Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium

The Office of Community Engagement

11th Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium

Friday March 20, 2026

Co-sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences

Shelby Campus, Founders Union Building

8:30 a.m. -3:00 p.m.

This annual event brings together students, faculty, and community partners in a day of programming focusing on collaborative efforts for engaged research, teaching and outreach. 
 

FULL SCHEDULE 

8:30 Plenary Session

• 8:30 a.m.    Breakfast and Social Gathering
• 9:00 a.m.    Welcome, Dr. Henry Cunningham, Asst. Vice President for Engaged Scholarship
• 9:05 a.m.     Remarks,  Dr. Douglas Craddock, Vice President for Community Engagement
• 9:10 a.m.     Community Engagement and Sustainability Awards Presentation, Dr. Katie Cardarelli: Executive Vice President and University Provost
• 9:35 a.m.     Keynote Address – Beyond Experiential: Civic Learning through Social Impact, Dr. Byron White: For more than two decades, Dr. White was a higher education administrator spearheading community engagement initiatives at public and private urban universities. Most recently, he was Associate Provost for Urban Research at UNC Charlotte, where he developed and led a unit called urbanCORE (Community-Oriented Research and Engagement) that facilitated award-winning engaged research partnerships between faculty and community partners. Previously, he was Vice President for University Engagement at Cleveland State University, Vice Chancellor for Economic Development for the University System of Ohio, and the founding Executive Director of the Eigel Center for Community-Engaged Learning at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

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10:35 – 11:00 BREAK and POSTER PRESENTATIONS (Lobby Area)

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

11:00 – 12:00 Concurrent Session 1

Panel Presentation: HEALTHCARE & SCIENCE CAREER PIPELINES

Room 136 A

Working Together to Connect Students to Nursing and Health Careers Through Summer Bridge

Cynethia Bethel-Hines, UofL School of Nursing

• This presentation explores the Path Ahead Summer Bridge (PASB) program, highlighting how university and community partners collaborate to support high school students’ exploration of nursing and health careers. It will share lessons on flexible program design, near-peer mentorship, and the importance of ongoing student and partner feedback to improve outcomes.

Future Healers: A Trauma-Informed, Community-Engaged Pipeline Model for Youth Health Equity

Future Healers Representative, UofL School of Medicine 

• Future Healers is a medical student–led organization that supports youth interested in health careers through mentorship, trauma-informed programming, and long-term relationship building. This presentation highlights a sustainable, student-driven model for advancing health equity and meaningful civic engagement.

High School Outreach in Biomedical Sciences and Health Professions

Daniela Terson de Paleville, UofL School of Medicine and Sharon Gordon, School of Medicine

• The Office of Community Engagement and the Department of Physiology at the School of Medicine have partnered to create learning experiences in biomedical sciences for high school students in JCPS and students on the Health Sciences Campus (HSC). Since 2024, our partnership has served more than 200 students in Louisville. 

11:00 – 12:00 Concurrent Session 1

Panel Presentation: HISTORICAL PRESERVATION & RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Room 201

Student Success for All: Building Awareness and Support for Justice-Impacted Students 

Alexandra Howard, UofL Libraries, Bethany Bray, PhD candidate; Daniel Bullman, PhD candidate; Destiny Robinson, student; and Mo Viviane, student

• Supporting higher education for justice-impacted students is civic engagement for the entire university community. This student panel will discuss how the Cardinal Access to Restorative Education (CARE) Initiative is engaging students and building community partnerships to support access to higher education and student success for justice-impacted individuals across the Commonwealth.

Recovering History through Collaborative Course Design

Laura Ping, Bellarmine University, Deacon Ned Berghausen, Devon Encher, Conor Picken, & Salema Jenkins

• The Unmarked Grave Project, in partnership with Bellarmine University, brings together a community partner, faculty fellow, and student fellow to collaboratively design a community-engaged course. The project centers the recovery of Black Catholic histories in the Archdiocese of Louisville while fostering student civic engagement and ethical historical scholarship.

Collaborating to Preserve the Petersburg-Newburg Cemetery

Felicia Jamison, UofL College of Arts and Sciences, Aaron Comstock; Jasper Adams-Smith, student; Stephen Williams, Petersburg-Newburg Cemetery Committee; and Sharelle Lyons-Goodwin, Petersburg-Newburg Cemetery Committee

• This presentation highlights the collaborative work to research, record, and preserve the Petersburg Cemetery, one of the oldest Black cemeteries in Louisville. This is a joint project with the Petersburg-Newburg Cemetery Committee, the Newburg community and an interdisciplinary group of UofL professors and students.

11:00 – 12:00 Concurrent Session 1

PANEL - K-12 EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Room 211

Bridging Research and Practice: University Partnerships 

Kate Marin, UofL College of Education and Human Development, Jenny Bay-Williams, and Samantha Morris, Dee Crescitelli, UofL College of Education and Human Development

• This panel explores the robust collaboration between university faculty and the Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Center for Mathematics. Presenters will discuss high-impact initiatives to illustrate how sustained community-engaged scholarship transforms teacher preparation, coaching, and statewide policy to elevate K-12 mathematical numeracy.

Designing With, Not For: A Community-Engaged Literacy Curriculum

Pardis Amiridahaj, College of Education and Human Development, James Chisholm; Amy Eisanback Doctoral Student; Amy Flint; and Mariem Riahi, College of Education and Human Development

•  This panel highlights a literacy curriculum project between University of Louisville faculty and students, JCPS teachers, and a community-based organization called The Book Works, which aims to redirect “off-track” learners toward high school graduation. Participants will hear about reciprocal practices and outcomes of this collaboration for community and university partners. 

"With", not "For": A Panel on Developing Critical Service-Learning Experiences with Youth in Foster Care

Chris Millett, UofL School of Music, Natalie Mudd, Student. University of Louisville, and Rachel Ford, Clinician and Music Therapy Mentor

• This presentation showcases a long-term partnership between UofL and a residential child welfare agency. A panel of students, educators, and former foster youth will discuss how a traditional service-learning class has evolved into a critically, youth-centered collaboration that deepens student critical consciousness, and supports the aspirational capital of foster youth.

11:00 – 12:00 Concurrent Session 1

PANEL - ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Room 136 B

The Economic Impact and Benefits of Seven Counties Services

Thomas Lambert, College of Business, Graduate Students - Chase Carroll, Tiffany Martin, Rick Fowler, & Usman Mustafa

• In this report, we asses the economic impact of SCS operation on the seven county region that it serves as well as the economic benefit that it confers on the region through helping its clients maintain employment and their commitments to their families and communities.  The latter consideration is especially important in light of probable, future Medicaid cuts by the federal government which are not continued and covered by funding through the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 

Helping the Helpers - How UofL is Supporting Local Non-Profits

Alarah Gillum, UofL Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement and Olive Dreckman, UofL Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement

• Non-profits are facing incredible challenges - while budgets are cut, services are requested more than ever. Non-profits must be creative to meet community needs. Come learn how the Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement works with non-profits to meet these community needs.

From Observation to Action: Teaching Undergraduates to Conduct Leadership Research Through Community Partnerships

Byron Terry, UofL Center for Belonging and Access 

• The Roots to Rise Leadership Program is a community-engaged initiative designed to develop undergraduate leaders by integrating leadership theory, reflective practice, and internship-based research. This project introduces a structured process that guides students through observing leadership behaviors at their community internship sites, connecting those observations to scholarly leadership theories, and presenting their findings at a university-wide student research showcase.

11:00 – 12:00 Concurrent Session 1

Workshop (Designed specifically for students but applicable to faculty and staff as well)

Room 14

Telling Your Community Engagement Story

Mindy Wilson, Program Director, EngageKY

• This workshop is designed to help college students articulate their unique community engagement experiences and contributions. Through guided reflection, you'll identify the skills you've gained and the impact you've made in your community. We'll also explore effective storytelling techniques to enhance your personal narrative, empowering you to connect with peers and potential employers. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your resume, prepare for interviews, or simply share your journey, this workshop will equip you with the tools to tell your story with confidence and authenticity.

   

12:00 – 1:15    Lunch and Presentation of Trilogy Health Mini Grant Awards (Ballroom)

1:20 – 2:20 Concurrent Session 2

Workshop 

Room 211

Engaging for Impact: When Communities Really Lead

Byron White

• Community engagement initiatives often start with university researchers and practitioners seeking opportunities that let them apply their expertise toward addressing a community need. This workshop explores the advantages of flipping that script and allowing community-driven mobilization to define the university’s contribution. Rather than setting a table for the community to join, participants will learn shared-power practices that motivate them to join tables the community already has set and, in doing so, advance partnerships that have greater potential for transformational impact and sustainability.

1:20- 2:20 Concurrent Session 2

LIGHTNING TALKS

Room 136 A

Universal Belonging: A Neighborhood Approach to Reducing Loneliness with Students and Community Partners

Lauren Anderson, Envirome Institute, School of Medicine and Maddie Kramer, Rachel Trost, & Cayley Crum: Students, School of Medicine

• Students in the UBN2 project explore senior loneliness through place-based research. Administrative neighborhood data identified target areas, interviews with community partners informed context, and surveys assessed older adults’ loneliness and needs. The project promotes civic engagement while identifying built environment features that contribute to isolation and those that support connection.

Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes Mellitus Among African American Women in West Louisville

Norvetta Whitson, UofL School of Nursing

• A faculty-led grant project engaged nursing students in delivering community-based health education to prevent stroke, diabetes, and hypertension. Screenings for blood pressure, blood glucose, and lipid levels were carried out in West Louisville. Forty-seven individuals were screened, demonstrating the feasibility of student-led preventive health outreach.

Community-Driven Health Innovation in Bluegrass Biodesign

Quentin Wise, School of Medicine

• Bluegrass Biodesign is a community-engaged program that unites students, faculty, and community partners to collaboratively identify and validate healthcare innovation needs. Through clinical immersion, stakeholder engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the program centers community voice, fosters ethical innovation, and builds sustainable university–community partnerships with mutual benefit.

Exploring Young People’s Depictions of Water in Their Community to Inform the Work of an Arts-based Environmental Education Initiative

Kathryn Tillett, Kent School of Social Work & Family Science

• Creating programs that young people find appealing and relevant can be challenging for youth-serving adults, particularly when trying to engage children across diverse settings and interests. This project uses young people’s art as a resource for informing outreach and activity planning in Ripple Effects, a Louisville arts-based environmental education initiative.

Beyond the Match: How Alignment and Fit Drive Resident Success Across Diverse Programs

Ann Herd, College of Education & Human Development and Alfred Frager, College of Education & Human Development

• The process for selecting and matching Graduate Medical Education (GME) resident candidates is a critical factor determining the success of the medical programs' abilities to meet the needs of the community, many of whom are underserved populations who need access to medical care in neighboring systems. In a collaborative effort between the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Business, and U of L School of Medicine, work is ongoing to identify and measure critical competencies needed by GME residents to effectively serve the diverse community partners and stakeholders of U of L Hospital's systems. In this lightning talk, the community-engaged scholarship identifying the research process, identified resident outcomes, and implications from a summit to facilitate enhanced selection are presented.

Encountering the Face: Americana, Bellarmine, and the New World Order

Michael Spalione, Bellarmine University

• This lightning presentation reflects on a new partnership between Americana World Community Center and Bellarmine University amid institutional disruption under the Trump-era new world order. It argues that face-to-face community service is indispensable to pedagogy because education without service risks reinforcing moral ignorance.

1:20- 2:20 Concurrent Session 2

Panel: WELLNESS PANEL - SUSTAINABLE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS & COMMUNITY

Room 136 B

Greening and Growing: Community-Engaged Design Addressing Urban Heat and Downtown Vibrancy

Jeeson Oh, UofL College of Arts and Sciences and Jenna Peterson, Graduate Student 

•  This presentation examines how community-engaged design education addresses Urban Heat Island effects while advancing downtown revitalization. Collaboration with Metro Planning Office and stakeholders enabled students to produce award-winning proposals, connect stakeholders around shared priorities, and catalyze a new research partnership,  demonstrating how engaged pedagogy generates lasting impact beyond the classroom.

Physical Activity and Public Health Partnership: University of Louisville’s Exercise Physiology Program, Trager Institute and Age-Friendly Louisville

Kristi King, UofL College of Education and Human Development; Allison Woosley, Louisville Metro Government; Becky Peak, City of Plantation and Age-Friendly Louisville; Sarah Teeters, Louisville Metro Government and Age-Friendly Louisville; Sophia Banks, University of Louisville Trager Institute and Age-Friendly Louisville; Beth Mathis, Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency (KIPDA); Jessica Elkin, Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency (KIPDA); Claire Yates, Louisville Metro Government, Dept. of Transportation and Vision Zero Louisville; Leah Simpson, graduate student; Tyler Wood, graduate student; & Bhawana Yadav, graduate student 

• University of Louisville’s Exercise Physiology Program, Trager Institute and Age-Friendly Louisville partners will describe an expanding, community-engaged partnership that integrates coursework, research and walkability assessments to advance physical activity, active communities and public health. Panelists will describe scholarship to date and discuss strategies for expanding and sustaining community-engaged scholarship.

1:20- 2:20 Concurrent Session 2

PANEL – BUILDING AND MAINTAINING PARTNERSHIPS

Room 201 

Maintaining University-Community Collaboration: A Case Study in Reproductive Justice Pedagogies

Shelby Pumphrey, UofL College of Arts and Sciences and Eunique Yohance, Direct Services Manager, Healthy Beginnings Connect Us (HBCU)

• This presentation explores university-community collaboration through a case study focused on reproductive justice community engaged pedagogy in Louisville, Kentucky. It considers how these relationships are developed and maintained and offers reflections from scholars and community partners.

Depression screening training in Ghana, West Africa: An international community engagement collaboration program

Ratchneewan Ross, UofL School of Nursing

• Depression is a significant problem worldwide. However, healthcare professionals in Ghana, West Africa have little knowledge and skills in depression screening. Therefore, a depression screening program was offered to nurses in Ghana, West Africa with a didactic session and hands-on experience. Program evaluation will be shared at the conference.

Growing a Partnership Team: Faculty–Doctoral Collaboration in Community-Engaged Scholarship

Pardis Amiridahaj, Mariem Riahi, Patricia Nyalwal, and Jason C. Immekus,  UofL College of Education and Human Development

•  This presentation highlights a developing university–community partnership within the Community Engagement Academy (CEA) among UofL faculty and graduate students and 300FOR300, a local nonprofit advancing the empowerment of adolescent girls of color. We will share current activities, lessons learned, and emerging opportunities for collaboration.

2:30 – 3:30 Concurrent Session 3

Panel: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM

Room 14

Philanthropy in the World Language Classroom

Thomas Wayne Edison, UofL College of Arts and Sciences 

• By integrating the University of Louisville Philanthropy Project in my Spanish classes, students are able to use the target language to learn about and share information about local non-profit organizations. I have been able to integrate the five Cs American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages: meaningful Communication, learning about Cultures, making Connections, making Comparisons, and building Community.

Building Community One Conversation at a Time

Julie Hartmann, Bellarmine University 

• This presentation examines intergenerational learning through the inclusion of older adults in an undergraduate Introduction to Gerontology course. It highlights the impact on such topics as ageism, aging knowledge, aging policies while exploring benefits for older participants and students in the role of shared classroom experiences.

Bringing the Social Problems Process to Life: A Community-Engaged Sociology Course

Ainsley Lambert-Swain, Bellarmine University 

• This presentation explores how a community-engaged sociology course brought the social problems process to life. In Contemporary American Social Problems, students partnered with a grassroots organization to analyze local governance, apply sociological theory, and produce public-facing civic education materials to strengthen local democratic participation.

2:30 – 3:30 Concurrent Session 3

Lightning Talks 

Room 136 A

Community, Collaboration, and the Classroom: Experiential Learning at Churchill Downs

Amy Lawyer: College of Business

• UofL’s Equine Industry Program partnered with Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum to create an experiential learning opportunity, taking students beyond the classroom to learn the business of horse racing on site. This talk highlights the benefits of the collaboration for students and the Equine Program.

Virtual Teaching Simulation Opportunities with Dual-Credit Teaching & Learning (TL) Pathway Programs

Alexandra J. Taylor & Annsley Frazier, Thornton School of Education; Bellarmine University 

• This presentation will highlight the use of virtual teaching simulations that were provided to dual-credit high school students in the Teaching & Learning (TL) pathway program in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). By providing ample opportunities for students to engage in their chosen field of study, there is a hope that students feel more confident in choosing post-secondary programs and majors. Specifically, the ultimate goal is to enhance the profession of teaching by recruiting, retaining and developing future teachers in an effort to combat the nationwide and state level teacher shortages. 

Experiential Learning Provided to Pre-service Teachers in Reading Assessment and Instruction

Winn Crenshaw Wheeler, Thornton School of Education; Bellarmine University and Alexandra J. Taylor, Thornton School of Education; Bellarmine University

• This presentation will highlight an experiential learning experience that is provided to preservice teachers in administering, scoring, and analyzing reading assessments. Highlighted within this session, is a focus on the process of developing a community partner, the planning and preparation of the experience, and the key strategies involved for student learning.

Flower Power: Changes to Biodiversity within Alberta O. Jones Park Native Meadow

Jody Dahmer and Mariah Corso, Beargrass Thunder

• This talk highlights a community led pollinator meadow at Alberta O. Jones Park in Louisville’s California neighborhood, an area identified as an urban heat island. Led by Beargrass Thunder and the Louisville Seedbank, the project provides co-curricular student learning through ecological monitoring and observation. Jody Dahmer will share the meadow’s development and progression insights.

Tenant Organizing, Movement Lawering, and Legal Research

Jake Mace, Brandeis School of Law and Department of Urban & Public Affairs

• Louisville Tenant Union has worked with tenants throughout the city (since 2021) and (recently) across the Commonwealth. The legal support team has taken great strides over the last two years, helped substantially by informal yet consistent partnership with UofL. What has this partnership looked like and how should it grow?

Community Engagement and Philanthropy Efforts as Culminating Undergraduate Experiences in Psychology

Lora Haynes, Psychological and Brain Sciences

• This presentation describes the Philanthropy Project (+ $1000 Award) and community partners for my Family Risk, Resilience and Mindfulness (PSYC 415- CUE, WR) course. Students engage with pre-approved, long-standing community partners. This presentation will describe how these partnerships were developed and sustained over the years, as well as their collaborative, mutually beneficial nature.

2:30 – 3:30 Concurrent Session 3

Roundtable Presentations

Room 201

Teaching Civic Engagement as Social Work Practice: Engaging Students in Voter Registration

Maria Emilia "Emi" Ramirez, Kent School of Social Work and Family Science and Kylie “Jade” Johnson, Student

• This round table examines a faculty-led voter engagement initiative grounded in social work values and civic responsibility. Drawing on partnerships with Vot-ER and Social Work Is Voting, the session highlights strategies for engaging students in voter registration, centering student experience, and building capacity for sustained civic participation.

Room 211

A Distant Mirror: Community Engagement Abroad Inspiring the Need for Community Engagement Locally

Michael Losavio, Criminal Justice

• We will discuss the evolution and impact of the International Service Learning Program in Belize, a program founded by Price Foster of Criminal Justice and Henry Cunningham of his then department. In particular, we will discuss how that impact may be transferred for use by other departments and disciplines.

Room 136B 

What Works in HR for Nonprofits in Under-Resourced Communities

Denise Cumberland, College of Education & Human Development

• Drawing on interviews with leaders in West Louisville, this Round Table will share practical Human Resource (HR) strategies that smaller nonprofits use to attract and retain talent. By highlighting key findings from the study, attendees will gain actionable ideas for strengthening human resource capacity in resource-constrained settings.

Room 15

Centering the Margin: Navigating Ethics and Power in LGBTQ+ Community-Engaged Research

Sophie Amaya, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Lea Clark, Ginny Duncan, Afnan Ismail, Sierra Sheard, Lauren Stone, & Robin Thurman; Students

• This panel examines the collaborative relationship between a WGST course and the organization Sweet Evening Breeze. Students discuss moving from theoretical frameworks of "transformative research" to practical application, highlighting the co-creation of training deliverables designed to address LGBTQ+ youth homelessness through ethical, community-driven inquiry.

Poster Presentations – Immediately following Plenary Session (Lobby Area)

Vote Everywhere: Building Civic Engagement from the Ground Up, For Students by Students

Logan Poer, Office for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, Autumn Westmoreland, Co-Ambassador for Vote Everywhere; Alarah Gillum, Office for Service Learning and Civic Engagement

Experiential Learning in Cardiovascular Physiology: A High School Outreach Initiative

Hayley Benson, School of Medicine; Sharon Gordon, Richard Dickerson, Dwayne Compton, Staci Saner, & Daniela Terson de Paleville School of Medicine

Increased Student Self-Efficacy, Science Identity, and Laboratory Confidence in an Undergraduate Community-Engaged Microbiology Course              

Kelly Carroll, Department of Biology, Bellarmine University

Outcomes Important for a Successful Transition from Foster Care to Adulthood in Kentucky

Alexis Miller, Criminal Justice, College of Arts & Sciences; Jenna Peterson, Urban and Public Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences; Mohamed Hanafy, Electrical and Computer Engineering,a J.B. Speed School of Engineering

Caring for the Commonwealth: West End Weekends

Alarah Gillum, Office for Service Learning and Civic Engagement

Conceptual Foundations of Participatory GIS and Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience

Laura Egan Krauser, Center for GIS/ Dept. of Geographic and Environmental Sciences, UofL; Jennifer Tinman, University of Louisville; Na Choih , Antioch University; Hallie Decker,  Hofstra University; Keziah Dombo , University of Louisville; Lin Wu, University of Louisville

UofL's Resilient Families Project – Strategies for Building Resilience, Mindfulness, and Happiness in At-Risk Adults

Mark Kenney, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Dillon Hepler, Psychology alumni, and current Kent School M.A. student; Mya Moore, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Kaytlin Pennell, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; MJ Devine, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; (Faculty advisor: Lora Haynes)

From Partnerships to Participation: Place-Based Engagement to Support Research Implementation in Rural Kentucky

Scotland Stewart, University of Louisville

Sustainability Meets Service

Stevelle Anderson, School of Public Health and Information Science; Alarah Gillum, Office for Service Learning and Civic Engagement

Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Collaborative Service-Learning

Allison Van Dyke, Student University of Louisville

Family Voices to Sustainable Action: A RE-AIM Guided Community Needs Assessment at LCCC

Sylla Diallo, Pan African Studies; Eliana Lopez, School of Public Health and Information Sciences; Sadaf Sedaghatshoar, School of Social Work and Family Science; Asante Omare, Pan African Studies 

Past Symposia

2025

Bridging The Public Divide Through University-Community Partnerships, Friday March 21

Clinical and Translational Research Building, Health Science Campus

9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

The theme for the 2025 Engaged Scholarship Symposium is Bridging the Public Divide through University-Community Partnerships. There is a divide between the university and the public. Universities are seen as distant, irrelevant, and generally not a part of the community. We need to demonstrate the connection between higher education and the public at large through, engaged-research, engaged-teaching, and outreach activities. The 2025 Engaged Scholarship Symposium seek to explore the various ways higher education is bridging the divide with the public through the many collaborative projects occurring with faculty, staff, students, and the general public. 

Keynote Speaker Bobbie Laur is President of Campus Compact, the nation’s largest national organization dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement. Bobbie’s passion, research, and work have been grounded in the place-based mission of higher education and the necessity of developing mutually beneficial partnerships to address the needs for the communities and neighborhoods in which universities and colleges are located.  With deep experience in the institutionalization of community engagement and creating institution-wide strategies to advance the work, Bobbie has counseled and supported campuses throughout the country in creating sustainable structures and pathways to strengthen civic and community engagement. Bobbie previously served as the Executive Director of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities and held several administrative positions at San Diego State University and Towson University, including serving as the Associate Vice President for Outreach. Bobbie serves on a number of national and Baltimore-based boards that advocate for creating vibrant and healthy communities.

2024

Community-University Collaboration: Working in Partnership with Our Community, Friday March 22, 

Founders Union Building, Shelby Campus

9 a.m. -5 p.m.

The theme for the 2024 Engaged Scholarship Symposium is Community-University Collaboration: Working in Partnership with Our Community. There are many university-community collaborations taking place through engaged-research, engaged-teaching, and outreach activities. These collaborations are making a difference in the lives of community members, our students, and our faculty.

The 2024 Engaged Scholarship Symposium explores the various ways the community and university are collaborating on projects to address disparities in the community and the ways we are positively impacting communities we work with. 

Communities and universities working in partnership is not just a choice; it is an imperative for creating solutions for complex societal challenges, both local and global. We will explore the transformative power of collaboration as both strategy and scholarship. By adopting a community-centric approach to developing strategies; inclusivity, responsiveness, and innovation can be fostered. Collaborative engaged scholarship that goes beyond conventional academic boundaries can create a dynamic ecosystem where learning and action coalesce. Let's respond to the call and work towards a dynamic future where collaboration becomes a critical cornerstone

Keynote Speak Lorilee R. Sandmann, Ph.D., is professor emerita in Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy at The University of Georgia (UGA), USA. For 50 years, she held administrative, faculty, extension, and outreach positions at the University of Minnesota, Michigan State University, Cleveland State University, as well as The University of Georgia. She is also the former editor of the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. Dr. Sandmann’s research, teaching, writing, advising, evaluating, and consulting focus on leadership and organizational change in higher education, emphasizing the institutionalization of community engagement and faculty roles and rewards related to community-engaged scholarship. She received the Distinguished Researcher Award from the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement and UGA’s Outstanding Faculty Scholarship of Engagement Award. She has been inducted into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship and the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. She was the co-director of the National Review Board for the Scholarship of Engagement. She has led the Engagement Academy for University Leaders and currently serves on its faculty. She is also a core reviewer and is on the National Advisory Committee for the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement. Dr. Sandmann holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.\ She can be reached at sandmann@uga.edu

2023

Making a Difference through University-Community Collaborations, Friday March 24

Chao Auditorium, Belknap Campus

9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

The Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium is an opportunity to network and share current research and teaching activities involving community partners and service to the community. Please join us for a day of panel presentations, lightning talks, and recognition of UofL faculty in community-engaged scholarship and sustainability.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Marisol Morales currently serves as the Executive Director of the Carnegie Elective Classifications for the American Council on Education (ACE). In this role Morales provides conceptual leadership and operational oversight to the Carnegie Elective Classifications. This includes the collaborative development of and responsibility for all initiatives, oversight and facilitation of relevant national and international advisory committees, conceptualizing and implementing extensive data archives as well as developing and enacting a shared vision regarding access to and use of the knowledge produced by the Carnegie Elective Classifications to beneficially guide research, policy, and practice. Prior to this role she was the Vice President for Network Leadership at Campus Compact, from 2018-2022. Morales was the Founding Director of the Office of Civic and Community Engagement at the University of La Verne from 2013-2018 and the Associate Director of the Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning and Community Service Studies at DePaul University from 2005-2013.  In 2020, she was appointed as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Community-Engaged Scholarship at University of Central Florida and also serves as an adjunct faculty in the ENLACE Higher Education Master’s program at Northeastern Illinois University. Morales sits on the editorial board of the Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, on the editorial advisory board of Liberal Education, a publication of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and on the board of the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE). Locally, she serves as the chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago’s Education subcommittee and on the alumni board of the Center for Latino Research and the Latin American and Latino Studies program at DePaul University. Dr. Morales holds a BA in Latin American/Latino Studies and a MS/MS in International Public Service Management both from DePaul University. She earned her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne. Her dissertation focused on the community engagement experiences of Latinx students at a Hispanic Serving Institution.

2022 

Community Engagement During the Pandemic, Friday March 25

Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library, Belknap Campus 

9 a.m. - noon

Faculty Fellows in The Commonwealth Center for the Humanities and Society will reflect on what engaged scholarship means to them and what it looks like in their work, particularly during the time of Covid-19, which greatly impacted the way we engaged with community partners. The Fellows will also share their vision for engaged scholarship at UofL.

2021

Seeking Cultural Humility in Justice-Based Community Engagement, Friday March 26

Virtual Meeting, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium is an opportunity to network and share current research and teaching activities involving community partners and service to the community. Please join us for a half day of panel presentations, lightning talks, and recognition of UofL faculty receiving national awards in community-engaged scholarship.   

Keynote Speaker Dr. Darren Lund’s talk will offer a timely reminder that this work of attending to difference is not simply about pursuing harmony with our colleagues, students, and community partners. Bringing about social and institutional changes toward racial equity requires thoughtful advocacy and even some professional risk. Dr. Lund will offer specific insights and ideas from his three decades of work on social justice activism and human rights. He will address notions of privilege, and the need to attend to our own complex identities in community engaged work. His presentation will highlight research from a community-driven university education program that seeks to foster cultural humility in pre-service teachers. For over a decade, the award-winning Service Learning for Diversity Program has worked collaboratively with community agencies that serve diverse young people, including immigrant and refugee children, youth with disabilities, LGBTQ2+ youth, and Native/Indigenous youth. Participants can expect a lively talk that includes meaningful take-aways and resources for a range of settings, as well as some time for questions and answers. 

2019

Community-Engaged Scholarship: Documentation and Review, Thursday, March 7

Shumaker Research Building, Belknap Campus

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

The Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium is an opportunity to network and share current research and teaching activities involving community partners and service to the community. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Community Engagement and the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

2018

Navigating Community Engagement & Engaged Scholarship: Faculty Experiences from Across the University, Tuesday, March 20

Shumaker Research Building, Belknap Campus

11:30 AM- 1:30 PM

This three-part symposium will focus on  how to use community engaged work for promotion and tenure as well as provide opportunities for small group discussions on topics related to interdisciplinary/interprofessional engagement and engaged scholarship.

Part 1: Plenary Session - Overview and public launch of a searchable database on community engagement activities. Part 2: Promotion and Tenure Panel Session – Based on their own experiences, panelists will share tips and ideas on how to properly document engagement for promotion and tenure. Part 3: Break-out sessions – Small groups will explore a cross section of topics related to community engagement and engaged scholarship