Director:  Robin F. Bachin, Ph.D., Assistant Provost for Civic & Community Engagement
Email: rbachin@miami.edu
Telephone: (305) 284-4261
Office: 606 Ashe Administration Building

Robin Bachin received her B.A. from Brandeis University and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. Her areas of research and teaching include American urban, environmental, immigration, and cultural history. Her award-winning first book, Building the South Side: Urban Space and Civic Culture in Chicago, 1890-1919, was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2004 (paperback 2008). Her current book project is Tropical Urbanism: Modernity, Exoticism, and the Creation of South Florida, 1890-1965. Bachin also has published numerous articles and delivered scholarly presentations on topics including universities and community engagement; urban planning and public space; sustainability and urban design; and the intersections of urban and environmental history. She is the Past President of the Society for American City and Regional Planning History, and has served on the Boards of Directors
of the Urban History Association, the Miami Consortium for Urban Studies, the Coral Gables Museum, and the Urban Environment League of Greater Miami.

Program Coordinator:  Ashley Arostegui
Email: a.arostegui@miami.edu
Telephone: (305) 284-6626
Office: 34P Pentland House

A Miami native, Ashley has a passion for the arts, public policy, and civic engagement. She holds BA degrees in English and History from Florida International University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She did her MA in Media Studies at The New School in New York City. Since graduate school, Ashley has worked on a number of projects that have strengthened her commitment to community. At the Miami World Cinema Center, she taught at-risk students about film, providing them with hands-on experience and instruction in video journalism and film production, interviewing, and oral history. She recently served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA at the University of Miami’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement, working to build capacity and foster community partnerships. She’s very pleased to be back in CCE as a program coordinator working on various issues including Affordable Housing. Ashley is also an avid practitioner of yoga and advocate for local and sustainable food systems. She currently serves as the Vice Curriculum Chair for New Leaders Council’s Miami chapter, working to train the next generation of progressive political and social entrepreneurs.

AmeriCorps Public Ally: De’Azia Baldwin
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Telephone: (305) 284-1050
Office: 34P Pentland House

Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, De’Azia Baldwin has a passion for engaging civic issues and working with children. During her undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago, De’Azia became involved with several service organizations that are focused on teaching inner-city youth the skills to be actively engaged civic citizens through performance arts and community involvement. De’Azia earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Chicago in 2011. She is currently taking leave from a graduate program in education to serve as a Public Ally with the University of Miami’s Butler Center for Service and Leadership and Office of Civic and Community Engagement. Looking to the future, De’Azia plans to complete her master’s degree in education and work toward reversing national and global educational inequalities.

AmeriCorps*VISTA: Alishia Echols
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Telephone: (305) 284-6636
Office: 34P Pentland House

Alishia Echols, a Mississippi native, graduated from the University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Science in May 2012. After finishing her final semester abroad in Monaco, Alishia relocated back to Miami to serve as an Americorps VISTA with UM’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement. Alishia considers herself an engaged global citizen as her passion for helping others often leads her to spend her holidays and free time traveling around the world to redress social ills. During a health mission trip to Port Au Prince, Haiti, Alishia discovered her love for sustainability and public health. Alishia plans to pursue a master’s degree in public health management and policy after her year of service.

AmeriCorps*VISTA: Naomi Ross
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Telephone: (305) 284-6635
Office: 34P Pentland House

A South Florida native, Naomi Ross is dedicated to service in the community. During her final year at University of Miami’s School of Architecture and following graduation, Naomi discovered her true passion for being an engaged citizen. Since then, she has served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami and as a Public Ally with the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation. She currently serves with UM’s Office of Civic & Community Engagement as a Florida Campus Compact VISTA. During her spare time, Naomi enjoys volunteering and planning events for local organizations such as PhilanthroFest, PARK Project, and Miami AmeriCorps Alums. She is an avid supporter of active transportation, access to healthy food, sustainability, civic engagement, and asset-based community development.