my doctoral studies. What was especially appealing about the program was its flexibility – not only did I take courses at the School of Social Work, but also I took courses at some of the other graduate schools at Columbia such as the Business School, School of Public Health, and Teachers College, all of which are top notch educational institutions in their own right. I did find the coursework rigorous as well as stimulating, which prepared me well for my dissertation research as well as my subsequent teaching. I made several good friends with whom I collaborate or see at conferences frequently."

Description of current research: "Since 2006 I have been an Assistant Professor at the Hunter College School of Social Work. I was promoted to Chair of the Social Administration Concentration in January 2007. In this position I oversee the work of all faculty teaching both introductory and advanced social administration courses. In addition, in collaboration with the faculty, I help to set the curriculum and update the content of all administration courses. My present research continues my dissertation research on nonprofit strategic planning effectiveness and also explores variation in leadership styles of community organizing by gender and by country. The strategic planning instrument I developed as a product of my dissertation study, the SSPMX Version 1.0, is being used to raise funds and to do consulting."