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Authors
COMMUNITY ENGAGED 
RESEARCH GROUP  
An IUPUI multidisciplinary 
Community Engaged Re-
search Group (CERG) was 
developed through collab-
orative efforts of the Office 
of Community Engagement 
and the Office of the Vice 
Chancellor for Research to 
develop, support, and sus-
tain community-engaged 
research; community-based 
participatory research; and 
creative activity at IUPUI.

Community-engaged research is 
a collaborative process between 
researcher and community partner 
resulting in the creation and dis-
semination of knowledge, contrib-
uting both to the well-being of a 
community and a university disci-
pline. Increasing the awareness and 
importance of engaged research, the 
Office of Community Engagement, 
the Office of the Vice Chancellor for 
Research and IUPUI’s Community 
Engaged Research Group (CERG) 
hosted IU’s first Community- 
Engaged Research Conference.  

In November 2019, local communi-
ty representatives joined in discus-
sions about engaged research with 
students, staff, faculty, and admin-
istrators from IU’s Northwest, East, 
Bloomington, Columbus and IUPUI 
campuses. Attendees from other 
universities included Ball State and 
the University of Michigan.  

After welcoming remarks by Dr. Jeff 
Zaleski, IU Interim Vice Provost for 

Research, and Dr. Mary Price, the 
Director of Faculty Development in 
the Center for Service and Learning, 
Dr. Karen Amstutz, IU Health Vice 
President of Community Health, 
shared her thoughts about a sys-
tematic approach to furthering 
health access and Adverse Child-
hood Experiences (ACE) as deter-
minants for health. The luncheon 
keynote speaker was Carolyn Sax-
ton, Legacy Foundation President, 
who sparked table conversations 
about funding community  
engagement.    

A panel of community leaders 
prompted dialogue and active 
participation. Patrice Duckett, 
Executive Director of the Fay 
Biccard Glick Neighborhood Cen-
ter, and Sibeko Jywanza, Director 
of Food Justice at Flanner House, 
underscored the importance of 
partnership with the university and 
contrasted a relationship approach 
with communities rather than being 
viewed as a “project.”  

Indiana University’s First 
Community-Engaged  
Research Conference 

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Their perspectives highlighted the need to put a 
community’s concerns at the forefront. Patrice 
and Sibeko both emphasized the importance of 
forming partnerships with the community: “Feel 
like you have a connection before you ever have 
an ask.” For Sibeko, “Relationship building takes 
time, but authenticity is key in true community 
engagement.” Patrice emphasized the importance 
of time investments too, “If you haven’t taken the 
time to look at ‘how do I build this relationship 
before I get this research done,’ you’re coming in 
with an agenda. And people can smell agendas 
from a mile away when they’ve been oppressed for 
so long!”  

Their points suggest the scheduling of an engaged 
research project may change. As Sibeko stated, 
“… in order to truly impact a community, ongoing 
work that is strategically planned out to connect 
teaching, research and other projects and not just 
a one-day activity, is necessary.”  They closed with 
stressing: “A one-day project won’t impact genera-
tions of poverty, but building upon the work being 
done in the community, hearing people’s stories, 
and understanding their perspective can.”  

In four “Ignite” sessions, IU faculty members 
described models of their community-engaged 

work, moderated by Dr. Silvia Bigatti, Professor 
in the Fairbanks School of Public Health, and Dr. 
Brendan Maxcy, Associate Dean for Research in 
the School of Education. 

Director of the IU Southeast Applied Research 
and Education Center Dr. Melissa Fry’s session 
sparked discussions about using local partner-
ships to inform decision-making, advocacy and 
change. And Dr. Armando Soto, Director of Com-
munity Engagement for the IU School of Dentist-
ry, in his session kindled ideas and ways to in-
crease community participation in a school-based 
program while focusing on the issue of informed 
consent. In her session about how community 
non-profit, legal and enforcement partnerships 
reduce recidivism, Carrie Hagan, Director of the 
Civil Practice Clinic at the IU Robert H. McKinney 
School of Law, raised a number of critical points. 
And Ph.D. student Lauren Wendling shared her 
research about the social circles of individuals 
with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Two 
presenters, Wendling and Hagan, are featured in 
this issue of ENGAGE! 

One of the most encouraging and dynamic seg-
ments of the conference was facilitated by Kelsie 
Stringham-Marquis, Research Coordinator at 

Staff, faculty and students from multiple IU campuses 
presented their projects in poster presentations. Photo 
credit: Teresa Francis 

Patrice Duckett, Executive Director of the Fay Biccard 
Glick Neighborhood Center, and Sibeko Jywanza, Di-
rector of Food Justice at Flanner House, spoke during 
a panel discussion facilitated by Richard Bray, IUPUI 
Office of Community Engagement Community Partner-
ships Manager. Photo credit: Annie Goeller 

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the Center for Research on Inclusion and Social 
Policy.  Two doctoral students from the School 
of Education Urban Education Studies program, 
Kevin Hillman and Latosha Rowley, served on a 
panel with Stacia Murphy, a doctoral student in 
American Studies, and Weston Jones, a political 
science and philosophy undergraduate student.  

They engaged the audience in a lively dialogue 
addressing issues of preparation, challeng-
es, and experiences with community-engaged 
research, the types of research and scholarship 
they would like to be involved in through their 
future careers. The students talked about the 
importance of community-based participatory 
research in their professional preparation. They 
also suggested ways the university could better 
incorporate community engagement into their 
studies.  

Weston recognized the value of communi-
ty-based participatory research and the more 
holistic view it gives to a project, but also noted 
that finding social science research opportunities 
as a student in the School of Liberal Arts was 
difficult. Stacia suggested the university develop 

A student panel discussion was led facilitated by Kelsie 
Stringham-Marquis, Research Coordinator at the Center 
for Research on Inclusion and Social Policy. The panel 
included School of Education Urban Education Studies 
program doctoral student Kevin Hillman; Stacia Mur-
phy, a doctoral student in American Studies; School of 
Education Urban Education Studies program doctoral 
student Latosha Rowley; and Weston Jones, a political 
science and philosophy undergraduate student.  Photo 
credit: Annie Goeller 

If you haven’t taken the 
time to look at ‘how do I 

build this relationship before I get 
this research done,’ you’re coming in 

with an agenda. And people can smell 
agendas from a mile away when they’ve 

been oppressed for so long! 

— Patrice Duckett 

curriculum around the idea of building rela-
tionships with communities as part of student 
preparation for engaged research. Kevin noted 
that collaborating with the community should be 
a key focus of the university, as it relates to stu-
dent interests. While Latosha shared her experi-
ence in a community center, where she quickly 
learned how important relationship building is 
particularly as a representative of the universi-
ty. She also noted “how tough navigating those 
relationships can be.” 

Conference attendees also were able to hear about 
specific community-engaged projects being done 
by IU staff and faculty through poster presen-
tations, and strongly recommended hosting the 
conference again, and perhaps even lengthening 
it to more days. 

This conference and its intriguing discussions 
launched what we anticipate will continue — and 
further develop—IU’s commitment to communi-
ty-engaged and community-based participatory 
research. Those who attended the conference 
identified other issues they would like to cover 
in the future, including capacity building, inclu-
sion and equity, identifying funding and work-
ing through challenges. With this positive and 
constructive feedback, we are planning our next 
conference, and look forward to growing this 
unique opportunity to include more members of 
the university and the community.

R E S E A R C H  G R O U P 

75 VO L .  1 ,  I S S U E  2



Conference attendees worked together in group discussions centered on community engagement. 
 Photo credit: Annie Goeller 

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