Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship
Community-Engaged Scholarship is integral to the academic endeavor and to the institution-wide mission of a land-grant university. It is defined as the collaborative and mutually beneficial, creative exchange of knowledge and resources between the University and the community (local, regional/state, national, or global) in order to:
- enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity;
- enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning;
- provide life-transformative educational experiences;
- prepare educated, engaged citizens;
- promote social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusivity;
- strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility;
- address critical societal issues;
- and contribute to the public good.
The Provost’s Awards recognize the significant efforts of faculty, students, staff, teams, and community partners who work collaboratively to address important community issues.
Each awardee will be recognized for their exemplary work in Public Engagement and will:
- Receive an appropriately inscribed plaque.
- Have their name engraved on the Plaque of Awardees, located in the Office of the Provost, Gulley Hall.
- Be featured in future special feature articles and highlights through other UConn communication platforms and external news sources.
Nominations are due in the Spring semester and the exact date will be listed here when available. Self-nominations are not accepted. Please contact provost@uconn.edu with any questions.
Faculty Categories
Research Category
- Distinguished Scholar Research Award – One award may be given for lifetime, sustained, or career achievements in community engaged scholarship activities.
- Emerging Scholar Research Award – One award may be given for early career community engaged scholarship activities.
Teaching Category
- Distinguished Instructor Award - One award may be given for lifetime, sustained, or career achievements in community engaged instruction (e.g., Service Learning and other pedagogical models for partnering with community stakeholders).
- Emerging Instructor Award - One award may be given for early career achievements in community engaged instruction (e.g., Service Learning and other pedagogical models for partnering with community stakeholders).
Team Category
- Faculty Team Award – One faculty team award may be given for community engaged scholarship activities. The team must be multidisciplinary and comprised of at least two UConn faculty from different departments/schools. The focus of the team can be on research, teaching, or both.
Eligibility
All faculty members (tenure track, clinical, in-residence, extension, or research) with at least a 50% appointment at the University who have demonstrated significant individual contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished University community engaged scholarship are eligible for these awards. For purposes of these awards, distinguished public engagement is a direct extension of an individual’s to the public and non-profit sector. Individuals who have received an individual community engaged scholarship award in previous years are not eligible to receive the award again in future years.
Engagement or service resulting in monetary gain (private consulting) is not considered community engaged scholarship, nor is work that is performed (membership in local service clubs, for example) or as an elected public official.
Evaluation Criteria
The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria in performing community engaged scholarship:
- Sustained leadership (for the emerging faculty awards, a minimum of two years at UConn; for the distinguished faculty awards 10 years at UConn) in working with the public and/or with external organizations;
- Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities via research and/or the educational experience of students;
- Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge;
- Evidence of the impact on the community served;
- Demonstrated intellectual, professional, personal, and/or career growth as a result of the experience;
- Demonstrated level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected; and
- Evidence of impact on scholarship/research (Research Award), instruction and curriculum development (Instructor Award), or evidence of national significance in the field or community.
Staff Categories
Individual Category
- Distinguished Staff Award – One award may be given for lifetime, sustained, or career achievements in community engaged scholarship activities.
- Emerging Staff Award – One award may be given for early career community engaged scholarship activities.
Team Category
- Staff Team Award – One staff team award may be given for community engaged scholarship activities. The team must be comprised of at least two UConn staff.
Eligibility
All staff and non-faculty research associates with at least a 50% appointment at the University who have demonstrated significant individual contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished University community engaged scholarship are eligible for these awards. For purposes of these awards, distinguished community engaged scholarship is a direct extension of an individual’s University role to the public and non-profit sector.
Individuals who have received an individual community engaged scholarship award in previous years are not eligible to receive the award again in future years.
Engagement or service resulting in monetary gain (private consulting) is not considered community engaged scholarship, nor is work that is performed (membership in local service clubs, for example) or as an elected public official.
Evaluation Criteria
The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a nominee meets the following criteria in performing community engaged scholarship:
- Sustained leadership (for the emerging awards, a minimum of two years at UConn, for the distinguished awards 10 years at UConn) in working with the public and/or with external organizations;
- Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities;
- Documented excellence in extending University or community knowledge;
- Evidence of the impact on the community served;
- Demonstrated intellectual, professional, personal, and/or career growth as a result of the experience; and
- Demonstrated level of responsibility that goes above and beyond what is expected.
Student Categories
Individual Category
- Undergraduate Student Award – One award may be given to an undergraduate student for community engaged scholarship activities.
- Graduate or Professional Student Award – One award may be given to a graduate or professional student for community engaged scholarship activities.
Team Category
- Student Team Award – One student team award may be given for community engaged scholarship activities. The team should be comprised of at least two students (undergraduate and/or graduate), and at least one member of the team must be a faculty or staff member at University of Connecticut. The majority of the team members must be students.
Eligibility
All current undergraduate and graduate/professional students who have demonstrated significant individual contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished University community engaged scholarship are eligible for public engagement awards. For purposes of these awards, distinguished public engagement is a direct extension of an individual’s University role to the public and non-profit sector.
Individuals who have received an individual community engaged scholarship award in previous years are not eligible to receive the award again in future years.
Engagement or service resulting in monetary gain (private consulting) is not considered community engaged scholarship, nor is work that is performed outside of an individual’s University role (membership in local service clubs, for example) or as an elected public official.
Evaluation Criteria
Individual Award for Students
The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a student nominee meets the following criteria in performing community engaged scholarship activities:
- Sustained leadership (a minimum of two semesters) with responsibilities that have progressively increased over time;
- Innovative and/or entrepreneurial ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities;
- Evidence of the impact on a community served; and
- Demonstrated intellectual, educational, or professional, and personal development as a result of the experience.
Team Award for Students
The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a nominated team meets the following criteria in performing community engaged scholarship activities:
- Sustained leadership (a minimum of two semesters) in working with the public and/or with external organizations;
- Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities;
- Documented excellence in extending University knowledge;
- Evidence of the impact on the community served;
- Evidence of impact on scholarship/research, instruction and curriculum development, or evidence of national significance in the field or community; and
- Consideration will be given to projects that encourage participation from multiple stakeholders.
Community Category
- Community Partner – One award may be given to a community individual, organization, or group who has worked collaboratively with University of Connecticut on community engaged scholarship activities that demonstrate significant impact.
Eligibility
Members of the community who, in collaboration with University of Connecticut, have demonstrated significant contributions to the local community, state, nation, or world through distinguished community engaged scholarship are eligible for this award. Community partners who have received this award in the previous 5 years are not eligible.
Evaluation Criteria
The selection committee will evaluate nominations on the degree to which a community partner nominee meets the following criteria in performing community engaged scholarship activities:
- Sustained activity with University of Connecticut (minimum of two years) that involves work with the public and/or with external organizations;
- Innovative ways of working for the well-being of citizens and communities and the educational experience of University of Connecticut students; and
- Evidence of impact on the community served.
All nomination materials are due to provost@uconn.edu by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Nomination materials
- For faculty, staff, and student categories
- Nomination Form (PDF)
- A letter of support from someone other than the nominator, that provides a description of achievement including examples to support claims.
- For individual categories: A concise CV/resume that summarizes honors, articles, press, etc. of the engagement work that provides background and addresses the specific award description. No more than 2 pages.
- For team categories: A program description (do not include individual CVs of team members). No more than 2 pages.
- For community partners
- Nomination Form (PDF)
- A letter of support from someone other than the nominator, that provides a description of achievement including examples to support claims.
- A summary of the collaborative relationship with University of Connecticut, and the engagement work conducted as part of that relationship. No more than 2 pages.
All nominations will be reviewed by the Outreach & Engagement Advisory Committee.
- Review criteria includes:
-
- Alignment with the University’s mission and goals;
- Demonstrating service or contribution over a sustained period and beyond the normal expectations of the faculty, staff, student, or community partner’s role;
- Evidence of exceptionalism in partnership/project;
- Evidence of the impact on a community served; and
- Enhancing the reputation of the University as actively engaged with the region and the communities it serves
Recommendations will be submitted to the Provost who will then render the final decision as to the recipients of the awards.
2022 RECIPIENTS
Graduate Award
Anna Marie LaChance
Chemical Engineering
School of Engineering
Emerging Staff Award
Marina Creed
Multiple Sclerosis Center
Department of Neurology at UConn Health
Distinguished Staff Award
Kylene Perras
Assistant Dean for Administrative Operations and Strategic Initiatives
School of Engineering
Emerging Faculty Teaching Award
Valeria Gomez
School of Law
The Graduate School
Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award
Stacey Brown
Public Health Sciences
UConn Health
Emerging Faculty Research Award
Kristen Cooksey Stowers
Allied Health Sciences
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Distinguished Faculty Research Award
Mary Bernstein
Sociology
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Faculty Team Award
INCLUDE
Team Members:
- Marisa Chrysochoou (PI), Professor, Department Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Amvrossios Bagtzoglou (co-PI), Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Peter Diplock (co-PI), Assistant Vice Provost for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL)
- Rachael Gabriel (co-PI), Associate Professor, Neag, EDCI
- Arash Zaghi (co-PI), Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Sarira Motaref, Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Shinae Jang, Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Connie Syharat, Research Assistant & Project Manager, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Student Team Award
Department of Geography COVID-19 Mapping
Team Members:
- Debarchana Ghosh, Professor, Department of Geography
- Adam Gallaher, Doctoral Student, Geography
- Ashley Benitez Ou, Doctoral Student, Geography
- Aaron Adams, Doctoral Student, Geography
2021 RECIPIENTS
Undergraduate Award
Maria Kelly
Law, Social Justice, and the Family
Graduate Award
Amanda Bruce
Department of Natural Resources
College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Staff Award
Charlotte Nelson
Department of Psychological Sciences
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Emerging Faculty Teaching Award
Sohyun Park
Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award
Fiona Vernal
Africana Studies Institute
Department of History
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Distinguished Faculty Research Award
Emmanouil Anagnostou
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Eversource Energy Endowed Chair in Environmental Engineering
Director of the Eversource Energy Center
School of Engineering
Student Team Award
School of Pharmacy Student COVID-19 Vaccination Education Team
Student Team Members:
- Adlin Garcia Betancourt (Pharm.D., ’23)
- Hiu Lan Chan (Pharm.D., ’23)
- Bailey Conkey (Pharm.D., ’23)
- Roshica Dehaney (Pharm.D., ’23)
- Madeleine Depinho (Pharm.D., ’22)
- Kyra Durfee (Pharm.D.,’22 )
- Xin Dong (Pharm.D., ‘24)
- Isabella Hernandez (Pharm.D., ’23)
- Kylie Price (Pharm.D., ’23)
- Cara Rotatori (Pharm.D., ’22)
- Jasmine Tankard (Pharm.D., ’21)
- Lindsey Taupier (Pharm.D., ’22)
- Alex Theriault (Pharm.D., ’23)
- Leanne Varga (Pharm.D., ’22)
- Lyla White (B.S. ’25, Pharm.D. ’27)
Faculty and Staff Team Members:
- Michael White, Department Head and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice
- Diana Sobieraj, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice
- Jennifer Girotto, Clinical Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice
- Grzegorz Rdzak, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice
- Karin Whiting Burgess, Publicity/Marketing Administrator, School of Pharmacy
Faculty Team Award
Environment Corps (E-Corps)
Team Members:
- Chester Arnold, Educator, Department of Extension and Director, Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR)
- Carol Atkinson-Palombo, Professor, Department of Geography
- Juliana Barrett, Extension Educator, CT Sea Grant and Department of Extension
- Nefeli Bompoti, Assistant Research Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Mark A. Boyer, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Department of Geography
- Rebecca A. Campbell-Montalvo, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
- Todd Campbell, Department Head and Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
- Marisa Chrysochoou, Department Head and Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Hannah Cooke, Research Assistant and PhD candidate, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
- David Dickson, Educator, Department of Extension and CLEAR
- Michael Dietz, Educator, Department of Extension and CLEAR, and Director, Connecticut Institute for Water Resources (CIWR)
- Peter Diplock, Associate Vice Provost, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)
- Keith Esch, Science Education Researcher, Horizon Research Inc.
- Bruce Hyde, Educator, Department of Extension and CLEAR
- Gladis Kersaint, Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives
- Suzanne LaFleur, Director of Faculty Development, CETL
- Byung-Yeol Park, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
- Joan Pasley, Vice President, Horizon Research Inc.
- Timothy Vadas, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Jason Vokoun, Department Head and Professor, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment
- John Volin, Provost, University of Maine
- Michael Willig, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Executive Director, Institute of the Environment