The Fels Institute of Government is proud to partner once again with Young Involved Philadelphia and participate in the State of Young Philly event series.
This year, Fels is pleased to present a conversation on contemporary immigration issues with Dale Russakoff, journalist and author of The Prize: Who's in Charge of America's Schools?, and Ayodele Gansallo, attorney and educator with a focus on immigration and nationality issues.
About the Speakers
Dale Russakoff spent twenty-eight years as a reporter for the Washington Post, covering politics, education, social policy, and other topics. She is now a freelance writer and author of The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools? (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015), a New York Times best-seller, about Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to the Newark (NJ) schools. Her work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, Time and other publications. This spring, Dale co-authored several articles for Pro Publica that were published on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer, regarding constitutionally questionable practices of the Philadelphia office of ICE and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Having initially qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales, Ayodele Gansallo is also admitted as an attorney with the New York Bar. She has been working on Immigration and Nationality issues exclusively with non-profit organizations both here and in the U.K. for over twenty five years. She is currently the Senior Staff Attorney with HIAS PA. Ms. Gansallo joined the organization in 1998 following completion of her LLM at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and now focuses her practice on complex litigation before the U.S. Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, Federal District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. In addition, she provides mentorship and training on immigration issues to pro bono attorneys and community groups.
Ms. Gansallo has been an Adjunct Professor with the University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Transnational Legal Clinic since the 2010 academic year and is the co-author of the publication, Understanding Immigration Law and Practice, a textbook and practice guide for paralegal and law students, and newer practitioners on the complexities of immigration law. She is a frequent presenter at CLE courses held by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the American Immigration Lawyers' Association, or AILA.
Ms. Gansallo is Secretary of the Philadelphia Chapter of AILA and sits on the Executive Office for Immigration Review Pro Bono Liaison Committee. She is also a member of the Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs. Ms. Gansallo is a recipient of the AILA Philadelphia Chapter Matthew Baxter Mentorship Award, co-recipient of the AILA Philadelphia Chapter 2017 Pro Bono Champion Award, a recipient of SEAMAAC's Unsung Heroine Award for 2017, and the Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award for 2017.
About Fels Public Policy in Practice series
The Public Policy in Practice Series, led by Fels Senior Fellow Elizabeth Vale, is designed to provide students and the community with a variety of perspectives and compelling personal narratives that will help them not only form their opinions on important issues but will also help shape their careers. This series is offered in conjunction with the Fels graduate Public Management course required of all Fels MPA and Executive MPA students. Fels is proud to offer these important conversations to the entire Penn community and members of the public.
About State of Young Philly
Each fall, Young Involved Philadelphia (YIP) hosts State of Young Philly (SOYP), a dynamic 10-day event series filled with programming designed to connect young Philadelphians of every background, showcase their positive impact, and amplify their voices. SOYP 2018 brings together nonprofits, government entities, civic leaders, and local businesses to help young Philadelphians identify what civic engagement means to them and the role each individual can play in driving change in their communities.