User.bartl1ng

Hello! I'm Geoff, an EdD student (among other things) at CMU. I've passed comps (yeah!) and am now "writing" my dissertation proposal. I'm interested in exploring what it means to be a donor today. The advent of venture philanthropy has changed the relationship between donors and organizations, and it is my intent to discover if the donor perceives their role changing, and the expectations they may have (if any) on how their donations are used. I also have an interest in program evaluation, and suspect that it will enter into my dissertation. While we are in Ireland, I'll be working on two projects. The first will be a research project which will explore Irish development officers at at least two colleges (Trinity and UNI Galway). The second project will look at how the physical environment of colleges affect our understanding of them. It will be a creative project, which I anticipate will use photographs and perhaps videos as a medium.

When I'm not "writing," I'm the development officer for CMU Public Broadcasting. I've been in development for over 15 years, the last 12 at CMU (thus the interest in philanthropy). If that isn't enough, I'm the husband to a very supportive wife and father of two daughters (5 and 7). My oldest will actually be turning 8 while we are away, so I received permission from her to go on the trip only if I "bring something special" back for her. I was born in the county of Cornwall in England (one of the traditional Celtic cultures), and grew up in "the UP" (the Upper Peninsula for you non-Michigan folks). I completed a BA in history at Berea College in Kentucky and a Masters at CMU.

I look forward to our voyage of discovery together.