Ohio State Engages May 2025 Newsletter

Colleagues,

As spring semester ends, we are pleased to share this years Outreach and Engagement grant awardees. We have selected 10 recipients for our Documenting Impact Grants and 10 recipients for our new Community Engaged Graduate Student Research Seed Grants. Our 20 grantees represent nine different colleges across the university, demonstrating the diverse academic disciplines of our engaged scholars. This years competition was highly competitive with a very strong pool of proposals, and we wish to congratulate the 2025 grant award winners.

We are also excited to share the inaugural cohort of faculty selected for the Engaged Scholars Academy. The scholars will participate in our advanced professional development program and will work together over the 2025-26 academic year. Congratulations to our academy scholars!

And congratulations to all for completing spring semester, and wishing everyone a productive and rejuvenating summer.

Sincerely,

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

Outreach and Engagement Documenting Impact Grant recipients selected

The Office of Outreach and Engagement has selected 10 recipients for the 2025 Documenting Impact Grants program. Grants support program evaluation and impact reports for community-engaged research or community-engaged projects, in collaboration with a community partner, that address a specific need or problem within the community.

Faculty named to inaugural cohort of the Engaged Scholars Academy

Sixteen faculty members have been named to the Engaged Scholars Academy. The academy is a one-year, cohort-based leadership and professional development initiative that supports faculty at the ranks of assistant and associate professor in strengthening their engaged scholarship.

Carter asks university to prepare to pivot toward future of higher education at Patterson Lecture

At 1,100 feet long, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is larger than the Empire State building and displaces more than 100,000 tons of water. Yet, when absolutely needed, the carrier can pivot 180 degrees in the ocean in less than 5 minutes. At the Patterson Land-Grant Lecture on April 17, Ohio State President Walter Ted Carter Jr. used that metaphor to encourage the campus community to engage in a similar pivot as higher education continues to face headwinds.

10 chosen for Graduate Student Engaged Scholar Seed Grants

Congratulations to those selected for 2025 Graduate Student Engaged Scholar Seed Grants! The grants support graduate students to undertake community-engaged research or community-engaged projects, in collaboration with a community partner, that address a specific need or problem within the community.

Community Connector Q&A: Terron Banner

"In my role, I've witnessed how community engagement transforms not just the community, but the university itself," said Dr. Terron Banner, lecturer in the Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy and manager of community learning and experience at the Urban Arts Space. "When we approach partnerships with humility and reciprocity, we create opportunities for knowledge exchange that enriches academic discourse with lived experience."

Awards and Programs of Excellence celebrated

University Outreach and Engagement Award recipients and Programs of Excellence in Engaged Scholarship designees were celebrated at a recognition event on April 30. Congratulations to all of our recipients and designees!

More community engagement news

• Ohio State students, leaders mark Monda Student Resource Center opening
• $20M mental health and resilience SOAR Study enrolling across western Ohio
• Ohio States athletic training expands to ROTC and Sheriffs Office
• Ohio State Extension course supports rising interest in backyard poultry

Opportunities

Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop

The Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop is part of the Engagement Scholarship Consortiums (ESC) 2025 pre-conference program, taking place Oct. 6-7 in Roanoke, Virginia. This intensive professional development program provides advanced doctoral students and early career faculty with background literature, facilitated discussion, mentoring, and presentations designed to increase their knowledge and enhance their practice of community-engaged scholarship. The application deadline is June 30. Ohio State is a member of ESC.

Apply now for a CTSI Spark Award

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute offers Spark Awards to help kick-start research efforts. The Spark Awards are designed to enable preliminary work and generate essential data for both new and ongoing projects. These awards are intended to provide investigators with the resources they need to effectively advance their research. Submit your application by May 15.

Postdoc opportunities board for resources and open positions

A coalition of postdoc offices from 18 institutions has created the Postdoc Opportunities Board to promote postdoc recruitment. Use this free resource to recruit exceptional candidates for your open postdoc position. Also, please share the resources with your current students and advisees who may be seeking postdoc opportunities.

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.