June 19, 2024
Michigan Sea Grant Honors MSU's Doberneck with Exemplary Partnership Award
Contact: Emily Springer, Communication Manager, Communication and Information Technology, University Outreach and Engagement, sprin116@msu.edu
Doberneck (second from left) pictured with fellow award winners
EAST LANSING, MI—Diane Doberneck, director for faculty and professional development with the Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship (OPES), was recently recognized with the Van Snider Award for Distinguished Partnership by Michigan Sea Grant (MISG). OPES is a department of MSU’s University Outreach and Engagement.
MISG is a cooperative program of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration to fund research, outreach, and education projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of Great Lakes resources.
The Van Snider Award recognizes individuals who represent exemplary partnership with MISG. According to MISG, Doberneck has been a powerful ally in the organization’s commitment to training the next generation of community-engaged scholars and practitioners.
“The Van Snider Award for Distinguished Partnership is a testament to the broad impact of Diane’s expertise in the scholarship of community engagement,” said Kwesi Brookins, vice provost for University Outreach and Engagement (UOE). “Her support has helped bolster MISG’s mission to protect and foster healthy Great Lakes coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies.”
Doberneck has partnered with MISG since 2015, providing MSU graduate students an opportunity to grow as community-engaged scholars through the program.
In 2017, MISG and Doberneck hosted a weeklong community engagement training for graduate students, fellows, and faculty in aquatic sciences. The training was held again in 2019 through the Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health. As a result of the collaborative engagement training, MISG’s work was published in Fisheries, Community Science, and the Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education.
Doberneck provides leadership for UOE’s faculty and staff professional development programs for graduate students, post-docs, academic staff, tenure-track faculty, administrators, and community partners. This programming spans a continuum of low, mid, and high involvement learning opportunities; includes virtual resources and workshops; emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion; and is informed by and generative of scholarship. She is also a nationally recognized speaker on the scholarship of engagement and frequently consults with colleges and universities about institutional support for community engagement.
