“This is a special time for us to lift up, identify, and salute those who are doing their part to help us in building and sustaining relationships between what we do here at The University of Alabama and throughout the community,” said Dr. George Daniels, associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media and chair of the Council’s Excellence in Community Engagement Recognition Committee. “Today we are focusing on the outstanding work that’s happening on the part of our faculty, on the part of our staff, on the part of our students, and, most importantly, on the part of our community partners when it comes to community-engaged scholarship.”

The day began with breakfast and an Engaged Scholarship Showcase where faculty, staff and students shared their research and experiences with community-engaged scholarship and teaching.

Before the luncheon, attendees had the opportunity to view research posters on display from UA faculty, staff and students. This year’s poster award recipients are Jennifer Baggett, Dr. Leigh Ann Bray Dayton, Dr. Janet Brown, Dr. Todd Davis, Savannah Frickey, Edwin Lee, Ella Marie Maggio, Jacob T. Peterson and Dr. Elisabetta Zengaro.

Dr. Drew Pearl, director of community engagement research and publications for the Center for Community-Based Partnerships, recognized the 2023–2024 cohorts of the Emerging Community Engagement Scholars, Community-Engaged Learning Fellows, and Public Engagement Learning Community.

Emily Locke, a doctoral student in anthropology and graduate research assistant to Pearl, followed, recognizing the 2023–2024 members of the SCOPE Leadership Academy, which seeks to develop students’ leadership in engaged scholarship.

The Council also awards seed funding, travel funding and graduate fellowships to support community-engaged research.

Seed funding was awarded for two projects:

• Dr. Luciana Giorgio, assistant professor of social work, for Hispanic Women’s Mental Health Photovoice Project
• Dr. Kristina McDonald, associate professor of psychology, for Leveraging Adolescent and Community Values and Strengths to Promote Healthy Relationships and Adolescent Well-Being

Dr. Sara Sanders, assistant research professor in the Department of Special Education and Multiple Abilities was the recipient of this year’s travel fund award to present her research at the Kent State University International Summit on Learning and Behavioral Health.

Three faculty members were awarded Graduate Fellowships for 2024–2025:

• Dr. Courtney Helfrecht, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, for Adiposity in Alabama’s adolescent athletes: Is it something in the water? Master’s student Morenike Samuel will assist Helfrecht.
• Dr. Kristina McDonald, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, for Leveraging adolescent and community values and strengths to promote healthy relationships and adolescent well-being. Doctoral student Korina Odom will assist McDonald.
• Dr. Jessica Wallace, Assistant Professor in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, for Using a multifaceted approach to understand concussion and improve brain health trajectories in adolescent football athletes in Alabama. Doctoral student Jihyun Oh will assist Wallace.

Sixteen individuals received Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship awards in three different areas.

Engaged Scholarship awardees included:

• Dr. Janet Brown and Dr. Leigh Ann Bray Dayton, both assistant professors in the Capstone College of Nursing, for On Track to Wellness
• Dr. Despina Stavrinos, professor and director of the Institute of Social Science Research, for Community Outreach Program for Teen Drivers
• Dr. Yuanzhen Shao, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, for MATHCOUNTS-Tuscaloosa
• Jennifer Baggett, student, for A Community-Engaged Approach to Technology for Senior Adults
• Gemma Hodgkiss, student, for Supporting Rural Health Care Through Pre-Med Student Partnerships
• Kenneth Kelly, student, for The Oakdale News
• Carly Titus, student, for the UA World Games
• Tesney Davis and the Tuscaloosa City Schools, community, for the New Heights Community Resource Center

Engaged Teaching and Learning awardees included:

• Dr. Serena Blount, associate director of undergraduate studies in the Department of English, for developing, nurturing, and sustaining new community learning engagements between community partners and students in the Department of English
• Dr. Steven Weinman, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, for his work to educate students and the surrounding community about converting waste plastic products into valuable secondary products

Civic Engagement awardees included:

• Rolland Grady and Emily Adcock, students, for their work in campus civic engagement
• Dr. Elle Shaaban-Magaña and Dr. Jaclyn Northrup, executive director and assistant director, respectively, the Women and Gender Resource Center, for their collaborative work with campus and community partners that seeks to empower women to not only be leaders in the campus community, but to also see themselves as civic leaders
• Dr. Irem Sengul Orgut, assistant director at the Institute of Data and Analytics in the Culverhouse College of Business, for her leadership related to the UPWARD (Underrepresented Populations Workgroup for Research and Development) Initiative.

Tanisia Tucker, a junior majoring in public health, received the 2024–2025 Zachary David Dodson Endowed Scholarship in recognition of her involvement with UA’s Center for Community-Based Partnerships’ community education programs.

The 2024 Distinguished Community-Engaged Scholar Award recipients are Dr. Carol Donovan, professor of Literacy Education and director of the Belser Parton Literacy Center; Ruchie Pathak, a doctoral student in the Department of Geography; and Judge Lillie Jones Osborne, community partner.

Bruce Behringer, retired deputy commissioner for continuous improvement and training for the Tennessee State Department of Health, received the Distinguished Special Achievement in Community Engagement award in recognition of his commitment to improving rural healthcare outcomes through the field of community-engaged scholarship.

This year’s graduating class featured participants from 39 schools across six districts. Throughout the school-year-long program, selected parents and teachers collaborated on partnership projects to support student learning outcomes. Posters summarizing their efforts were on display before the ceremony began.

“When you look around this room, you see families of all ages, educators and administrators, and what is making a difference is that we are coming together to support our schools and support our students,” said Andrea Ziegler, director for Community Education. “That is what is exciting about what we do in PTLA.”

During the ceremony, teams from Creek View Elementary, Greensboro High School, Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools – Elementary, Big Sandy Elementary and Davis-Emerson Middle School discussed more about their projects and the benefits of PTLA.

Karlee Ivey and Sherry Drake, teachers at Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools – Elementary School, discussed their project “Book Besties,” a mentoring program centered on reading, pairing first-grade students with fifth-grade students.

“These children are building relationships with kids in other classes, and we’ve even moved into the Middle School,” said Drake. “So, it’s been an amazing experience that everybody’s been looking forward to, and we took it from there with our parents. They had these great ideas of how to incorporate even more SEL (social emotional learning) education to the parents so that they understand why we’re doing this.”

Other projects aimed to increase parental involvement in the classroom, such as Parent Visitation Day at Big Sandy Elementary School, which welcomed parents into the classroom for them to be part of their child’s learning process.

“We should welcome [parents] with open arms because that’s how you make a great relationship with them and, also when something comes up, to have that relationship with them and be positive and say, ‘Hey, I know they can do this,’” said Jacob Rawson, a teacher at Big Sandy Elementary. “What a great atmosphere we create by doing that, and so we love what we did, and we can’t wait to keep doing it.”

Seven schools also received PTLA grants: Cottondale Elementary School, Creek View Elementary School, Greensboro High School, Martin Luther King, Jr., Elementary School, Mathews Elementary School, Skyland Elementary School and Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools – Elementary.

“These grants and projects are just the beginning,” Ziegler said in closing. “Everything that you’re working on and that you’re doing together is going to make a difference.”