Nominations open for engaged scholarship awards, workshops
From: Office of Engagement, Outreach and International Affairs
The Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) is seeking nominations for Awards of Excellence in Engaged Scholarship. The awards recognize higher education institutions and their exemplary contributions to scholarship and the practice of engaged scholarship.
The Engagement Scholarship Consortium is made up of about 60 higher education member institutions, including Virginia Tech, that work to build strong university-community partnerships anchored in the rigor of scholarship and designed to help build community capacity.
Award winners will be recognized during ESC’s 2025 annual international conference, “Bridging Resources to Build Stronger Communities,” to be hosted by Virginia Tech and ESC’s East Region institutions on Oct. 8-9 at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. In addition to participation in the Awards and Recognition program, category winners will be invited to share their exemplary program experiences during an Award Recipients Panel presentation.
The 2025 awards will recognize exemplary institutional programs in the following categories:
The consortium is also accepting applications for the Distinguished Dissertation Award. This award will recognize emerging scholars who advance research on community engagement scholarship through rigorous and innovative dissertation inquiry and whose work contributes to the field by having the potential for impact on the study, practice, and policies of community engagement.
Nominations must be submitted by April 4.
Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop
The consortium also offers an intensive Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop designed to provide advanced doctoral students and early career faculty with tools to increase their knowledge and enhance their practice of community-engaged scholarship.
This year’s workshop will take place Oct. 6-7, immediately before the annual conference in Roanoke.
Applicants should be:
- Ph.D. students, Extension and academic staff, or early career faculty members with an interest in community engaged-research.
- Involved in research or scholarly engagement projects that contribute to their discipline while making a positive impact on individuals, organizations, or communities external to college and university campuses.
Visit Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop to learn more and apply. Applications must be submitted by April 11.
Outreach & Engagement Practitioners Network
The Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network (OEPN) is a community of practice for university staff, non-tenure-track faculty, and community partners. These outreach and engagement professionals — or “boundary spanners” — develop and sustain relationships between higher education institutions and community partner organizations by facilitating, managing, directing, and administering ongoing projects, programs, services, and research.
Each year, the OEPN hosts a professional development workshop before the ESC international conference. The workshop offers outreach and engagement practitioners the chance to develop skills and identify ways to advocate strategically for and lead outreach and engagement work. All "boundary spanners" who facilitate community-university partnerships are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Visit the OEPN website for updates about the 2025 preconference session.
To learn more about ESC and the upcoming conference, contact Susan E. Short, associate vice president for engagement in Outreach and International Affairs.