Spring 2021 Letter from Director Joe Hoereth

Our Director Dr. Joseph Hoereth rounds out the academic year.

Friends of IPCE,

Here we are in the fluid months of spring, wrapping up the tail end of the semester while looking ahead to summer projects and planning. It’s always nice to be able to take a breath and reflect on everything we accomplished earlier this spring before moving full speed ahead into the busy summer months especially after all we have faced during this current health crisis.

We concluded our Civic Engagement Lunch Talk Series in April with a presentation by Dr. Ning Ai of the Department of Urban Planning and Policy on research award project, “Enhancing Community Awareness of and Participation in Reducing Food Insecurities and Waste." Thank you to all our Research Fund awardees for presenting their findings over the course of the academic year. The insights gained from their research will advance the mission of civic engagement in diverse disciplines.

Undergraduate fellows in the Urban Public Policy Fellowship (UPPF) Program were also hard at work this spring finalizing their research projects and presenting their research posters virtually due to our COVID safer and policy health requirements. Fellows’ projects stemmed from hands-on internship experiences on policy-related topics such as education reform, economic development, and environmental sustainability. Twenty-four students successfully completed the UPPF program this year, and I would like to congratulate them on behalf of IPCE.

We’re moving forward with planning for our usual fall programming. The call for proposals for the Civic Engagement Research Fund Award is open. Please see our website for submission guidelines. Applications will be accepted through June 30. Applications for the UPPF program are available also now and will be accepted until May 31. The selection committee will meet this summer to determine which applicants will be accepted as fellows. IPCE commitments are contingent upon state funding.

Stay tuned later this summer for announcements regarding upcoming fall programs and events.

Have a safe and wonderful summer!

Joseph K. Hoereth, PhD