News and Notes
Awards and Honors
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon was inducted into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship (ACES) on September 26, 2016. ACES provides expertise to policymakers, higher education institutions and organizations, community leaders, and national and international entities interested in addressing complex societal issues through the engagement of higher education with community members and organizations. Individuals who have worked to advance collaboration between educational institutions and communities may be nominated for membership.
Burton A. Bargerstock has been re-elected to the board of directors of the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement. He chaired the board in 2015-2016. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Council on Engagement and Outreach, where he has been active since 2004. Bargerstock is director of UOE's National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement as well as its Communication and Information Technology department.
Marsha MacDowell, curator of folk arts at the MSU Museum, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American Folklore Society in recognition of scholarly achievements and outstanding contributions to the field. MacDowell's work involving quilts is at the heart of much of her international reputation in the field of folklore scholarship.
Engagement Opportunity
Midtown Detroit, Inc., has called for approximately 10 MSU students from various majors to serve as community engagement interns each academic year, starting in Fall 2016. The organization is looking for students to make a one-year (two-semester) commitment to working on a variety of community and economic development projects with Midtown and their partners. The interns' hours will be worked both on campus and with partners in Detroit, totaling 15 hours per student, per week. Midtown Detroit is a nonprofit planning and development organization that supports the physical maintenance and revitalization of the Midtown Detroit neighborhood, while working to enhance public awareness, appreciation, and use of the district. For more information contact Renee Zientek, director, MSU Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, zientekr@msu.edu, or visit midtowndetroitinc.org.
Two MSU programs and 23 students have been awarded the national Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) for completing 100 or more hours of volunteer service during the 2014-2015 academic year. The two registered student organizations, Alternative Spartan Breaks and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, received a "gold" group rating based on the high number of volunteer service hours each member contributed during 2014-2015. The 23 students awarded individual medals documented service performed ranging from 108 to 388 hours. MSU's Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement became an official PVSA Certifying Organization in 2015.
New Appointments
Lindsay Codispot has been appointed as the assistant director of MSU's Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) office, a newly created position. Codispot joined GATE in 2012 and has assisted in developing new ideas for future GATE programs, serving as the dual enrollment liaison, and creating new and future partnerships.
Miles A. McNall has received an adjunct professional appointment in MSU's Department of Human Development and Family Studies. McNall is director of UOE's Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative.
Laurie A. Van Egeren, Assistant Provost for University-Community Partnerships, is now an adjunct professor in MSU's Department of Human Development and Family Studies. This year she received an award for service to the Michigan Association for Evaluation, and was named to the National Alliance for Broader Impacts (NABI) steering committee. NABI is a society whose goal is to create a community of practice that fosters the development of sustainable and scalable institutional capacity and engagement. Van Egeren is also serving as acting director of the MSU Museum during the search for a new director.
Arnold Weinfeld has joined UOE as director of Urban Policy Initiatives. He will serve as a connector and boundary spanner for MSU faculty, community partners, and other agencies to develop partnerships focused on urban and systems change. Weinfeld is the former CEO of Prima Civitas (a community and economic development organization based in East Lansing), has served with the Michigan Municipal League, worked as a policy analyst with the Michigan Legislature, and served on the Waverly Community Schools Board of Education. He holds a bachelor of science degree from MSU.
New Ventures
A new facility in Detroit will become MSU's first center for studying and developing urban food systems. The MSU Detroit Center for Urban Food Systems will facilitate best practices for food and non-food plant production and a variety of related community support activities. A proposed neighborhood site is under consideration and will be announced once land use review and community outreach are completed. The University has earmarked $300,000 to launch the project and anticipates ongoing support from state and federal sources.
Transitions
In Memoriam...
Former MSU president Gordon Guyer, who led the University from 1992 to 1993, died on March 30, 2016, at age 89. Guyer, a Kalamazoo native, joined the faculty in 1953 with the Department of Entomology and directed MSU Extension from 1973 until 1985. Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement Hiram E. Fitzgerald noted that "For many years Gordon maintained an office in Outreach and Engagement and many of us enjoyed his frequent visits and always warm and enthusiastic support for UOE's mission."
Lora Helou has left the MSU Museum after 17 years of service. From 1999 to 2013 Helou served as the Museum's communication manager, and for the past 3 years she has held the dual positions of associate director and interim director. In addition to providing leadership for the Museum's AAM reaccreditation application, Helou's advocacy on behalf of improvements to the Museum infrastructure led to significant advances in technology support for security, exhibits, and staff. She also facilitated expanded connections with MSU faculty and programs in science and technology.
