Office of Community Engagement – Page 17 – Collaborating for community impact

Supporting innovation in our future workforce

Posted on June 19, 2019 by anposick

By Amy Conrad Warner, Vice Chancellor for the IUPUI Office of Community Engagement

Over the last 50 years, plenty has changed on IUPUI’s campus in order to keep up with the demands of our students and an ever-changing workforce. Both on and off campus, you can see examples of how we are preparing students for a 21^st Century workforce.

You see it in the annual JagStart Student Idea Pitch Competition, which in recent years has supported the creation of new technology that makes reading books more engaging, helps people moderate their use of Smartphones, and offers artificial intelligence services to small businesses.

As we celebrated 7,122 new graduates on May 11, IUPUI continues to look to the needs of the workforce to drive decisions made about the classes and resources offered to students.

The new Graduate Certificate in Medical Management, developed in response to the needs of the industry, provides business training to health care providers so they can both manage and improve patient care.

IUPUI’s newest building, Innovation Hall, is being built to meet the evolving teaching and research needs for programs in the Purdue School of Science, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, and IU School of Informatics and Computing.

And the support offered to students on campus helps them excel. Fifty students recently honored with the William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallions are already contributing to their communities’ needs, including coordinating educational programs for Latino youth, connecting communities with resources to treat addiction and helping communities plan for disasters.

Our reach goes far outside of campus.

You see it outside in the Innovation Gateways IU supports, including a partnership with The Union525, which offers space for start-ups and entrepreneurs to grow and encourages connection and collaboration to accelerate research and innovation.

And you see it in our multiple partnerships with schools across the city, with the goal of making college more accessible to all students.

Through Upward Bound, high school students get access to tutors, mentors, workshops, college tours and can participate in a leadership program to help them prepare for the jump from high school to college.

But getting students here isn’t the only challenge; IUPUI also wants to help our students persist to graduation.

That’s why we offer the THRIVE Program, which includes multiple resources for our first-year students, including a summer program to assist them in preparing for college and the level of work expected, along with mentoring, trips into the community, opportunities to live near their peers and help with finding a job.

Through all this work, our goal as an anchor institution is to drive a shift in thinking, proving the value anchor institutions like IUPUI offer by making higher education accessible to all students, while also making sure those learners are being prepared for the careers of the future.

Students learn about neighborhoods that predated IUPUI

Posted on April 29, 2019 by tfrancis

The Digital History and Community Change in Indianapolis course explores the rich history of the neighborhoods affected by IUPUI’s establishment and expansion. A digital map from 1908 was created from the research performed in the class. Users can click on the houses to learn more about the structures and families who once inhabited them.

Source: Opening eyes: Students learn about neighborhoods that predated IUPUI

Office of Community Engagement scholar receives Top 100 award: Nina Ustymchuk

Posted on April 29, 2019 by tfrancis

Congratulations to IUPUI Office of Community Engagement student scholar, Nina Ustymchuk, who is among the 2019 exceptional students who have been honored with the Top 100 award!

Nina serves as a Family, School and Neighborhood Scholar, focusing on community-engaged research.

Some of her work that is being recognized includes an evaluation of Source River West Entrepreneurship Center that she completed in partnership with Dr. Silvia Garcia, Assistant Director of Research at Office of Community Engagement. This evaluation focuses on the center’s influence on prospective entrepreneurs, how efficacious its resources are, possible areas of growth, and its influence on the Near West community as a whole.

Dr. Garcia says, “I’m so proud of her!”

“My involvement with Silvia on this project has really helped me understand what community-engaged research actually means, and how vital it is to include the community within research that sets out to identify issues and provide solutions,” says Ustymchuk.

Ustymchuk adds, “I’ve enjoyed leading and sitting in on interviews, talking with community members, and also learning about the experiences of the people who live in the Near West community and are actively working to improve it through unity and economic support.”

This upcoming fall, Ustymchuk will be attending the IU McKinney School of Law at IUPUI to pursue a Health Law JD, as well as a Masters of Public Health dual degree. She says, “I also hope to continue on in my research within the field of healthcare and ethics, and apply my work to assist underrepresented communities around the Indianapolis area.”

Recognizing our 2019 student employees in celebration of NSEA week

Posted on April 19, 2019 by tfrancis

In honor of the 2019 National Student Employee Appreciation (NSEA) Week (April 15-19), the IUPUI Office of Community Engagement (OCE) is recognizing the hard work of our students that serve as scholars, interns, mentors, tutors, and graduate assistants.

“OCE student employees are amazing! Our student interns, scholars, mentors, tutors, and graduate assistants contribute in many ways – through their expertise, ideas, and the way they represent OCE to the community,” says Teresa Bennett, Assistant Vice Chancellor for the Office of Community Engagement.

“These young professionals are not only earning and learning from their employment. They make OCE better especially in the way they interact with our many constituencies,” Bennett says.

Let us take a moment to introduce you to some of our students:

Nouran Amin is a graduate student working on a master’s degree in biology at the Purdue School of Science at IUPUI, and serves as a graduate assistant for the Office of Community Engagement. Nouran is responsible for tracking the variety of ways IUPUI faculty, staff, and students are engaged in and with the community in order to advance IUPUI’s Strategic Plan.

During her undergraduate studies, Nouran was a Sam H. Jones, participating in ongoing service learning projects that addressed environmental challenges in the Indianapolis community. She was also an intern at the Center for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES), involved in science outreach activities promoting STEM literacy and environmental education.

“My experiences with service learning are what encouraged me to join the Office of Community Engagement where I continue to build on my background in community involvement,” says Nouran.

Zaidara (Zee) Bischoff is a sophomore majoring in Business Management and International Studies at the IU Kelley School of Business. She is expecting to graduate early in May of 2020. Zee is a Program Coordinator and Client Support intern for the Professional Development and Corporate Education division of the Office of Community Engagement.

Zee says, “I am responsible for providing assistance to the OCE staff with regards to professional development related activities which include community relations, scheduling and planning contracted trainings, researching relevant newsletter content, and helping to provide resources to the community.”

She has a passion for animal care and recently started volunteering at an animal shelter.

“I am planning on going into higher education upon graduation and plan on getting my Master of Science degree in entrepreneurship and innovation,” says Zee.

Kristina Gill is a senior majoring in biology at the Purdue School of Science at IUPUI. She serves as a math, science and English tutor for the IU Indiana Kids tutoring and mentoring program where she works on-site at three schools (two middle and one high school). She is also an online tutor for the after-school program through Indiana Kids.

“I’ve been tutoring students since I was in high school and it’s something I really enjoy doing,” says Kristina. “I especially love the Indiana Kids program because it allows us to give back to the Indianapolis community. I also really enjoy the mentoring aspect of it and being a positive impact in students’ lives.”

Kristina hopes to attend graduate school to study botany, specifically plant pathology. She grew up in Florida, which is what she says influenced her decision to study biology and plants.

She is also a two-time cancer survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“I love cats, spending time in nature, hanging out with my friends, eating new foods and traveling to warm places,” says Kristina.

Kelsey Herber is a sophomore majoring in Art Education at the Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI. She serves as an on-site tutor for the IU Indiana Kids program where she tutors sixth to eighth grade students at the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) William Penn School 49, as well as an online tutor and mentor for the after-school program through Indiana Kids.

She tutors “newcomers” (non-English-speaking students) in the English language.

“I hope to teach a class or two at Herron as a graduate student, and either continue teaching art at the collegiate level or at the high school level,” says Kelsey.

Kevin Hillman is a second year doctoral student in the Urban Education Studies program at the IUPUI School of Education. He is a graduate assistant for the Family, Schools and Neighborhood Engagement division within the Office of Community Engagement.

Kevin serves as a student editor for a soon to be released journal, focusing on community engagement. He also assists with some of the programmatic aspects of the IU Indiana Kids program, and participates in a community engaged research group.

Kevin currently holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Purdue University and a Master of Arts degree in Training and Development from Roosevelt University.

He says, “If you had asked me 10 years ago or even 5 years ago if I thought about pursuing a doctorate I would have laughed, especially one in education.”

He is currently working to “land on an awesome research topic” for his dissertation, complete course work and pass his qualifying exams. Kevin says his future goals include: “successfully defending my dissertation, operating my non-profit organization and influencing career & technical education and workforce development preparation for adults and youth of color.”

Kara Keller is a junior majoring in construction management at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI. Kara serves as an on-site elementary and middle school tutor at the IPS William Penn School 49 in addition to her role as an online tutor for the IU Indiana Kids program.

Kara says this semester has been a little challenging because she is taking a full load of 18 credit hours. In addition to having a full load academically and serving as a full-time tutor, she also works as an officer in her construction club. She has been able to balance her workload and responsibilities in order to maintain a high grade point average (GPA) throughout this semester.

In the future, Kara plans to work her way up to owning her own residential construction company that has a dog training facility attached to it.

She explains, “I know those two are complete opposites, but what can I say, I love dogs.”

Andrea Ruvalcaba is a sophomore in the School of Social Work at IUPUI. She serves as a tutor and mentor of kindergarten to twelfth grade students for the IU Indiana Kids program both onsite and online.

She came to Indianapolis from East Chicago, Indiana.

“Being a first-generation scholar and coming from an underrepresented community has had various challenges,” Andrea says. Such challenges are what has motivated her to want to help other students succeed, and is why she says she is a part of the Indiana Kids program.

“This program has allowed me to be a resource and support system for children in the Indianapolis area,” she says. “During the rest of my time here at IUPUI, my goal is to continue involving myself with programs that will allow me to give back to underrepresented communities.”

And a big thank you to all of our students; we appreciate you!

Seedie Hawbaker, Family, School and Neighborhood Scholar, focusing on university/community school partnerships

Josie Johnson, Family, School and Neighborhood Scholar, focusing on tutoring, mentoring, college and career programming

Latosha Rowley, Family, School and Neighborhood Scholar, focusing on strategic neighborhood alliances for P-20 education

Nina Ustymchuk, Family, School and Neighborhood Scholar, focusing on community engaged research

Cierra Venable, Communication Intern for the Office of Community Engagement

Shannon Wagner, Family, School and Neighborhood Scholar, focusing on community partnerships

Matt Watkings, Family, School and Neighborhood Scholar, focusing on workforce readiness and program development

And a host of tutors and mentors serving in the IU Indiana Kids tutoring and mentoring program.

Congratulations to the 2019 Bantz Fellow and Community Scholars

Posted on April 11, 2019 by anposick

The power of community-engaged research and strong partnerships was once again highlighted with the 2019 recipients of the Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Fellowship and Community Scholar awards.

The new awardees were named at this year’s Bringle and Hatcher Civic Engagement Showcase, along with several others being honored for their community-engaged work.

As chancellor of IUPUI, Charles Bantz firmly believed in the power of community-engaged research and university–community partnerships to make a lasting impact on our area. The Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Fellowship award ensures his legacy lives on by providing up to $50,000 in funding for community-engaged scholars each year.

This year, both projects honored with Bantz’s awards strongly focus on women.

2019 Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Fellowship Award

Photo of Elizabeth Nelson, IU School of Liberal Arts — IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI assistant professor Elizabeth Nelson was awarded the 2019 Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Fellowship Award.

IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI assistant professor Elizabeth Nelson was awarded the 2019 Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Fellowship Award, allowing her to share knowledge gained through her work as coordinator of the Indiana Women’s Prison (IWP) History Project.

Nelson’s project focused on 10 currently and formerly incarcerated scholars, publishing original research on the history of gender and incarceration in the U.S. Nelson’s role was to support the scholars’ work, providing them with the resources and guidance needed to do their research while also helping promote the work to spread awareness.

“As the women of IWP continue presenting at conferences, publishing books, and becoming experts in their field, they are upending common societal expectations and stereotypes regarding incarcerated women and are demonstrating what they are capable of when we take down the barriers that stand in their way,” Nelson wrote in her proposal.

“It is my hope that a partnership between the university and IWP, supported by a Bantz fellowship, can help open up the conversation about what IUPUI can do to address these issues and create a ‘prison to school pipeline.’”

Emily S. Beckman, director of the Medical Humanities and Health Studies, wrote in her letter of recommendation that Nelson’s project would offer a unique opportunity for students to extend their reach beyond the classroom and into the community.

Nelson’s work, which will include hiring a Ph.D. student to support the scholars, hosting workshops at the prison, presenting at conferences and writing journal articles, will continue for the next year.

2019 Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Scholar Award

Photo of Kim Saxton, Kelley School of Business Indianapolis — Kelley School of Business Indianapolis faculty member Kim Saxton was honored with the 2019 Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Scholar Award.

Photo of Charlotte Westerhouse-Renfrow, Kelley School of Business Indianapolis — Kelley School of Business Indianapolis faculty member Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow was honored with the 2019 Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Scholar Award.

The second project honored with the 2019 Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Scholar Award was Advancing Indy Women: A Year-Long Journey of Professional Development by Kelley School of Business Indianapolis faculty members Kim Saxton and Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow.

Their work focuses on the advancement of women in the workplace, which they describe as “stuck,” with women comprising nearly half of the workforce, but only 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and 15 percent in senior leadership positions, a number that has been the same for about a decade, according to the proposal by Saxton and Westerhaus-Renfrow.

Saxton and Westerhaus-Renfrow are partnering with Linking Indy Women, an organically-grown group of about 2,000 professional women in central Indiana focusing on making women feel good about being successful and striving to be successful.

Their project will include a needs assessment with the group to determine what skills are most needed for women to be promoted in the workplace, and then develop a series of free workshops to help boost those skills.

After the workshops, post-testing will be done to assess the effectiveness of the workshops, with initial goals of having at least one participant promoted and that participants feel there are fewer barriers to their advancement and more satisfaction with their career trajectory, according to their proposal.

Kenneth A. Carow, Executive Associate Dean of Faculty & Research for Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, strongly supported their project in his recommendation letter, saying their work would serve “an important and well-recognized need in our community.”

Their work will continue into 2020 with a plan to apply for a second round of funding to disseminate their findings and translate the in-person workshops into online self-paced trainings, their proposal said.

Nelson, Sexton and Westerhaus-Renfrow were recognized at the Bringle and Hatcher Civic Engagement Showcase on April 9, which recognizes the impact of service, partnership, and research on the IUPUI campus and in the community.

2019 Office of International Affairs Global Engagement Award

The Association for Promotion of IT, Culture and Coexistence (IKS) was awarded the 2019 Office of International Affairs Global Engagement Award for its work contributing to the development of social structures in Croatia for 25 years.

IKS has promoted volunteer programs and youth information, developed “Aktivci” a youth initiative that provides mentoring services and solves the problems of youth in the community, developed a Puppet Studio employing disadvantaged women to work with young people on long-term European voluntary service projects, designed and created “Muppet Puppets Studio” to help engage preschools in civic education and offers a penitentiary program at a prison in Glina, where they offer job seeker clubs, basic computer training, vocational training courses, and puppet shows for families of inmates.

Other honorees

The Showcase also honored this year’s William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion recipients; Dr. Javier Sevilla-Martir, assistant professor of Clinical Family Medicine with the IU School of Medicine, who won the 2018 Chancellor’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement; the John Boner Neighborhood Centers, which won the 2018 Chancellor’s Community Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement; and Jordan Almos, program associate for the Center for Service and Learning, who won the 2018 Nan Bohan Community Staff Award.

In Celebration of IU Day: OCE staff says, “What IU means to me”

Posted on April 10, 2019 by tfrancis

In celebration of IU Day, several IUPUI Office of Community Engagement staff members shared “What IU means to them.” Each has their own unique history at IUPUI that has contributed to their current positions and work within the community.

Photo of Connie and Dan Anoskey — Connie and Dan Anoskey

Connie Anoskey, Business Manager at the IUPUI Office of Community Engagement, enjoys that both she and her husband, Dan Anoskey, Building Operations Manager for Campus Facility Services, work at IUPUI. Both of her sons, Ben and Craig, also stayed within the Indiana University family and attended IU Bloomington and IUPUI.

Ben graduated in December 2018 from the Purdue School of Engineering & Technology at IUPUI. Ben had three great internships with Honda while attending IUPUI, and now works for Honda as a New Model Quality Engineer in Dublin, Ohio. Craig graduated from IU Bloomington in 2013 from the IU School of Informatics. He now lives in Southport and works for the USPS as a mail carrier.

Connie recently received a Master Gardener Certification that required training in multiple areas of horticulture, exams, and volunteering. She is currently completing her volunteer hours as a Master Gardener Intern and is also a Notary.

Photo of Myron Duff — Myron C. Duff, Jr.

Myron C. Duff, Jr., Director of Workforce Readiness and Program Development at the IUPUI Office of Community Engagement, has been a staff member at IUPUI since 1997.

His first positions as Assistant Director of Admissions and Senior Academic Advisor were at the Student Support Services program in University College from 1997-2000. He returned to IUPUI in 2006 as a staff member. Myron hopes to retire from IUPUI with at least 30 years of service.

His current work focuses on the Near West of Indianapolis and Workforce Development. Myron refers to his responsibilities in the office as his day and night jobs. By day, he is the Director of Workforce Readiness & Program Development. He is also the convener and community builder for the Near West neighborhood, for which he is often attending evening and weekend neighborhood meetings.

Myron is currently working on a doctorate degree in Urban Education Studies with a minor in Adult Education at the IUPUI School of Education. He hopes to defend his dissertation by the end of the year.

Myron says, “One of the biggest reasons why IUPUI is so important to me is because I was actually born on this campus in Coleman Hall. At that time, it was the city’s only women’s hospital.”

Photo of Kristin Norris — Kristin Norris

Kristin Norris, Director of Assessment at the IUPUI Office of Community Engagement, grew up in the City of Lawrence and came to IUPUI on a volleyball scholarship in 1996 when IUPUI athletic teams were known as the Metros. Upon completion of her master’s degree, Kristin took a Visiting Lecturer position in Tourism, Convention, and Event Management (TCEM) while pursuing her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration.

Photo of Kristin Norris with volleyball teammates in Alaska in 1997. — Kristin Norris with volleyball teammates in Alaska 1997. The team played University of Alaska – Anchorage and University of Alaska – Fairbanks.

Kristin says, “I remember what campus was like and witnessed much of the growth of this city during my childhood.”

She is grateful for the opportunities she was given to pursue her first passion (volleyball) and her “quest for life-long learning at IUPUI.”

Her professional career at IUPUI has put her in contact with faculty and staff across the campus who work in and with the community to address society’s greatest challenges. “Hearing our faculty’s commitment, passion, and purpose-driven life inspires me to continue to give to IUPUI,” says Kristin.

“I was proud of what IUPUI stood for, which is what enticed me to attend as an athlete.” Kristin says. “But today, I’m impressed by the people of IUPUI, what they can accomplish in partnership with others, and why they persist.”

Kristin hopes to see some of her former teammates at IUPUI’s alumni match on April 13.

Photo of Kayla Nunnally — Kayla Nunnally

Kayla Nunnally, is Program Manager of Tutoring, Mentoring, College and Career Programming and the IU Indiana Kids program at the IUPUI Office of Community Engagement. Kayla is a first generation student who did not think she would go to college.

As an undergrad at IUPUI, she served as a tutor and mentor for K-12 students in local schools for six years. She is currently working on a master’s degree in the Urban Education program at IUPUI School of Education.

Kayla says, “Not only attending IUPUI but working here as well means a lot to me and is another reason IUPUI is so special to me!”

Shari Parker, Program Manager for Special Events and Outreach at IUPUI Office of Community Engagement, moved to Indianapolis in the spring of 1993 with full intentions of continuing her education at IUPUI after receiving an Associates of Science Degree at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Initially, she went a different direction as a bartender and waiter at TGI Fridays. After a couple of years, she found an office job and settled into life.

In 2001, Shari started looking for new career opportunities. In April 2001, she finally made her way onto the IUPUI campus after 8 years to begin her career as an Executive Assistant to the Director at the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research in the IU School of Medicine. She worked there for 8 years and transferred to the newly formed Center for Diabetes Research as the Research Administrative Coordinator. In the fall of 2014, she began working as the Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for the Office of Community Engagement.

After 17 years on campus, Shari applied and was accepted to IUPUI as a student. She is currently seeking a bachelor’s degree in the General Studies program with a minor in event planning. Shari is proud to have earned a 3.9 grade-point average in her first semester.

Shari also shares why she loves Riley Hospital for Children. In 2002, she was pregnant with very high-risk twins. On August 7, she gave birth 3 months prematurely, losing one twin and the other being born in critical condition. She delivered at IU Hospital and the living twin, Braedon, was rushed to Riley Hospital for Children. He spent 11 weeks in the NICU at Riley fighting for his life.

Because of the amazing experience they had with Riley and their willingness to tell his incredible success story, she and Braedon were invited to speak at the annual Riley Hospital telethon when Braedon was 3 years old. That progressed to being invited to do radio interviews with several Indiana radio stations during their radiothons to raise money for Riley Hospital. They have spoken at more than 100 dance marathons all over the state of Indiana, including participating in Jagathon for the past 6 years. Shari and Braedon have had the opportunity to speak or participate in many other Riley events, such as the Indianapolis Air Show, the Don Schumacher Racing annual bowling event, Indianapolis 500, car shows, and more, and Braedon even sang the national anthem at the Miracle Ride.

Shari’s daughter, Hannah, who was 4 when Braedon was born, was so impacted by her time at Riley visiting her brother that she started the first ever Whiteland Community High School Dance Marathon in 2013, which is one of Jagathon’s participating high schools.

Photo of Vernon Williams — Vernon Williams

Vernon Williams, Communications & Community Engagement Strategist at the IUPUI Office of Community Engagement, is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington in the IU School of Journalism. Prior to joining the IUPUI staff, he served as national president of the IU Neal-Marshall Alumni Club.

“Indiana University is the most transformational experience of my adult life. That is the source of my commitment to giving back through vigorous alumni volunteerism,” he said. Vernon has received the IUAA President’s Award and the IUPUI Outstanding Alumni Award, as well as the IU Group’s Program Covered Bridge Award.

He started as Assistant to the former Chancellor Charles Bantz for Communications. “That was an exceptional year in my career,” Vernon said.

When Dr. Bantz transitioned from that office, incoming Chancellor Nasser Paydar asked him to join the Office of Community Engagement – consistent with his background of communication and deep community involvement.

“It was an opportunity of a lifetime, working with visionary and influential Vice Chancellor Amy Conrad Warner and her incredible staff,” Vernon said.

Vernon says his position is “constantly evolving in efforts to create experiences that maximize the impact of IUPUI on the community and beyond.”

“My dedication is to doing whatever I can to help tell the IUPUI story, building rapport off campus, contribute to student opportunities to enroll at IUPUI and, most importantly, play whatever role possible in student success as they transition from graduation to outstanding careers and citizenship,” he said.

You can support our efforts in the community

Posted on April 8, 2019 by anposick

You can support programs that focus on improving community members’ lives.

IU Day is a day to celebrate and support the multitude of connections between IU and the world, including the impact of community engagement. Students from all IU campuses are actively engaging with their communities every day.

At IUPUI, this is a key focus of our office, the Office of Community Engagement. When you support us, you are supporting our mission to cultivate knowledge, relationships, and resources through collaboration that contributes to healthy and vibrant communities.

Your support allows us to offer our assistance to local communities’ efforts to improve their neighborhoods.

When you donate to our Tutoring and Mentoring Program Support Fund, you help us support tutoring programs at IPS School 48, a community school IUPUI has partnered with for years.

Photo of IUPUI student tutoring elementary school student.

When you give to our Family, School, and Neighborhood Engagement Fund, you are helping support workforce readiness programs, which offer scholarships for community members in underserved neighborhoods.

Your donations support community members building their skill sets by taking classes to become a patient access specialist or pharmacy tech, and in the future to work in medical billing and coding.

And when you donate to our Community Forums Fund, you are supporting programs offered through the SOURCE River West Entrepreneurship Center that support Near West businesses and start-ups.

Photo of check being presented to winning entrepreneur.

Learn more about our work in the community by visiting our website.

And if you want to support our efforts, click here to donate. You can support any of our funds by typing the name (in bold above) into the search feature.

IU School of Education Assistant Professor awarded for outstanding scholarship of engagement by Campus Compact

Posted on March 22, 2019 by tfrancis

In February, Indiana Campus Compact awarded Dr. Cristina Santamaría Graff, Assistant Professor of Special Education at the IU School of Education at IUPUI, with the 2019 Douglas Hiltunen Award.

Presented at the 9^th Annual Service Engagement Summit and Awards Gala, the award, established in 2000 to honor the late Indiana Campus Compact staff member, Brian Douglas Hiltunen, recognizes faculty who are exemplars of the scholarship of engagement.

These faculty members are leaders in the field and they share their knowledge with colleagues, students, and the community.

Santamaría Graff joins a list of 23 distinguished engaged scholars from across Indiana who have been awarded the Hiltunen Award in its 19-year history.

She is a former bilingual education and bilingual special education teacher who is currently interested in the ways in which culture, language, and ability intersect in school systems. Through her community-based research project Family as Faculty (FAF), families are positioned as experts or “faculty.” They co-plan and teach special education university courses centered on families’ issues, rights, and challenges in special education.

“I desire for FAF models to be conceptualized more broadly as tangible approaches to creating school-based mechanisms for integrating families as mutual partners with school leaders and centering family leadership as a driving force for how, when, where, and why specific decisions are made for students,” Santamaría Graff said.

Her experience as a fifth grade student teacher in Mexico City in a B-CLAD (Bi-lingual, Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development) program through California State University, Long Beach, showed her the importance of ensuring her classroom was “an inclusive and welcoming space for all students and their families.” Despite being a new teacher, she was welcomed as a community member, teacher, and in some cases, family. So, when she returned back to the States, she remembered that experience and it became personal, because her father is from Coahuila, México, where “being welcomed ‘formally’ into a school community was an integral part of one’s socialization as a ‘member’ of that community,” Santamaría Graff said. These experiences led to her current work.

Laura Weaver, Director of Programs and Member Development at Campus Compact said, “Her teaching and research, which not only centers around Latinx immigrant families of children with disabilities, but is also in authentic partnerships with them, strives to ensure that the students in her courses are learning to approach teacher education through the lens of compassionate action and critical praxis.”

Weaver adds, “It has been my pleasure to work with Cristina over the past two years during her time as an Indiana Campus Compact Faculty Fellow and have witnessed not only her dedication to the field and her students, but especially to her community partners and her partnering families.”

Santamaría Graff said, “I am greatly appreciative to be honored by an award that recognizes service to the community. She added, “However, this is a shared honor and has more to do with the families with whom I work and collaborate than it does with any individual accomplishments or recognitions. This honor means that families of children with disabilities are being recognized as strong and powerful leaders who embody the values inherent in transformative change: integrity, respect for self and others, compassion, empathy, tenacity, and an uncompromising passion for fairness and equity.”