News and Notes
People on the Move
Hiram E. Fitzgerald, who has led University Outreach and Engagement since 2001, has stepped down from his position as Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement, effective June 30, 2018. He will continue to serve as an active member of the Department of Psychology faculty.
Fitzgerald earned his Ph.D. in 1967 at the University of Denver. In addition to his appointment as Associate Provost, he is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology; previously, he served 13 years as associate chairperson of the department. He has also served as president of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, past president and executive director of the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health, and for 16 years was executive director of the World Association for Infant Mental Health. He is an active member of the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center at the University of Colorado, Denver, a member of the Native Children's Research Exchange, and a member of a variety of interdisciplinary research teams focusing on evaluation of community-based early preventiveintervention programs in Michigan and nationally. He also serves on the National Advisory Board of the Buffett Childhood Research Centre at the University of Nebraska–Omaha and chairs the external advisory board for the Oklahoma State University's Centre for Integrative Research on Childhood Adversity.
Fitzgerald's major areas of funded research include the study of infant and family development in community contexts, the impact of fathers on early child development, the implementation of systemic community models of organizational process and change, the etiology of alcoholism, and broad issues related to the scholarship of engagement. He has published 236 peer-reviewed journal articles, 80 chapters, and 76 books as well as numerous other technical reports, curricula, and policy briefs.
Fitzgerald has received numerous awards, including the ZERO TO THREE Dolley Madison Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to the Development and Well Being of Very Young Children, the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Selma Fraiberg Award, and the designation of Honorary President from the World Association for Infant Mental Health. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association of Psychological Science, and is an elected member of the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship and the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame.
Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement is a role that no one could have described 20 years ago and now it's a role that is integral to the real identity of Michigan State University—because of Hi Fitzgerald's leadership. He led the international conversations about engaged scholarship and research and understood something that others didn't: that the work that gets done in communities isn't done to them, but with them, and that we can't understand development in any way without understanding the systems in which we develop. And so he found ways to help us understand that and to support the work of others, which is such a critical part of what his career has been, not just being excellent in his own work but making sure that others were as well, creating environments, creating support systems for faculty who wanted to do the kind of work that he wanted to do, creating access for communities to come to the University—but for us to find places to ask and answer questions and, hopefully, to learn and to leave those communities better places.
Laurie A. Van Egeren was appointed as interim associate provost for UOE, by Michigan State University Provost June Pierce Youatt, effective July 1.
Van Egeren currently serves as assistant provost for university-community partnerships, as well as adjunct professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. She previously served as acting director of the MSU Museum, director of the MSU Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative, co-director of the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement, and acting director of the Michigan Institute for Safe Schools and Communities.
"Dr. Van Egeren has demonstrated strong leadership capabilities in the many roles she has taken on during her years at MSU," Youatt said. "I am grateful she has accepted this interim role and confident she will provide both leadership and continuity during this time of transition."
"I'm honored that the Provost has asked me to serve in this role and with these university and community colleagues."
Van Egeren's academic expertise includes prevention and intervention research and evaluation, early childhood science education, out-of-school-time programming, and institutional engagement. She has served as lead principal investigator for over $10 million in grants and contracts, including a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation for "Cluster Randomized Trial of Early Childhood Science Education with Low-income Children."
"MSU embraces a vision where engaged scholarship and university-community partnerships are fundamental to the academic mission—and UOE is an international leader in how to facilitate that vision. I'm honored that the Provost has asked me to serve in this role and with these university and community colleagues," Van Egeren said.
Van Egeren is a proven leader in the community through her work on the steering committee of the National Alliance for Broader Impacts, serving as the MSU representative to the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, and through her membership on the Council on Engagement and Outreach of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. In 2016, she received the Michigan Association for Evaluation Service Award.
Van Egeren will succeed Hiram E. Fitzgerald, who will return to faculty on July 1 after leading UOE for 17 years. She earned a bachelor of arts in English literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a master's degree in child and family clinical psychology and Ph.D. in developmental psychology from MSU. She began her career at MSU in 1999 as a research associate for the Institute for Children, Youth, and Families and has been with UOE since 2003.
The search for the next associate provost for University Outreach and Engagement will follow a campus-wide conversation on the future directions of outreach and engagement at MSU.
Jessica Bilodeau has joined Gifted and Talented Education as its new assistant director. Bilodeau comes to UOE from the College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she was educational program coordinator in the Admissions office.
Chong-Anna Canfora has joined the MSU Museum as director of development. She comes to MSU from the Historical Society of Michigan, where she served as director of development. Canfora also serves as board chair of the Ingham County Economic Development Corporation.
Sharon Conley has joined UOE as an executive staff assistant in the Office of the Associate Provost. She has worked for MSU for more than 20 years, most recently as executive staff assistant in the Office of the Vice President for University Advancement.
Diane Doberneck has been promoted to associate director of the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement. Doberneck came to NCSUE in 2007 after working with the Center for Community and Economic Development and the Bailey Scholars Program. Over the course of her tenure with NCSUE, she has developed a national reputation for research on community-engaged scholarship.
Jennifer Ismirle has been promoted to senior user experience researcher at Usability/ Accessibility Research and Consulting (UARC). Ismirle has led UARC's user-oriented research projects for the past several years, and is a key contributor to the unit's success. She has a BA in professional writing and a BA in English, both from MSU.
Jilda Keck, assistant to the MSU Museum director, has been promoted to administrative business manager/supervisor. Keck has been with the Museum since 2004.
Brad Smith of UOE's Communication and Information Technology Department has been promoted to Information Technologist I. Smith designs, develops, and maintains websites for internal departments and external clients. His professional interests include accessibility and usability of mobile technology, website accessibility, and front-end website development. He has worked with software developers, Web developers, and users within the accessibility and usability field for 12 years.
Michelle Snitgen is a new academic specialist at the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, where she is responsible for developing, supporting, and advancing academic community-engaged learning. She also serves as a resource and consultant for faculty and a support for students enrolled in such learning opportunities. Prior to joining the CSLCE she served as program coordinator for the MSU College Advising Corps. She holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in interpersonal and public communication, both from Central Michigan University.
Arnold Weinfeld, director of UOE Urban Policy Initiatives, has added associate director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research to his portfolio. He is also serving as interim director at IPPSR for one year beginning in July 2018. Prior to joining UOE, Weinfeld served as CEO of Prima Civitas, a community and economic development nonprofit organization.
Awards and Recognitions
Michigan State University was one of three recipients of the statewide 2018 Education Service Leader award, which recognizes schools, universities, and organizations that support youth to engage in service and volunteerism on campus and in their communities. The Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement received the award on behalf of the University at the Governor's Service Awards ceremony in June.
Burton A. Bargerstock, director of the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement, director of Communication and Information Technology, and special advisor to the Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement, has been inducted into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship (ACES). ACES is an international academy of individuals who have made significant contributions to the scholarship of engagement and the worldwide movement for university-community engagement. Bargerstock was also elected president in 2017.
Laura Schmitt Olabisi, associate professor of community sustainability, was named a 2018-2019 Public Engagement Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Alan I. Leshner Leadership Institute for Public Engagement with Science. Each year the award goes to 15 scientists who have demonstrated leadership and excellence in their research careers and interest in promoting dialogue between science and society.
Julie Crowgey, event coordinator with UOE's division of Communication and Information Technology, has been named president of Meeting Professionals International–Michigan Chapter. A 2004 MSU graduate in hospitality business, Crowgey earned her designation as a certified meeting professional in 2011.
C. Kurt Dewhurst, director of UOE Arts and Cultural Initiatives and professor of English, and Marsha MacDowell, curator of folk arts at the MSU Museum and professor of art, art history and design, received the 2018 Charles A. Gliozzo International Award for Public Diplomacy. The award, sponsored by International Studies and Programs, recognizes members of the greater MSU community who are making significant contributions to public diplomacy through promoting knowledge and understanding between faculty, staff, community members, and international students, scholars, and visitors.
Rex LaMore, director of the Center for Community and Economic Development, is one of two recipients of the inaugural Simmons Chivukula Award for Academic Leadership. This MSU award recognizes excellence in academic leadership at the rank of department chair, school or unit director, assistant dean, or associate dean. LaMore's work supports the development of innovative programs aimed at assisting student, faculty, staff, and partner efforts to create sustainable prosperity and an equitable society.
Susan Sheth, director of Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) at MSU, was named president-elect of the Michigan Association for Gifted Children. She is also Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search Program liaison for southeast and mid-Michigan. Sheth's goals at GATE include offering gifted programming for underserved populations and expanding opportunities throughout the State of Michigan.
Heng-Chieh (Jamie) Wu, academic specialist with the Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative, has been honored by the National Afterschool Association as one of its 2018 Most Influential in Research and Evaluation. Honorees are distinguished for their contributions to research and evaluation on youth and adolescent development. Wu is principal investigator of the Great Start Readiness Programs State Evaluation and co-investigator of the Michigan 21st Century Community Learning Centers State Evaluation.
![Power Through Partnerships: A CBPR [community based participatory research] Toolkit for Domestic Violence Researchers](images/book.png)
Milestones
Two units affiliated with UOE are celebrating 50th anniversaries this year.
The Center for Community and Economic Development was established during academic year 1968-1969 as the Center for Urban Affairs, charged by then-President Hannah with contributing to the solution of societal problems "in the area generally referred to as civil rights." The Center's work focuses on the unique challenges of distressed communities throughout Michigan.
The Office of Volunteer Programs—now the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement—opened its doors on January 2, 1968. MSU was a pioneer in the national service-learning movement; the CSLCE is the oldest continuously operating service-learning center in the country.
Resources
Cris Sullivan, a professor of psychology in the College of Social Science, has co-authored Power Through Partnerships: A CBPR [community based participatory research] Toolkit for Domestic Violence Researchers (Goodman et al., 2017). Published by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, the guidebook aims to support researchers who would like to learn more about CBPR approaches, particularly in the context of domestic violence. It is available for download from cbprtoolkit.org.
