ENGAGE!  |  i u p u i  5 0 t h  a n n i v e r s a ry  j o u r n a l 2

W
A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

Welcome to the inaugural publication of  
ENGAGE! IUPUI’s first journal dedicated 
to community-engaged and communi-
ty-based participatory research. IUPUI is 
recognized locally, nationally, and interna-
tionally as an urban-serving research and 
health sciences university. This issue is 
dedicated to celebrating the campus’ 50th 
anniversary and recognizing its decades of 
public facing scholarship.  

Community-engaged research (CER) in 
city settings is focused on the processes 
and results of inquiry-focused relationships 
between community partners and represen-
tatives of the university. Guiding principles 
of social justice, mutuality, and reciprocity 
are practiced through dialogue, co-learning, 
and long-term commitments to participation. 
In the urban setting, community-engaged 
research is attentive to the rich diversity of 
cultures and languages as well as poverty and 
wealth; to privilege and marginalization. CER 
practices are equity-driven and intentionally 
change-oriented. This means acknowledging 
issues of power and the critical importance of 
cultural humility.  

The external peer reviewers were delib-
erate in their assessments of submissions 
that were attentive to these issues. Man-
uscripts that demonstrated the central 
involvement of community partners and 
advanced the guiding principles of com-
munity-engaged scholarship were given 
favorable consideration. This resulted 
in the contributing authors for this issue 
making a strong case for community/
university trust building and community 

self-determination. The articles demon-
strate how working together, we can 
better support the well-being of families, 
from the infant to the elder.     

Many thanks are due to Amy Warner, 
IUPUI Vice Chancellor for Community 
Engagement, and Simon Atkinson, our 
Vice Chancellor for Research, who gave the 
editorial team their unwavering commit-
ment and support for carrying the journal’s 
vision forward. Our IUPUI editorial team, 
Drs. Silvia Garcia, Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, 
Jack Turman, and our dedicated graduate 
assistant Kevin Hillman, an IUPUI School 
of Education Urban Education Studies 
doctoral student, dedicated countless hours 
to ensuring that this issue advances the 
importance of CER. The editorial team 
not only conducted preliminary reviews of 
journal submissions but solicited external 
peer reviewers from around the country 
and mentored our Office of Community 
Engagement (OCE) professional staff and 
PhD students, Richard Bray, Myron Duff, 
and Nicole Oglesby. Our national associate 
editors Drs. Sarah Stanlick, Javiette Samu-
el and Tyan Parker Dominguez gave much 
needed guidance and editorial support. 

The online presence of ENGAGE! could 
not be possible without the careful atten-
tion given to its development by Ted Pol-
ley, the IUPUI University Library Social 
Sciences & Digital Publishing Librarian, 
and our incredibly supportive OCE com-
munications colleague, Annie Goeller. 

Enjoy, ENGAGE! and give us feedback at  
engagejo@iupui.edu.

welcome
DR. KHAULA MURTADHA, EDITOR

Associate  
editors 
dr. silvia garcia 
dr. carolyn gentle- 
genitty 
dr. jack turman jr. 
kevin hillman, student 
editor  
dr. sarah stanlick 
dr. javiette samuel 
dr. tyan parker  
dominguez 

Office of  
Community  
Engagement   
professional 
staff editors 
richard bray 

myron duff 

nicole oglesby 

Online journal 
development 
ted polley 

Photography
Artful Spaces/Safe Places  
Photos:  zack peñalva

Three Journeys: One Project  
Photos 1, 3: virtual beth-
el 2016 media arts and 
sciences n441 3d produc-
tion team  
Photo 2: dr. andrea  
copeland 

Speaking Up, Speaking Out: 
annie goeller