302 Tichenor Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849 http://www.cla.auburn.edu/cla/cce

COMMUNITY &

C IVIC ENGAGEMENT

A Word of Welcome from

Dr. Giovanna Summerfield

Community Spotlight – Dr. Mark Wilson Living Democracy Allows Alumna to Become a Mentor in Roanoke, Ala.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Faculty Spotlight……………………………………………page 2 1

Upcoming Events…………………………………………..page 3 2

Student Highlights ………….…………………………….page 4 3

Research…………………………………………………………page 5 4

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Welcome to the fifth issue of the College of Liberal Arts' Community and Civic Engagement Initiative newsletter for the 2015-2016 academic year. Another academic year has come and gone and we are very excited to report our accomplishments and future commitments. In May, we hosted the first Imagining America Institute, which focused on civic professionalism and collaborative leadership for the liberal arts. This intensive two-day workshop allowed academics and community members to discuss the process of transformative culture change in and beyond higher education using Marshall Ganz’s concept of public narrative. Amongst our participants were local K-12 administrators and teachers as well as the Montevallo mayor and state university professional staff. It was preceded by our annual academy for civic engagement (ACE) with keynote speakers Tami Moore and Timothy Eatman. At the academy, we recognized four CCE Project Grant awardees and two previous academy attendees, one from Mexico and one from Alabama, who have demonstrated dedication and curricular transformations in their own institutions.

On the international front, we are proud to report our continued successful partnerships with Paris Ouest and U of Catania, in France and Italy, respectively. While we hosted three of their students, they hosted 7 of ours during the 2014-2015 academic year. This coming Fall, we will be hosting four Italian exchange students and two French exchange students and plan to increase the number of sites and enrollments in the near future – we have, in fact just signed, exchange agreements with La Sapienza, in Rome, Sejong U, in Korea, and Zaghreb U, in Croatia.

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Now in its fourth year, the Living Democracy program provides an opportunity for an undergraduate student to live alongside citizens in Alabama communities and work on projects that focus on sustainable, community assets during the summer. In addition to Collinsville, Elba, Linden, and Selma, the community of Roanoke, population 6,000, participated in 2015. Marian Royston, a 2013 College of Liberal Arts graduate, recently returned to Roanoke after earning a degree in sustainable rural development from Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland as the first recipient of the prestigious Mitchell Scholarship. Royston was a member of the first Living Democracy cohort, where she lived and worked in Hobson City, Alabama. History major Joy Porter lived democracy in Roanoke during the 2015 summer, assisting Royston and the Randolph County Economic Development Authority with projects related to youth development. “If I had to distill my summer in Roanoke to a single, predominant theme,” Porter recalled, “it would be this: a community is at its best when its citizens come together to make their town a better place.” Porter’s weekly blog entries on Roanoke can be read at www.auburn.edu/livingdemocracy.

Additionally, we do hope to offer more internship opportunities to our students while studying overseas – our latest additions are Buenos Aires, Taormina (semesters only), and Shanghai.

Our calendar was packed again with stimulating events: from film series, to lunch and learn discussions, workshops, keynote speakers, our annual celebrations for National Arts and Humanities Month, National Italian American Heritage Month, and No Impact Week (our heartfelt thanks to International Paper, co-sponsor of AU 2015 NIW). We also hosted a new program focused on the book Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum, proposed by our College Diversity Committee and concluded with a very successful one-day research symposium open to AU students and faculty. Consult our website for all upcoming events. There will be many opportunities for community and academic collaborations and support through grants and seminars. Do not miss them. A new class focusing on global citizenship and cross-listed with the Honors College will be offered in Spring 2016. Through readings, discussions, lectures, and assignments, we will explore this concept from numerous perspectives both ancient and modern. All these initiatives would not be possible without the assistance and enthusiasm of our CCE students, staff, and affiliated faculty, and above all our great CCE Fellows. We are looking forward to welcoming our new fellows and administrative assistant, Patricia James. It is going to be another wonderful year!

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CCE Fall 2015

Faculty Spotlight – Mitchell Brown Political Science Faculty Works as Agent for Health and Well-Being

Mitchell Brown, an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, focuses her CCE work on capacity building, particularly for nonprofit organizations both inside and outside of Alabama that address issues of concern to marginalized peoples and groups. Over the course of her career, she has provided her skills and expertise to various organizations that support these types of groups, and in turn uses these experiences to help train students. Mitchell’s current CCE projects focus on human service delivery in health and welfare and violence prevention, as well as election administration. Mitchell currently serves on the board of the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention (ADCANP) by appointment from Governor Bentley. The ADCANP is a department of the Alabama state government designed to secure and distribute funding for child abuse and neglect prevention programs across the state (see http://www.ctf.alabama.gov for more information). This past spring, she provided training for current and future grantee organizations on how to develop a logic model and theory of change for program planning. She has also been advising doctors from the Blue Ridge Community Health Services (BRCHS) on revising their data collection instrument for a project called Clinica en al Campo, a series of in-the-field health clinics held throughout each summer at various migrant farmworker camps in western North Carolina. She has also helped them to analyze data from past clinics, and is excited about the possibility of pairing up life style, work condition and demographic data with the health outcomes data that the doctors already collect to gain additional insights into how to improve the health and well being of this potentially vulnerable population. Mitchell came to Auburn from Washington, DC where she lived for 13 years. During that time she taught at American University, worked as the Research Director at the Institute for Community Peace and as a Research Associate at Vanderbilt University’s DC-based office of the Institute for Public Policy Studies, and attended graduate school at The George Washington University and the University of Maryland. Prior to moving to Washington, DC, she graduated from Meredith College, a women’s college in Raleigh, NC.

Student Spotlight – Aly Bolin CCE Minor Graduate Serves on League of Women Voters

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Aly Bolin, Master of Public Administration candidate, will be serving her second year as Auburn’s Community and Civic Engagement Social Media Fellow during the 2015-2016 academic year. Aly graduated from the College of Liberal Arts in May 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and minors in Community and Civic Engagement and Women’s Studies. As Social Media Fellow, Aly is responsible for operating various social media profiles to promote the Community and Civic Engagement Initiative and related events. Aly has found that social media provides a useful avenue for student engagement and allows the CCE program to reach new audiences. Speaking about her experience as CCE’s social media fellow, Aly says the position has provided her with “invaluable experience in public relations, social media usage, and strategic planning- all useful skills in today’s world”.

What Aly appreciates most about Auburn’s Community and Civic Engagement minor program is its ability to introduce

students to interests and areas of study to which they otherwise may not be exposed. Aly’s Community and Civic Engagement coursework introduced her to Women’s Studies, which eventually became her second minor. She has found the CCE program, and its faculty, offers students the opportunity to practically apply knowledge and insights gained in the classroom. All senior students minoring in Community and Civic Engagement are required to complete a semester-long Capstone project. The majority of the project’s development and implementation are the independent work of the student, facilitated by community sponsors and partners. For her project, Aly partnered with the League of Women Voters of East Alabama to develop a youth voter education program. The program was presented to several classes at the Lee County Youth Development Center and Opelika High School. As a result of her Capstone work, Aly was invited to serve on the League of Women Voters of East Alabama Board as the Auburn University Liaison. Aly is excited to continue working with the Community and Civic Engagement Initiative during her graduate coursework. War Eagle!

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CCE Fall 2015

CCE Events August 26 – Join us at the sustainability

picnic where CCE will be promoting our initiatives!

4:00 pm – Davis Arboretum September 10 – CCE Alumni Luncheon:

Come hear CCE alumni speak about their new careers!

11:30 am – Tichenor Hall 310 September 15 – Fall Study Abroad Fair 9:00 am – Haley Center Lobby

*Come learn about CCE abroad*

September 23 – Lunch-n-Learn with CLA Engaged Scholar Mitchell Brown

11:45 am – Tichenor Hall 310 *Bring your lunch and join us* October 1 – Arts and Humanities Month

Kickoff Research Symposium 8:30 am – Tichenor Hall 310 October 7 – Lunch-n-Learn with CLA

Engaged Scholar Angie Burque 11:45 am – Tichenor Hall 310 October 10 – Art in the Park, bring the

kids to enjoy a day of art and fun as part of A&H month!

1:30 pm – Davis Arboretum October 4, 11, & 25 – National Italian

American Heritage Month Film Festival 2:00 pm – JCS Museum

November 17 – Informational Luncheon for

CLA Graduate Students, join us for free lunch and to hear from Emory University representatives

11:45 am – Tichenor Hall 310 February 16 – Lunch-n-Learn with Alma

Holladay Professor Kelly Alley 11:45 am – Tichenor Hall 310 February 17 – Spring Study Abroad Fair 9:00 am – Haley Center Lobby

*Come learn about CCE abroad* March 2 – Final Lunch-n-Learn with CLA

Engaged Scholar Panel 11:45 am – Tichenor Hall 310 March 8 – Diversity Symposium and

Luncheon 9:00 am – Tichenor Hall 310 March 27 – April 3 – No Impact Week April 14 – Visit to the Magic of Marble

Festival in Sylacauga, AL Details TBA May 10 – 12 – Academy for Civic

Engagement

www.cla.auburn.edu/cla/cce/

UPCOMING EVENTS

The College Of Liberal Arts’ Welcomes Breeden Scholar

Christina Rivera Garza Award-winning author of six novels and Guest Faculty in the

Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures Aug. 20 Luncheon with Dr. Garza Tichenor 310 • 11:30am-1pm Sept. 19 Community Workshop: Writing in Between

Generations, Dr. Garza will lead a workshop using English and Hispanic poems Jan Dempsey Arts Center • 9:30am-11:30am

Sept. 24 The Multicultural Center kicks off the Diversity Educational Series with a presentation

by Dr. Garza where she will discuss her journey to becoming an award-winning author. Langdon Hall • 6pm-7:30pm

2015 Italian Film Festival Presented by the College of Liberal Arts’ Community and Civic Engagement Initiative to Celebrate National Italian American Heritage Month

October 4, 11, & 25 Free admission and open to the public.

Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art

The Arts and Humanities Month Kick off will be on

October 1

Join us for a symposium on the "Value of Arts and Humanities” open to faculty, students, and alumni

Tichenor 310 • 8:30am-11:30am Later join us for a talk by Hedrick Smith, Pulitzer Prize-

winning former New York Times reporter AUHCC Ballroom B • 4:00pm

Visit cla.auburn.edu/cah/programs/arts-humanities-

month/ for more Arts and Humanities month events!

October 4 Tempo instabile con probabili schiarite directed by Marco Pontecorvo

1:30 pm - Opening reception 2:00 pm - Film in Museum Auditorium

October 11 Noi e la Giul

directed by Edoardo Leo 2:00 pm - Film in Museum Auditorium

October 25 L a t e r r a d e i s a n t i ,

directed by Fernando Muraca 1:00 pm - Closing Reception 2:00 pm - Film in Museum Auditorium

*Films are co-sponsored by Miami General Consulate, Cinema Italy, the Auburn University Office of International Programs at and the Multicultural Center

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CCE Fall 2015

Welcoming New Staff

We are excited to welcome Patricia James to the CCE family. Patricia will be serving as our Program Administrator for Academic Programs. Patricia has an extensive background in marketing communications, community outreach, public relations and business development. Before joining CLA, she worked in the Office of International Agriculture as Program Manager/Technical Editor for the AquaFish Innovation Lab project for Collaborative Research in Uganda and Kenya, funded by the US agency for International Development (USAID). Before working for Auburn University, she was a Strategic Communicator for the Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate of the United States Air Force where she provided communications planning with a concentration on outreach and branding support. Patricia received her bachelor's in Business Administration from Merrimack College in Andover, Massachusetts and Master Certificate in Business Communication from St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minnesota. She also breeds Hanoverian sport horses and received her Sport Horse Breeding Certification in Equine Science from the Hannoveraner Verband, Verden, Germany. She is married to Michael James and has a daughter who is a 4

th year

architecture student at Auburn. She also has a step-daughter at Lee Scott Academy and step-son who attends Faulkner University.

CCE Fellows 2015-2016

This year, the Community and Civic Engagement Fellows program has students filling three positions. Fellows are selected to work alongside faculty and administrators on projects that fulfill the CCE mission. The CLA’s Initiative is excited to introduce our 2015-2016 Student Fellows:

Alyssa Bolin, CCE Graduate Student Fellow for

Social Media: Originally from Camden, South

Carolina, Alyssa Bolin, “Aly”, is an MPA candidate

who earned a BA in Political Science, with minors

in Community and Civic Engagement and

Women’s Studies at Auburn University.

Alyssa Ross, CCE Graduate Student Fellow:

Currently an ABD doctoral candidate in English

Literature at Auburn University. Alyssa is

originally from Guntersville, AL, but received her

MFA in nonfiction writing at George Mason

University in Fairfax, VA.

CCE Student Updates Aly Bolin (’15) is completing a Master’s degree in Public Administration

at Auburn University.

Connor Butterworth (’12) is the Associate Sports Director at Tuckahoe

YMCA in Richmond, Virginia.

Chardae Caine (’14) is earning a Master’s of Public Administration at

Auburn University.

Stephanie Cashin (’11) is the Director of Children’s Ministry at

Aldersgate Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Raven Conwell (‘11) is a therapist at Impact Family Counseling.

Mary Afton Day (’13) is earning a Master’s degree in Public

Administration at Auburn University.

Blake Evans (’13) is assistant program at the David Mathews Center for

Civic Life.

Scottie Finlayson (’14) is associate media manager at Cardinal Web

Solutions.

Stephanie Grant (’13) is a process improvement manager for eAudit

Solutions, a medical software company.

Michael Gutierrez (’14) is a multimedia specialist for the office of

external affairs in Auburn’s College of Liberal Arts.

Anna Claire Conrad Howard (’14) is an associate editor at Gear

Solutions Magazine and associate editor at Wind Systems Magazine.

Kate Jones (’12) is Executive Team of Human Resources at Target in

Greenville, SC.

Kaleb Kirkpatrick (’14) is earning a Master’s of Public Administration

degree at Auburn University.

Gabrielle Lamplugh (’14) is earning a Master’s degree in

Communications at Auburn University.

Lowery McNeal (’15) is an AmeriCorps Vista with Impact Alabama in

Birmingham, Alabama.

Andrew Odom (’12) recently graduated from Jones School of Law.

Laney Payne (’14) is a financial resource counselor at Baptist Health

Hospital in Pensacola, Florida.

Joy Porter (’15) recently completed a summer with Living Democracy in

Roanoke, Alabama.

Marian Royston (’13) earned a rural economic development degree

from Queen’s University Belfast, and she is an associate with the

Randolph County Economic Development Authority.

Alexis Sankey (’14) is a community education prevention specialist at

East Alabama Medical Health Center.

Addie Schoen (’13) is working for Teach For America.

Hannah Shaw (’15) is a preschool teacher at a Spanish immersion

academy in Decatur, Georgia.

Anne Smead (’12) is a teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School in

Dallas, Texas.

Kadedra Smith (’13) is a planning and economic development specialist

for the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

Mary Beth Snow (’14) is working for Teach for America in Houston,

Texas.

Corey Spicer (’15) and Spicer’s Music in Auburn recently earned the

Best Emerging Dealer Award from the National Association of Music

Merchants.

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CCE Fall 2015

College of Liberal Arts Faculty have had a Successful Year in Research! Take a look at some of these publications to learn more about the projects of your colleagues in the College of Liberal Arts: Brunner, B. R. & Summerfield, G. (December 2014). The Academy for Civic Professionalism: A Case Study in Relationship Management and Stake Holder Engagement In R. Waters (Ed.) Public Relations Theory and Practice in the Nonprofit Sector. New York: Routledge. Landerfelt, M. R. & Summerfield, G. (2015). Crossing the Mediterranean on iPads: Sink or swim? LinguaTechnology: Online journal of technology in language learning and teaching. http://linguatechnology.com/?page_id=210 Mark Wilson, “University-Civic Collaboration and the Scholarship of Engagement,” in Appalachia Revisited: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on Regional Continuity and Change, eds. William Schumann III and Rebecca Adkins Fletcher, University of Kentucky Press (forthcoming).

Research

In honor of the CLA Reads celebration of the book, Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum, faculty, undergraduate students, and graduate students were invited to present papers, posters, or other research projects relating to diversity issues and disability awareness. This was a wonderful opportunity for faculty and students representing different departments and colleges at Auburn University to come together, share their passion for the field, and add to their curricula vitae. The symposium was a huge success and allowed everyone in attendance to learn more about the research that is going on at Auburn University that focuses on important social issues! The event initiated dialog about how the Auburn University Campus might continue to meet the diversity needs of the Auburn Family! The CLA Diversity Committee hopes to make this an annual event, and plans are currently in place to hold the symposium in Spring 2016. To learn more, please visit: www.cla.auburn.edu/cla/cce/cla-reads-initiative/diversity-research-symposium-registration/. The Spring 2015 presenters included: - Apryl Alexander, Department of Psychology, “Helping Our Boys: Disproportionate Minority Confinement in the Juvenile Justice System” - Tessa Carr and Elena Sanchez-Vizcaino, Department of Theatre, “Accessible Theatre: From Theory to Practice” - Ayanda Chakawa, Department of Psychology, “Examining the Psychometric Validity of the Multi-group Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised using MIMIC Model DIF Testing” - Rebecca Fix, Department of Psychology, “Discrimination in the Juvenile Justice System among Adolescents with Illegal Sexual Behavior” - Blake Evans, Department of Political Science/CCE, “Beyond Service Learning: Living Democracy in Linden, AL” - Tate Hall and Lee Ann Alderman, Rehabilitation and Disabilities Studies program, “Accessibility and Architecture: Where’s the Disconnect” - Paul Harris and Javier Juarez-Perez, Department of Political Science, “Success Stories: Proactive Community Responses to Immigration: Centro Educativo & The Georgia Project” - Kelsey Moody, Department of Communication Disorders, “Diversity as Experienced through International Engagement” - Scott Renner, Center for Disability Research and Service, “Creating Innovative Assistive Technology Solutions for the Individual Warriors” - Leah Tingle and Lee Ann Alderman, Rehabilitation and Disabilities Studies program, “Profiles of Counselors Who List Themselves in the CRC” - Mark Wilson and students, CLA CCE, “Appalachian Teaching Project”

Diversity Studies Symposium

College Announces Alma Holladay Professor – Dr. Kelly Alley

Kelly D. Alley is Professor of Anthropology at Auburn University. She received her B.S. from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1990. Dr. Alley has carried out research in northern India for over twenty years, focusing on public culture and environmental issues. Her book titled, “On the Banks of the Ganga: When Wastewater Meets a Sacred River” (University of Michigan press 2002), explores Hindu interpretations of the sacred river Ganga in light of current environmental problems. She completed a CCE Grant Project for the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, during which she used funds to further develop an existing project to create a map of hydropower projects across the Himalayas in the ArcGIS format. The interactive Web site allows users to identify a dam location and access information related to land use changes, links to media and reports on the project, and information on citizen grievances and court cases. She was recently featured on the World Water Forum, a UNESCO sponsored water portal: http://www.globalwaterforum.org/2015/08/13/rejuvenating-the-ganga/

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CCE Fall 2015

CCE Welcomes New Graduate Assistant

Academy for Civic Engagement Opportunity for Scholars and Faculty in the Humanities and Social Sciences

The 2015 Academy for Civic Engagement was a huge success! The 2015 Spring Academy included an invigorating schedule of speakers, workshops, working sessions led by Engaged Scholars from Auburn University, and community partner site visits. This year we had the opportunity to hear from Tami Moore, professor from Oklahoma State University. We also collaborated with Imagining America to offer the first Auburn University Imagining America Institute with guest speaker Tim Eatman, Director of Research for Imagining America. The institute focused on the process of transformative culture change in and beyond higher education. We also helped attendees from both the academy and institute meet and network with community partners at a beautiful reception at the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center. We look forward to next year’s Academy, where we hope to offer even more opportunities for Auburn faculty and staff to collaborate, network, and learn how to engage with the broader community! Details for the 2016 Academy for Civic Engagement: GUEST SPEAKER: Amy Koritz, PhD, Drew University Center for Civic Engagement Director DATE: The ACE will take place in Auburn, Alabama from May 10-12, 2016. COST: The fee is $900 before Feb. 1, 2016, and $1,100 after this date. The fee includes instructional materials, on-site faculty coaching, access to planning tools and resources, community partner site visits, a pre-Academy reception, and breakfast and lunch each day. LOCATION: Auburn University, Tichenor Hall 310 APPLICATION: Download the application at: cla.auburn.edu/cla/cce/ace/ INFORMATION: For more information, contact Dr. Giovanna Summerfield, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, email: clacce@auburn.edu, phone: 334-844-2890

We are excited to welcome the newest CCE Graduate Assistant, Rachel Naftel. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Rachel graduated from Auburn University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts. She double majored in French and Political Science with a concentration in International Relations. After graduation, Rachel spent one year teaching English in Redon, France. In January of 2013, Rachel enrolled in a two-year graduate program at the American Graduate School in Paris where she received her Masters of Art in International Relations and Diplomacy with a concentration in Middle Eastern politics. Rachel completed an internship in the Education Sector at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquartered in Paris.

She also had the opportunity to intern for the State Department working for the United States delegation to UNESCO. Rachel

recently moved back to Auburn to pursue her Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Policy focusing her research on international relations. She is working as a graduate assistant for Dr. Mark Wilson, Director of Community and Civic Engagement in the College of Liberal Arts. During her undergraduate studies at Auburn, Rachel participated in an alternative spring break trip to Appalachia led by Dr. Wilson. After the trip, she had the opportunity to return to Appalachia and spent a summer working at the Clearfork Community Institute in Eagan, Tennessee. It was her undergraduate experience working with Dr. Wilson that has brought her back to work with community and civic engagement.