Contact: Emily Springer, Communication Manager, Communication and Information Technology, University Outreach and Engagement, sprin116@msu.edu

Michigan State University’s Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship, housed in the Office of University Outreach and Engagement, launched the Community-Engaged Research Fellows Program this fall, in partnership with the Diversity Research Network and the Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development.

The Fellows Program offers MSU faculty and academic staff the opportunity to strengthen community-engaged research (CER) skills, develop CER projects in partnership with communities, and produce scholarly products. Participants are competitively selected from those who respond to an annual university-wide call for applications.

“As part of a research-intensive university, UOE takes great pride in its collaborative approach to community-engaged research,” said Kwesi Brookins, vice provost for University Outreach and Engagement. “The Fellows Program aligns with MSU’s mission of advancing outreach, engagement, and economic development activities by providing faculty and academic staff with skills to navigate the aspects of community-engaged research.”

The eight fellows selected, include:

• Celeste Campos-Castillo, College of Communication Arts and Sciences
• Natoshia Cunningham, College of Human Medicine
• Jonne McCoy White, College of Human Medicine
• Consuelo Morales, College of Education
• Carla Pfeffer, College of Social Science
• Michelle T. Pham, College of Human Medicine
• Elizabeth Schultheis, Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Natural Science
• Tayler Ulbrich, Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Natural Science

The year-long program will include monthly workshops focusing on applying learned concepts to scholarship in their respective fields, disciplines, or departments. The program also provides stipends to participants and mentors, and limited additional funds to support the collaborations.

Each fellow will be paired with a senior MSU faculty mentor to advise and guide them toward successful and impactful CER. At the end of the program, fellows are expected to co-design a CER project in partnership with community members or create scholarly products related to CER, such as grant proposals, community-based participatory research pilot studies, or submitted peer-reviewed research articles.

“It is our hope that the pilot year of the Fellows Program will be a positive experience for all participants,” Brookins said. “There is a great amount of impactful, life-changing research being done at MSU, and we look forward to seeing the excellent community-engaged research that comes from this group and those who participate in the program in the future.”

Please direct questions about the Community-Engaged Research Fellows Program to program lead, Miles McNall, director for community-engaged research, Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship, University Outreach and Engagement.