Levin College Welcomes New Faculty to CSU
Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Public Affairs and Education is excited to welcome Dr. Isabelle Nilsson, Dr. Ja Young Kim, Dr. Živilė Raškauskaitė, and Dr. Shanelle Clay to campus this fall. Learn more about these talented new faculty members as they bring fresh, engaging, changemaking insights to the students in their respective schools within Levin College.
Dr. Isabelle Nilsson has been selected as The Albert A. Levin Chair in Urban Studies and Public Service for Cleveland State University’s (CSU) Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs. A nationally renowned scholar and researcher, Nilsson joins CSU in this tenured faculty position in Fall 2026. Nilsson comes to CSU from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she has served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences since 2021, following her appointment as Assistant Professor from 2015 to 2021. Nilsson, who has authored or co-authored 36 peer-reviewed journal articles and five peer-reviewed book chapters, is a highly sought-after speaker, having presented at more than 30 conferences and delivered invited talks across the United States and internationally. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, and she currently serves as Co-Editor in Chief of the highly ranked Journal of Transport Geography. Nilsson earned her Ph.D. in Spatially Integrated Social Science (Geography and Economics) from the University of Toledo. She has master’s degrees in Economics from both the University of Toledo and Luleå University of Technology in Sweden.
"Cleveland is a compelling place to study how public and private investments affect housing markets, neighborhood change, and who gets access to opportunity,” Dr. Nilsson said. “The Levin School of Urban Affairs' long tradition of community-engaged scholarship and the Levin Chair's commitment to connecting that scholarship with public service are what I believe good urban research should do. I am thrilled to bring my work here."
Dr. Ja Young Kim joins Cleveland State University (CSU) in Fall 2026 as an Assistant Professor in the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs in the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education at Cleveland State University. Her research focuses on transportation and mobility, accessibility, aging, and the connections between the built environment and community well-being. She is particularly interested in how transportation systems and urban environments shape people’s access to opportunities, participation in everyday activities, and quality of life, with a particular focus on older adults and people with disabilities. Before joining CSU, Dr. Kim taught at the University of North Texas and the University of Iowa. She earned her Ph.D. in Metropolitan Planning, Policy, and Design from the University of Utah and her Master of City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to entering academia, she practiced as an architect, urban designer, and planner.
"I am excited to join CSU and become part of the Levin College community," said Dr. Kim. "I look forward to working with students and colleagues, developing new collaborations, and becoming engaged with Cleveland and the region."
Dr. Živilė Raškauskaitė joins Cleveland State University (CSU) in Fall 2026 as an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication. Dr. Raškauskaitė joins CSU from the University of Missouri, where they have taught since 2024, and previously taught at Kazimieras Simonavičius University in Vilnius, Lithuania, from 2017 to 2018. Dr. Raškauskaitė, who earned a Ph.D. and a master's degree from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, has presented research both nationally and internationally at more than a dozen peer-reviewed conferences. Dr. Raškauskaitė also brings plenty of professional media experience to CSU, having worked as a foreign news TV reporter and podcast host for Lithuanian National Television and Radio; a foreign news reporter for Info TV in Lithuania; an online news reporter for Deutsche Welle in Germany; an assistant video producer for Voice of America in Washington, D.C.; and a daily news reporter for KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo.
Dr. Shanelle Clay, LPC, NCC, ACS, BC-TMH joins Cleveland State University (CSU) in Fall 2026 as an Assistant College Lecturer in the School of Education and Counseling. Dr. Clay is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), Board Certified Telemental Health Clinician (BC-TMH), and K-12 School Counselor. Dr. Clay, who earned a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Duquesne University and a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Trinity Washington University, comes to CSU after serving as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western States and at Barry University. Dr. Clay, who brings extensive clinical experience to CSU, has presented research at nearly a dozen conferences and is a sought-after guest for podcasts and speaking engagements.
"I’m looking forward to creating opportunities for students to think critically, ask meaningful questions, and develop their own perspectives,” Dr. Clay said. “I’m excited to learn alongside them and to contribute to a community that values both the professional and humanistic side of the counseling profession."