Ohio State Engages April 2024 Newsletter

Colleagues,

We are excited to announce the 2024 University Outreach and Engagement Award-winning programs, faculty and staff. New to this years award competition is our Programs of Excellence in Engaged Scholarship for which 18 programs that demonstrated characteristics of high-impact engaged scholarship were selected. These programs were identified due to their sustainability and longevity, robust reciprocity and their positive impact and contribution to building community partners' capacity while providing educational opportunities for students.

Our 2024 Programs of Excellence are an impressive example of the breadth and diversity of engaged scholarship across our university. They represent eight of the universitys colleges and operate in central Ohio, throughout the state and abroad. They include methods of engaged scholarship ranging from creative expression to citizen science, capstone courses and community based participatory research. Programs serve a variety of critical community needs such as sustainability, public health, health care delivery, social service delivery, youth development and workforce development.

Congratulations to all of our 2024 award-winning programs, faculty and staff. Thank you for your contribution to our university and our community!

Sincerely,

Jason Reece
Vice Provost for Urban Research and
Community Engagement
Office of Academic Affairs

University Outreach and Engagement Award recipients announced

Congratulations to the 2024 University Outreach and Engagement Award recipients! The awards honor faculty, staff and community partners for outstanding achievement in producing engaged scholarship and community impact. Awards were given in the following categories: Community Engaged Scholar, Community Engaged Practitioner and Community Partnership.

2024 Programs of Excellence in Engaged Scholarship

To support and promote high-impact engaged scholarship, the Office of Outreach and Engagement has instituted a process to certify programs of excellence in engaged scholarship. The certification process seeks to identify and certify projects annually that demonstrate excellence in community engaged scholarship and meet the criteria of high-impact engaged scholarship. Congratulations to the 2024 Programs of Excellence in Engaged Scholarship!

Engaged Scholar Q&A: Mary Thomas and Tiyi Morris

Mary Thomas and Tiyi Morris are the faculty directors of the Ohio Prison Education Exchange Project (OPEEP). OPEEP's mission is to provide higher educational opportunities at several central Ohio adult prison facilities, bring Ohio State's campus students to learn side-by-side with incarcerated students, and inform a wide range of campus and local communities about the harmful impacts of mass incarceration.

$2 million Mellon Foundation grant will expand arts outreach and integration

The Ohio State University received a $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to support community engagement through the arts. The grants intended long-term outcomes include strengthening Ohio States partnerships with community arts and cultural organizations in Columbus, bolstering a cross-sector career support system for arts students and visual and performing artists in central Ohio, and increasing opportunities for engagement with the arts at all five of Ohio States campuses.

Dancing Stories: Comings, Goings and Finding Home

Ohio State's Artist Laureate, Dr. Nyama McCarthy-Brown, brought her new production "Dancing Stories: Comings, Goings, and Finding Home" to Ohio State's Lima and Mansfield campuses. The show features a collection of dances that uplift themes of identity and inclusion and by expanding ideas around who gets to dance.

Roger Williams builds connections between Ohio State, Chinese universities

Roger Williams is a connector. As the academic director of the China Gateway, he fosters collaboration among faculty and staff at Ohio State and partners in China. An associate professor of forest ecosystem analysis and management in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, Williams has been working internationally on forestry issues in China since 1992.

Opportunities

Faculty Networks Year-End Celebration

Come enjoy an opportunity to unwind, connect with colleagues and celebrate the triumphs of the past year at the 2024 Faculty Networks Year-End Celebration. Attendees are welcome to bring a guest. All faculty are invited and Faculty Network membership is not required. The event will take place May 7 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Faculty Club.

"Spark" grants for arts engagement

Over the next three years, the Office of Outreach and Engagement will offer "Spark" grants to Ohio State faculty, students and staff. Funded by the Mellon Foundation, grants will support arts engagement projects, especially those done in partnership with communities served by our regional campuses. During this first year of the program, grants will be funded to a maximum of $25,000. Applications are due April 12.

April STEAM Exchange F.A.I.L.: Faculty Achievement thru Innovation and Learning

With the help of faculty hosts, participants at the April STEAM Exchange event will explore how academics can reframe professional, occupational and personal setbacks as useful experiences that generate learning. Faculty speakers at diverse career stages will share anecdotes of learning through problems and failures and how to incorporate these experiences in ones professional narrative. Also, attendees will be invited to share their own "fails" in an open-mic format. The event will take place April 18 from 6-8 p.m.

ESC Engaged Scholarship Research/Creative Activities Grants

Conducting scholarship that is mutually beneficial for both university scholars and communities is the very foundation of engaged scholarship. Through the Engaged Scholarship Research/Creative Activities Grants Program, the Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) is providing financial support that helps facilitate positive outcomes for both scholars and communities. Faculty and staff from ESC member institutions may apply for up to $5,000 to fund a one-year project. Collaborative projects among faculty and/or staff from more than one discipline and/or at more than one university are encouraged. Applications are due May 3. Ohio State is a member of ESC.

Volunteer for the Ohio Science Olympiad State Tournament

The 2024 Ohio Science Olympiad State Tournament will be hosted by Ohio State (sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs) on April 27. With more than 2,500 competitors, families and coaches, volunteer support is needed to produce a successful event. All volunteers will receive a complimentary lunch and dinner and an event T-shirt.

Register for the SciAccess 2024 Conference

SciAccess is an Ohio State-born 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing disability inclusion and equity in STEM education, outreach and research. At the SciAccess 2024 Conference, you can connect with a global community of educators, scientists, students, disability advocates and industry leaders to discuss best practices in accessible STEM. The conference will be held virtually on May 10-11. Attendance is free and open to the public.

Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship

The Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship Program supports faculty members seeking to improve their area studies and foreign language skills by conducting research abroad for periods of three to 12 months. The program is designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States. The application deadline is April 16. All interested faculty must contact Joanna Kukielka-Blaser at kukielka-blaser.1@osu.edu to register interest.

Find resources, training and support for digital accessibility

Digital accessibility is the practice of making digital information and services such as websites, electronic documents, applications and audio/video files useable by people on different devices with different abilities. Ohio State is committed to digital accessibility and has coordinators for each unit serving as a dedicated resource for faculty, staff, students and visitors. For more information, visit the Digital Accessibility Services website for training and resources and to find your unit's digital accessibility coordinator.

Make connections with the Outreach and Engagement listserv

Did you know you can connect with colleagues through the Outreach and Engagement listserv? You can share your work and events, look for partnerships and much more by emailing the list at outreach@lists.osu.edu.

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