 Maria Pullella
e-mail: maria.pullella@gmail.com
MPA 2007
Analytical Paper Title: “Exploring the Potential Role of the Conflict Resolution Program in Delivering Conflict Resolution Education to Elementary School Children”
Chair: Pamela Leland | Committee Members: Anthony Middlebrooks and Kathy Wian
Position:
Office Manager
Reval
New York, N.Y.
Introduction
Maria obtained a Masters in Public Administration in the School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Delaware. Maria attended the University of Delaware as an undergraduate, majoring in Human Services, Education and Public Policy. She concentrated her study efforts on Education and Community Service and added a minor in Leadership. As an undergraduate she got the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Australia/Fiji and Italy.
On her Australia/Fiji trip, a study on leadership in organizations was conducted and then contrasted against the United States. In Italy, the focus was on applying language to societies in a global setting. The knowledge Maria gained as an undergraduate allowed her to ease nicely into her graduate concentration, Organizational Leadership. With a concentration in Organizational Leadership she focused on learning about leadership skills, strategic management, conflict resolution, and managing people in various working environments.
During her first year with the program, Maria worked for the Institute for Public Administration as a research assistant for Jeffrey Raffel, the director of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. While there she provided assistance to the Department of Education’s “Delaware Teacher Supply Survey Analysis Report.” The report dates back to 2003 and has been reevaluated once a year from that point forward. The report surveyed 19 public school districts in Delaware and focused on the recruitment and retention patterns of teachers within the state. The report was recently published in June of 2006. Maria also got the opportunity to travel with her graduate program to the Netherlands to study their health and social policies, and transportation and governance issues. The information from the Netherlands was presented to the School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy and was used as a comparative study to the United States.
The summer months provided Maria with an internship opportunity at Habitat for Humanity’s Delaware County Chapter in Chester, Pa. There she engaged in the logistics of a nationwide Blitz Build. This project consisted of building four houses (two twins) in one week. Each day 40-50 construction workers and volunteers were involved in the overall mission to eliminate homelessness and poverty housing in the Delaware County area. After that, Maria placed her concentration on networking with donors, developing a volunteer and supply data base and working on acquiring grants for the organization. Overall, her major task was to aid in better strategic planning procedures for the organization.
Maria finished her final year as a research assistant for the Institute for Public Administration in their Conflict Resolution Program. While there she learned to develop personalized conflict resolution programs by participating in evaluated research, extensive training seminars, and numerous public and private meetings. She became certified as a team mediator, undergoing twenty hours of extensive mediation training. She learned to incorporate those mediation and negotiation skills to aid in building more effective teams while at the same time promoting organizational change. Maria also wrote articles for Synergy, Conflict Resolution Program’s quarterly e-newsletter. Maria became so fascinated with the topic of conflict resolution that she decided to write her analytical paper on the potential role that the Conflict Resolution Program could play in providing conflict resolution education to elementary school children in the state of Delaware.
MPA, University of Delaware 2007, Masters in Public Administration
BA, University of Delaware 2005, Human Services, Education & Public Policy
August 2007 – present
Office Manager
Reval
New York, N.Y.
Summer 2006
Internship
Habitat for Humanity–Delaware County
Chester, Pa.
September 2005 – May 2007
Research Assistant
Institute for Public Administration, Unviersity of Delaware
Newark, Del.
Spring, Summer 2005
External Events Coordinator
Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic, Inc.
Wilmington, Del.
2002 – 2005
Campus Chapter President
Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County at the University of Delaware
Newark, Del.
2003 – 2004
Secretary/Loan Processor
Christiana Home Loan
Christiana, Del.
2001 – 2003
Manager of Christmas Inventory/Sales
Casual Marketplace
Hockessin, Del.
1998 – 2001
Sales
Carl Doubet Jr. Jewelers
Wilmington, Del.
SPSS, GIS, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook
Basic Mediation Certification, 2007
Women’s Leadership Development Program Phase I Certification, 2007
Dean's List at the University of Delaware, 2002 – 2005
City of Newark Town & Gown Community Service Award, 2005
Women’s Leadership Series Certification, 2004
Netherlands Graduate Program at the University of Delaware, 2006
Australia/Fiji Study Abroad at the University of Delaware, 2005
Italy Study Abroad at the University of Delaware, 2003
Collegiate Challenge with Habitat for Humanity in Alabama, 2004
Collegiate Challenge with Habitat for Humanity in Georgia, 2002
Teacher Supply Survey Analysis Report, 2006
During the school year Maria worked for the Institute of Public Administration as a research assistant for Jeffrey Raffel, the director of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. While there she provided assistance to the Department of Education’s “Delaware Teacher Supply Survey Analysis Report.” The report dates back to 2003 and has been reevaluated once a year from that point forward. The report surveyed 19 public school districts in Delaware and focused on the recruitment and retention patterns of teachers within the state.
Building Better Human Services Foundation (BBHSF), 2005
Exploring the Potential Role of the Conflict Resolution Program in Delivering Conflict Resolution Education to Elementary School Children, 2007 (2.6MB - PDF)
Teacher Supply Survey Analysis Report, 2006 (5.3MB - PDF)
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