The 6th Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium took place on April 17-18 as part of TTU's Discoveries to Impact month. It hosted presentations from over 80 Engaged Scholars who incorporate outreach and engagement into their teaching, research, and creative activities. Eight TTU faculty members were recognized as recipients of the 2024 President's Engaged Scholarship Awards for the impact of their work on communities.
"It was amazing to hear about these projects and the difference these faculty members, their colleagues and students are making in the lives of individuals in the region, state, and around the world,” said Birgit Green, Associate Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement. “Several of them shared the stage with their community partners who had equally contributed their knowledge and experience to the projects and helped make them a success."
The Symposium also hosted Keynote Speaker Terrence Coffie, Professor of Social Work at New York University, and founder and CEO of The Social Justice Network. Coffie spoke to over 200 Texas Tech faculty, leadership, staff, and students at the Symposium Luncheon about the importance of community collaboration for achieving social change. Coffie highlighted the significance of working together to address social issues, and how the use of privilege can empower communities to foster change.
In addition, the Symposium welcomed over 20 community organizations to its first ever community-university networking fair.
Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2024 President's Engaged Scholarship Awards!
The Offices of the President, Provost, and Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 President's Engaged Scholarship Awards. These awards recognize Texas Tech faculty for an exemplary and sustainable engaged scholarship project or activity that addresses an important community need and/or discovers solutions to larger societal issues based on mutually beneficial partnerships with communities. The winning project/activity shows evidence of significant impact on communities/society, as well as teaching and learning, research and creative activity, and scholarship.
Click the titles below to read more about the award-winning projects.
Award Recipient:Mallory Prucha, Associate Professor of Costume Design, Associate Director of Academic and Curricular Affairs, JT & Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts
Project: Civic Leadership Academy: Assessing the Needs of Communities
Award Recipient: Dr. Jason Headrick, Assistant Professor of Leadership and Community Development, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Lorilee Sandmann, professor emerita of the University of Georgia and former director of the National Review Board for the Scholarship of Engagement, will discuss evaluation of the scholarship of engagement. This session will support scholars who are preparing community-engaged portfolios for promotion and tenure review as well as reviewers of these portfolios.
Fundraising Opportunities for Nonprofits and Governments: Crowdsourcing Opportunities
A workshop for Leaders and Managers in Nonprofit Organizations, Public Sector Organizations, and Startups
June 8, 2024
Texas Tech University at DFW
420 N. State Hwy 161
Suite 200 North Irving, Texas 75038
Attendees earn Continuing Education Credits and a graduate-level certificate of completion.
Workshop Leaders:
Dr. Wendy Chen: Assistant Professor in Public Administration, Dept. of Political Science; Specialist in new strategies of fundraising, leadership, and innovation
Dr. Dennis Patterson, Past Chair, Dept. of Political Science; Director of Academic Programs for TTU's Regional Campuses; and Specialist in Public Policy, Community Development, Asian Affairs, and Ethical analysis
Areas covered in the workshop:
Engage with the Future: Discover how Millennials and Gen-Z are leading the charge in
philanthropy, preferring innovative and direct ways to support causes they care about.
Embrace the Crowdfunding Wave: Learn about the astonishing growth of crowdfunding and how it has transformed the fundraising landscape for nonprofits.
Innovate Your Approach: Break away from outdated methods and explore how nonprofits are evolving with digital fundraising strategies.
Maximize Donor Engagement: Find out how to create multichannel strategies that resonate with different generations and increase donor retention.
Boost Your Visibility: Understand the power of crowdfunding campaigns to amplify your nonprofit’s mission and reach a wider audience.
Foster Community Ties: See how crowdsourcing can enhance community engagement, turning supporters into active participants in your cause.
Adapt and Innovate: Gain insights into how adaptability and innovation through crowdsourcing can propel your nonprofit forward.
Raise with Purpose: See how these new methods can ultimately lead to achieving your mission and how all of these strategies converge together
This is a great opportunity for you to learn the strategies that other nonprofits have been using to get ahead in the ever-shifting landscape of fundraising. Click Here to sign up today to start bringing real results to your nonprofit!
If you have any questions or for more information, please contact Dr. Wendy Chen at wendy.chen@ttu.edu.
Engagement Spotlight
Engagement occurs in a variety of ways, sometimes surprising us, creating impacts that reach farther than we could have ever predicted. In this case engagement and impact came in the form of women's rugby. Below is an interview with Head Coach Anish Quenim on the 2023-2024 Texas Tech Women's Rugby team and how they are working to tackle the issue of violence against women.
The History of Texas Tech's Women's Rugby
The Texas Tech Women’s Rugby Club was inducted into the Texas Tech University Sports Club Federation in 1995 and has since been a prominent club in women’s athletics, competing in Division 1. The club has been amongst the top competitors in the sport and secured a top 3 ranking in the Lone Star Conference in 2023. Texas Tech Women’s Rugby is also affiliated with the National Collegiate Rugby Organization and U.S.A. Rugby.
Becoming the coach:
As the off-the-field coach of the men's rugby team I am charged with supporting the players in off-the-field issues such as mental strength and conditioning, player welfare, inclusivity, and cohesiveness, temperament and emotional channelization, dispute resolution, and conflict and crisis negotiation. While working with the men, I was approached by the women's team to become part of the coaching staff and the rest is history.
Building more than a team:
During the 2023 season the women's team rose in the ranks of the Lone Star Conference and finished with a bronze medal. Throughout the season we were in discussions about how we could make a difference off the field, and thus we conceptualized the #YouTryWeTackle project, in association with Texas Tech University's Women's and Gender Studies. With the support of of the Office of the Provost Outreach and Engagement, we decided the most impactful course of action would be to lead a project speaking out about violence against women.
To strengthen this partnership, we have partnered with Voice of Hope, Lubbock, and the Crocs Rugby Foundation in Goa, India. #YouTryWeTackle envisions positively impacting the lives of vulnerable girls and women in the city of Lubbock, Texas, and Goa, India by providing them with access to awareness, education, and knowledge to better tackle issues of violence, and family violence. By also training them to learn the game of rugby, the campaign hopes to provide them with the mental and physical skills to cope with the hits of life, both on and off the field. The project eventually aims to educate boys and men on their supportive roles. We plan to showcase the success of this project through a gala, in association with Saffron and Spice, Lubbock. Other community partners supporting our strive include Demolition Nutrition, icebreaQers, Lubbock Independent School District, Belinda Trotter – our international coaching advisory from Wales, U.K, and many more.
The more partners we have, the larger the scale of our development for the sport on campus, the grassroots academy off campus, and the support for the #YouTryWeTackle project in the communities. I encourage readers to reach out to me at aquenim@ttu.edu and join us in this vision. From advisory boards to kit partners, to volunteers, researchers, and athletes, there is an opportunity for everyone to join our vision. Meanwhile, the team prepares for the season and is laser-focused on maintaining, if not improving their rankings, with a close eye on positively impacting the lives of girls and women in the community.
Team roster and field of studies listed below.
Adrian Fowlkes, Kinesiology Allie Serrato, Computer Science Amanda Brocklebank, Biology Arlene Sanchez, Finance India Bray, Human Science Julia Ameringer, Computer Science Kaitlynn Weatherread, Kinesiology Kaylee Kemp, General Studies Leah Lockerman, Biology Madeleine Kirkley, Electrical Engineering Marisa Carson, Environmental Engineering CasiddyPerkins, Advertising
Images above are of the 2024-2024 Texas Tech Women's Rugby Team and images from Goa, India where the #YouTryWeTackle partners conducted an outreach event for International Women's Day.
Contact Us: Outreach and Engagement, Texas Tech University
Drane Hall | 2515 15th Street
Box 41047 | Lubbock, Texas 79409 outreachandengagement@ttu.edu | 806.742.2392
