Ralph Brody, Ph.D. passed away on February 8, 2006. Dr. Brody was previously on the faculty of Cleveland State University where he taught social policy and human service administration. He also taught graduate courses on human service delivery models at Case Western Reserve University. Previously, he served for fifteen years as the executive director of the Federation for Community Planning, an organization that provides research, planning and advocacy on health and human services. Dr. Brody authored books on case management, the state legislative process, fundraising events, community problem solving, service learning, and macro practice. Dr. Brody’s many years as a manager and teacher convinced him that the issues facing those in human service organizations were universal and applied to boards of directors as well as NGOs. He dedicated himself to developing tools to enhance the understanding and skills of those in leadership roles, from Cleveland to India, Spain, Ghana, Ethiopia, Egypt and Nigeria. His frequent workshops in Kenya led to the translation of his casebook into the Swahili language. His co-authored book with Dr. Nair: Grassroot Development – Establishing Successful Microenterprises has been published in English and Malayalam language. Dr. Brody’s work touched millions, and his contributions will continue to educate, inform and inspire future students and professionals in human services field. Murali D. Nair, Ph.D., Senior Fulbright Scholar is a Clinical Professor and Co-Chair of Community Organization/Planning/Administration Concentration (COPA) at the University of Southern California School of Social Work. Prior to that Murali was a professor at Cleveland State University for 20 years, which included serving as the co-director of the Center for Healing Across Cultures and director of the School of Social Work. From there, he received the Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching, the Distinguished Faculty Award for Service, and the Multicultural Leadership Award. Columbia University, where Murali received his doctorate, recently inducted him into the institution’s School of Social Work hall of fame for his exemplary leadership in social work education and his exceptional professional achievements. Murali has co-authored four books with Ralph Brody, including Community Development; Grassroot Development: Establishing Successful Microenterprises, Service Learning (3rd edition); and Macro Practice: A Generalist Approach (9th edition).
