The University of Delaware Community Engagement Initiative: Making a difference – within and beyond UD

Date: Tuesday, May 31
Time: 11:20 – 12 noon
Location: Mitchell Hall Theater

Partnerships form the cornerstone of the new University of Delaware Community Engagement Initiative. Education, health, arts and culture are a few of the partnerships that will be developed in collaboration with University, state, and global partners.

We expect that this new initiative will have great benefits for students, faculty, staff and community partners. Community engagement strengthens student learning. Students learn how the knowledge they obtain can improve the communities where they live and work. Even now, more than half of UD’s students participate in service learning, community-based research and volunteer projects, donating more than 225,000 hours each year to serve communities in Delaware, across the nation and around the world.

With this new Initiative, even more UD students will participate in civic and community engagement. We want to make community engagement part of the defining character of a University of Delaware education. Community engagement also strengthens UD as a major research university, enabling faculty and professionals to craft research that responds to community needs and has greater impact. One of the measures of every great research university is the extent to which the knowledge it generates enriches the quality of life in its own community. We encourage all faculty and staff to be part of the creation of new community engagement programming.

So, join us in a conversation about the Community Engagement Initiative – your participation will contribute to the success of this program.

Lynnette Overby

Lynnette Overby
Deputy Director, Community Engagement Initiative, and Professor, Theatre

Lynnette Young Overby, Ph.D. is a Professor of Theatre and Dance, and Chair of the Community Engagement Commission at the University of Delaware. She is the author or coauthor of over 40 publications including eight books. Her honors include the 2000 National Dance Association Scholar/Artist, and the 2004 Leadership Award from the National Dance Education Organization. She is a strong believer in interdisciplinary education and community engagement. A daCi International At-Large board member, she is the archivist for the organization Dr. Overby is currently collaborating with literary historian P. Gabrielle Foreman on a long term “Performing African American History” research project.She was a member of the dance writing team for the new National Core Arts Standards.

Dan Rich

Dan Rich
Director, Community Engagement Initiative, and University Professor of Public Policy, School of Public Policy & Administration

Daniel Rich is Director of the Community Engagement Initiative and University Professor of Public Policy at the University of Delaware. As Director of Community Engagement, he supports the development of new partnerships between the university and communities at all levels, local to global. He holds faculty appointments in the School of Public Policy and Administration and the Department of Political Science and International Relations. He has served on the faculty since 1970, and is the recipient of the University of Delaware’s Medal of Distinction. From 2001-2009 he served as University Provost. From 1996-2001, he served as founding dean of the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy, and from 1991-1996, as dean of the College of Urban Affairs and Public Policy.