Gary Shaheen

Gary ShaheenProject Director, Ph.D.

geshahee@syr.edu
Curriculum Vita (PDF)

For over forty years in the public, private, and academic sectors Dr. Shaheen has been instrumental in improving policies and programs that help people with mental illnesses, co-occurring substance abuse disorders and those who are homeless, including veterans, to achieve employment and/or entrepreneurial success. He has worked with HUD, SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and DOL Veterans Employment and Training Services, Veterans Administration, and numerous State Governments on projects focused on increasing employment for these populations throughout the United States and its Territories, and internationally. He developed curricula and was a lead trainer for the Syracuse University (SU) Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV). While serving as Senior Vice President of the SU Burton Blatt Institute (BBI), Gary developed the StartUp NY and SBA PRIME projects with colleagues at the SU Whitman School of Management to create entrepreneurship education and training in Onondaga County, NY for people with disabilities and others with low incomes including Veterans. He co-wrote New York State’s $5.9 million per year Medicaid Infrastructure Grant and was Co-PI for that 3 year initiative. He served as an Adjunct faculty at the Whitman School, co-teaching “Inclusive Entrepreneurship Consulting” – a course he co-created that received a Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence in 2010. He was Senior Evaluator for the ODEP Employment First, Disability Employment Initiative,  and Pathways to Careers projects. These projects supported competitive, integrated employment and access to post-secondary education and career development for youth and adults with diverse disabilities. Since 2019, Dr. Shaheen has consulted on numerous projects addressing employment and entrepreneurship among persons with disabilities. These have included expert facilitation of Roundtables to improve employment among persons with substance abuse disabilities sponsored by the US DOL Office of the Chief Evaluator, and toolkits and white papers produced for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Project (HVRP) National Technical Assistance Center supporting Career Pathways and Entrepreneurship approaches that increase economic stability among Veterans who are homeless. Gary currently directs projects and consults on employment and disability policy and practices for BBI.

Publications

  • Arndt, F.; Tihic, M; & Shaheen, G. (2020) (In Press). How Entrepreneurs with Physical and Mental Health Challenges can Benefit from an Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Approach. In Exploring Intersectionality between Disability and Entrepreneurship. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. Cheltenham, UK.
  • Shaheen, G. (2017). Beyond the Business Case. In Educating Social Entrepreneurs From Idea Generation to Business Plan Formulation. Meising, P. & Aggestam, M.; New York, NY.
  • Shaheen, G.; Nibbelink, L. & Gonzalez, A. (2016). Provider Transformation. Washington, DC. US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy.
  • Shaheen, G. (2016) “Inclusive Entrepreneurship”. (2016). Journal of Policy Practice. (March). New York. Routledge
  • Shaheen, G & Rio, J. (2013) “Exploring how Downtown Employers Can Hire Homeless Veterans” Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Syracuse, NY.
  • Shaheen, G., LaCorte-Klein, N. & Rio, J. (2013) “Collaborations to Prevent and End Veteran Homelessness: Preliminary Report on Connecting HVRP and SSVF Programs” Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families., Syracuse, NY.
  • Shaheen, G. & Rio, J. (2013) “Lessons Learned from Department of Labor Grantees: Homeless Female Veterans and Veterans with Families”. Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Syracuse, NY.
  • Shaheen, G. (2011) “Inclusive Entrepreneurship” in Academic Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement-Scholarship in Action and the Syracuse Miracle. Kingma, B., Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. Cheltenham, UK.
  • Haynie, James M. & Shaheen, G. (2011) “Bridging a Traumatic Past to an Envisioned Future: A Case Study of Social Entrepreneurship” in Academic Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement- Scholarship in Action and the Syracuse Miracle. Kingma, B., Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. Cheltenham, UK.
  • Shaheen, G., Golden, T., Dowse, P., Myhill, W., Hill, E., Hoff, D., Thomas, C., & Kenny, C. (2011). Transformation of Center Based Work into Integrated Opportunities into Integrated Opportunities for People with Disabilities in New York State”. Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute/Syracuse University Burton Blatt Institute. Ithaca, NY.
  • Shaheen, G., & Rio, J. (2011) “Community Conversations: Supported Employment for People with Psychiatric Disabilities Curriculum” EI Lilly, Inc. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Ansteth, N., Shaheen, G. & Higgins, P. (2011). “Simply Speaking”: Inclusive Entrepreneurship Guidelines for SBDC Advisors. Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute/Syracuse University Burton Blatt Institute. Ithaca, NY.
  • Shaheen, G & Myhill, W. (2009) “Entrepreneurship for Veterans with Disabilities: Lessons Learned from the Field”. Rutgers University NTAR Center. Piscataway Township, NJ.
  • Shaheen, G., Rio, J. (2007) “Recognizing Work as a Priority in Preventing or Ending Homelessness” Journal of Primary Prevention; June.
  • Shaheen, G., Dennis, D. & Williams, F. (2000) “Work as a Priority: A Resource for Employing People with Psychiatric Disabilities who are Homeless”, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Rockville, MD.
  • Shaheen, G., Golden, T. & Bianco, C. (1998) “Business Planning for Self-Employment” in Orientation to Vocational Rehabilitation, Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute. Ithaca, NY.
  • Shaheen, G., Golden, T. & Bianco, C. (1997) “Integrated Employment for Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities”, Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute. Ithaca