The Engaged Scholar E-Newsletter - Volume 11 - Issue 2

December 2018 | Volume 11, Issue 2

Featured MSU Engaged Scholars

'I think community-engaged work allows students to see how music can function in a myriad of ways,' said Marcie Ray.

Marcie Ray, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Musicology
College of Music

Setting the Stage for Music Students through Social Engagement

Music has long been used as a vehicle for making social and political commentary. Unfortunately, sometimes the messages that are being conveyed affirm, or even promote, negative and harmful stereotypes and ideals.

As a musicologist in MSU's College of Music, Marcie Ray researches some of the negative messages around issues of gender and sexuality in music, such as in French Baroque opera of the 18^th century. But what if music could be used as a vehicle to engage in a positive way on societal issues, not just through performance, but through actual engagement in and with communities?

This is what Ray is seeking to help her students think about and put into action through the seminar courses she offers each year ... read more

Tracey Covassin is a co-director of the MSU Sports Injury Research Laboratory and leads the concussion research group, where she and her students focus on the neurocognitive and psychological effects of concussion.

Tracey Covassin, Ph.D., FNATA, AT, ATC
Professor, Department of Kinesiology
Undergraduate Athletic Training Program Director
College of Education

Impacts of Sports-related Concussions and High School Student Athletes

Concussions have long been a known risk factor for athletes who participate in hard-hitting contact sports like football and ice hockey. Impacts on the brain and the body have been in the media spotlight, especially because of stories from professional players and their families. It has triggered intense scrutiny about safety, but has also led to a slew of other questions pertaining to head injuries among men and women athletes across the sports spectrum.

Tracey Covassin leads the undergraduate athletic training program at MSU, and her major areas of study focus on sports-related concussion. Much of her work involves the diagnosis, treatment, and potential prevention of concussions for athletes. She and her students partner with athletic trainers to address standards of care for sports-related injuries, particularly concerning concussions. That includes outreach efforts such as research presentations and information sessions to address the concerns of parents, student athletes, coaches, and school administrators ... read more

Shelia Cotten was named an MSU Foundation professor in 2017. She has made significant contributions in the field of communication technology research.

Shelia R. Cotten, Ph.D.
MSU Foundation Professor
Department of Media and Information
College of Communication Arts and Sciences

Bringing New Technology and Old Industries Up to Speed: Workforce Study on Automated Vehicles Looks at the Future of the Transportation Industry

Currently, millions of Americans work as professional drivers, either transporting freight, making deliveries, or carrying passengers. As the technology for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) becomes reality, there are real questions—and real anxieties—as to how CAVs will affect those drivers in particular, but also the entire workforce.

The American Center for Mobility (ACM), a U.S. Department of Transportation designated testing and proving grounds for CAVs, is located on 500 acres adjacent to the historic Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. It provides facilities to companies to conduct testing, research, education, and product development related to CAVs. According to ACM's website, their goal is "to enable the rapid, safe development and deployment of future transportation systems by offering leading programs in testing, standards, and education as a national technology innovation center." ... read more

Looking for Community Partners

Collaboration and partnership with communities are at the core of engaged scholarship. In all of its work, University Outreach and Engagement emphasizes university-community partnerships that are collaborative, participatory, empowering, systemic, transformative, and anchored in scholarship. If you are a faculty or academic staff member wanting to establish a community partnership, University Outreach and Engagement may be able to help you. Our staff and researchers have connections across the state in areas such as education, mental health, human services, business, and government. For more information, contact Burton Bargerstock, Executive Director of the Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship, at (517) 353-8977 or bb@msu.edu.

Feedback

We would like to hear from you. Contact us with comments, suggestions, announcements, or "engaged scholar" project information for future e-newsletters. Send to: engaged.scholar@msu.edu.

Resources

MSU Graduate Certification in Community Engagement
This program prepares graduate students for careers that integrate scholarship with community engagement. It offers students a transcript notation indicating that they have completed the program.

Community Engagement Toolkits
Designed by the Center for Community Engaged Learning to guide and support MSU faculty, students, staff, and community partners.

Transformations in Higher Education: The Scholarship of Engagement Book Series
Available from Michigan State University Press

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