Two Marquette professors and several community partners received awards during the 2019 Community Engagement Symposium, which was held last Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Josh Knox, clinical associate professor of physician assistant studies in the College of Health Sciences, was honored with the Community Engaged Teaching Award, which recognizes the critical value of working alongside community partners to deepen educational opportunities for students, broadening their understanding of the importance of social justice and equity in the Milwaukee community.
Knox received the award for his work with social services organizations Repairers of the Breach and Bread of Healing Inc. medical clinic. Knox has formed strong partnerships with the agencies and has supervised several student-led projects benefiting the organizations.
Dr. Michael Schlappi, professor of biological sciences in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, received the Community Engaged Research Partnership Award, which recognizes a respectful, multi-directional collaboration enhancing knowledge and making a positive difference in the community.
The award highlights Schlappi’s partnership with the Fondy Food Center. The collaboration eventually evolved into another partnership with local Hmong immigrants — who, with rice-growing expertise and planting and harvesting techniques — planted domesticated rice seedlings at the Mequon Nature Preserve.
Stephen Petro, Fondy Food Center farm director and chief operating officer, joined Schlappi in accepting the award.
Aurora Sinai Medical Center earned the Community Partner Award, which recognizes a partner contributing to the academic growth of students, supporting faculty research and advancing institutional goals through substantive partnerships across campus.
The partnership between Aurora Sinai and Marquette has done many things to support the health of students, faculty and the community, such as increasing awareness about health care disparities, the importance of culturally competent care and more. Aurora Sinai is also one of the five major anchor institutions comprising the Near West Side Partners, Inc.
About the Community Engagement Symposium
The Community Engagement Symposium is annual event offering community organizations, faculty, staff and students the chance to network and engage in dialogue about mutually beneficial, bidirectional research and learning opportunities, as well as the necessary tools and resources to support and strengthen partnerships. About 350 people attended this year’s event, which focused on the “Six Pathways to Public Engagement,” defined by Stanford University’s Haas Center for Public Service as efforts that contribute to the public good — direct service, policy and government, social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility, community engaged learning and research, community organizing and activism, and philanthropy.