Julie Schumacher Cohen Promoted at University
Julie Schumacher Cohen was named assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs at The University of Scranton.The University of Scranton has named Julie Schumacher Cohen assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs. In this position, she will report to the vice president for enrollment management and external affairs and will also work closely with the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
In her new role, Schumacher Cohen will work to deepen the University’s community engagement efforts and government affairs activities and strengthen the mission of the University as an anchor institution in our city and region. She will also work to expand further community-based learning activities and collaboration between academic affairs and external community and government partners, including grant-seeking efforts.
Since 2010, Schumacher Cohen has served as the University’s director of community and government relations. During that time, she has expanded the work of the University in several key areas: spearheading a new downtown Scranton engagement initiative; building collaborative relationships with community, neighborhood, and government leaders and organizations; and together with community and faculty partners, creating refugee solidarity programming and the University’s political dialogue civic engagement initiative.
As part of the University’s strategic plan, Schumacher Cohen led an effort to explore expansion of community-based learning and currently chairs the Community-Based Learning Board which reports to the provost. She has shepherded capital project government grant applications that have resulted in nearly $3 million in state funding.
From 2016-2019, Schumacher Cohen served as co-chair of the University’s Middle States Self-Study, which concluded this summer with a successful reaccreditation. Her writing has appeared in the Scranton Times-Tribune, America, Connections and the Journal of Ecumenical Studies.
Schumacher Cohen serves on the board of directors of Scranton Tomorrow, First Friday Scranton, Metro Action, and Heritage Valley Partners.
Prior to joining the University, she worked for several non-profit organizations, including as deputy director of the Washington, D.C., based advocacy organization, Churches for Middle East Peace.
Schumacher Cohen earned a bachelor’s degree in political studies and English literature from Gordon College and a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University. She will soon complete her participation in the 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program.
