Faces of Community-Engaged Scholarship

Associate Research Professor Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Institute of Behavioral Science, is a member of the Wildfire Research (WiRē) Team that will receive the Pathfinding Partnerships Award through the 2024 Governor’s Awards for High Impact Research on Nov. 20.

Associate Professor Jota Samper, Program in Environmental Design, is the 2024 recipient of the Excellence in Faculty Community Engagement Award from the Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC). This national award is one of the most prestigious of its kind.

Associate Professor Leah Sprain’s work embraces the idea that the communication discipline is a practical discipline and that community partnerships are key components to doing scholarship well. She also believes partnerships with communities outside the university can be high-impact ways for professors to get satisfaction from their work. For these reasons—and more—it makes perfect sense that Sprain is embarking on her second year as a fellow in the Higher Education and Democracy Initiative.

Whether it’s addressing workforce development needs, providing data on air and water quality, or supporting future physicians with placements at regional health education centers, the University of Colorado actively partners with communities to

Kayla Toledo, a member of the Jemez Indian Tribe located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been caring for children her whole life. Since the age of 12, Kayla has played a huge role in raising her family's children and caring for the “little ones” during the summer, some as young as six months old. With six siblings and countless cousins, Kayla has worked long hours contributing to their upbringing. Her story is one of many for people in her community, as childcare options are sparse. That’s why Kayla was first inspired to create change in the Native American childcare space and pioneer an initiative to bring daycare centers to Native American families where they can learn and be educated on their culture.

Professor Shelly L. Miller, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science Professor Shelly L. Miller is a problem solver and an air pollution engineer. She finds reward and value when solving issues with immediate benefits

What do a chemical engineer, a singer-songwriter, a translator and a math teacher have in common? Brenda Aguirre-Ortega, PhD student in the School of Education (STEM) and Engaged Arts and Humanities ScholarAguirre-Ortega uses her impressive

Encountering differences with other people is a part of daily life. How we relate to one another when navigating our differences either builds or erodes trust and affects the quality of our work.“CU Boulder is an R1 flagship university. We have a

CU Science Discovery recently received two statewide awards in recognition of its efforts and achievements in STEM and environmental education.

On Nov. 1, Scott Battle was appointed CU Boulder’s dean of Continuing Education and vice provost for Outreach and Engagement and Summer Session. Battle strongly supports the university’s long-standing commitment to serving Colorado communities and