Dr. Ben Kirshner is a Faculty member on the Executive Committee who leads planning and oversight for the Faculty Seed Grant. He has a PhD in Education with a focus on Child and Adolescent Development and an MA in Religious Studies.
Ben was invited early on to be part of conversations about a center focused on the health and wellness of children, youth, and families. Because of his interest in university- community partnerships to support young people, he was intrigued by the possibilities. Ben was excited and inspired by Sona’s commitment to research practice partnerships and the promise of interdisciplinary work. As Faculty Director of CU Engage, it was also important to him that CU Engage collaborate with other initiatives on campus that are seeking to solve complex public challenges and support public or community-engaged scholarship.