Month: March 2015

Newest Service Learning Fellows Begin

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On a cold January winter day, the newly selected group of Service Learning Faculty Fellows walked into Oak Hall to embark on a new teaching experience. It was their first collective taste of the pedagogy of service learning. Unlike other pedagogies, Service Learning has the ability to unite a wide range of disciplines and find a common thread: the desire for students to come in contact with high impact Winter Sunset at Storrsexperiential learning and come away with knowledge to help solve today’s most pressing societal issues. This year’s cohort has ten members from across the University:  Agriculture and Resource Economics (2), Physiology and Neurobiology, Neag School of Education (2), Urban and Community Studies, Political Science, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Economics, and Community Medicine and Health Care. Faculty projects will involve criminal justice, rare diseases, air pollution, food policy, education power and privilege, community medicine and access to healthcare, and urban geographical analysis.

During January Training, Faculty Fellows spent two full days learning about components of the pedagogy through sessions on course development, designing goals, objectives, and activities, critical reflective practice, community partner development and sustainability, and engaged scholarship (how to turn your service learning into publishable work).  The group was highly engaged providing ideas,feedback, and questions to the facilitators.  Facilitators included Anne Gebelein, Jennifer Bruening, Beth Russell, Dan Mercier, Carol Polifroni from UConn and Carrie Williams Howe from Vermont Campus Compact.

The Service Learning Faculty Fellowship is an opportunity designed to intentionally and consistently align with OPE’s philosophy of Responsible, Relevant, Reciprocal community engagement. The fellowship began with this January immersion training and will continue with monthly two-hour workshops during the Spring and Fall semesters.  Faculty will incorporate service learning in courses planned for the 2015  Fall semester.

The Office of Public Engagement is excited to work with the Fellows and continue exploring innovative, high impact learning opportunities for students that will benefit both the community and the University.

We are pleased to introduce the 2015 Service Learning Faculty Fellows. For more on the fellows, click here.
  • Kimberly Bergendahl, Assistant Professor In Residence, Political Science, Storrs
  • Phil Birge-Liberman, Assistant Professor in Residence, Urban and Community Studies, Waterbury
  • Syma Ebbin, APIR, Agriculture and Resource Economics, Marine Science, Avery Point
  • Oskar Harmon, Associate Professor, Economics, Stamford
  • Mark Kohan and Susan Payne, Asst. Clinical Prof and Assoc. Clinical Prof, Neag School of Education, Storrs
  • Rasy Mar, Community Based Education Specialist, Medical School, Farmington
  • Adam Rabinowitz, Assistant Research Professor, Agriculture and Resource Economics, Storrs
  • John Redden, Visiting Assistant Professor, Physiology and Neurobiology, Storrs
  • Kristina Wagstrom, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Storrs