麻豆传媒

Sarah Toulouse is an experienced corporate, nonprofit and foundation leader with a passion for connecting people and building partnerships. Having worked in both corporate and nonprofit roles, Sarah has a distinct perspective of the way the two worlds collide and believes strongly in the power of coordinated community collaboration. Specializing in nonprofit management, corporate social responsibility, corporate philanthropy, community relations and employee engagement, Sarah is uniquely positioned to convene partners and harness creative solutions. Sarah joined the nationally recognized nonprofit ASSET Inc. in 2019 at a time of organizational transformation. As executive director she leads with purpose and vision, challenges boundaries of traditional thinking, and forges new opportunities to achieve student success through excellence in teaching. Prior to ASSET, Sarah was head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Executive Director of the Bayer USA Foundation, where she restructured Bayer’s giving model across the United States, fostered innovative nonprofit partnerships with organizations, and spearheaded an employee volunteerism program. She also led Bayer’s national Presidential award-winning Making Science Make Sense initiative to promote science literacy and STEM education. She has engaged in partnerships and programs with national education organizations, including the U.S. Department of Education, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Science Teachers Association, Achieve (now NextGenScience), Lawrence Hall of Science, STEM Leadership Alliance, and many more. Her vision and thought leadership have resulted in the creation of innovative strategies to advance access to STEM education in the United States. Sarah's journey to leadership roles was built upon a strong foundation of years of working in Corporate Communications for a global company. Having a big-picture view across businesses and functions solidified Sarah's philosophy that communication, relationships and cross-functional collaboration are the cornerstones of innovative success. Sarah graduated from Duquesne University with bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Political Science, as well as a master’s degree in Communications.

Ben Lough is the Dean of the School of Social Work, a professor of Social Work and Business Administration, and the Director of Social Innovation at Gies College of Business. He received his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and his B.A. and MSW degrees from Brigham Young University. Prior to joining the University of Illinois, he was a Senior Researcher at the Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section at United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in Bonn, Germany. He teaches courses on nonprofit management, social enterprise, and social entrepreneurship. His research examines the practices of transnational voluntary organizations that promote community development and social innovation.
I am driven by the belief that people have the power to change the world. Much of my work aims to inspire and empower people to recognize their potential and take action to create spaces that foster innovation, collaboration, and social impact. Whether through volunteering in our communities or by launching a social enterprise, I believe people have the capacity to drive change.



Education

BS in Sociology, 2000, MSW, 2003 – Brigham Young University
Ph.D. in Social Work with a Doctoral Certificate in New Institutional Economics, 2010- Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis



Research

Dean Lough’s teaching focuses on community development, nonprofit management, and social innovation. He has taught courses on the nonprofit sector, social entrepreneurship, social work theory, organizational strategies for social change, and international social work and development.
Dean Lough is working with the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) to create a global mental health policy. He also continues to study the comparative advantages of hybrid social-purpose organizations over traditional nonprofits.



Selected Publications


Lough, Benjamin J. (2022). Decentering social innovation: The value of dispersed institutes in higher education. Social Enterprise Journal 18(1) 12-27.
Lough, Benjamin J. (2022). Unpacking reciprocity in international exchange cooperation. Førde, Norway: Norec.
Lough, Benjamin J. (2021). Voluntary “organic” leadership for community resilience. Voluntary Sector Review 12(1): 81-98.
Lough, Benjamin J. (2021). Social development. In the Encyclopedia of Social Work. National Association of Social Workers (NASW Press) and Oxford University Press.