Provost’s Council for Engagement
The Provost’s Council for Engagement serves to advance the practice and recognition of our integration of academic scholarship and community engagement. As a faculty-driven initiative, established in 2016, the Provost’s Council advances the scholarship of engagement, including engaged teaching, engaged research and engagement with communities across Colorado and the world.
Bringing Academia to our Communities
The formation of the Council emerged as a recommendation from the university’s 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) Designation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities., a nationally recognized designation we continue to hold. The Council advocates for, supports and recognizes excellence in engaged scholarship across CSU.
In 2019, the Council introduced a “Continuum of Engaged Scholarship” framework to identify the breadth of engaged research, teaching and service activities moving from outreach to co-creation, while offering a model to individual faculty and departments for documenting progress, demonstrating impact and evaluating performance. The Continuum presents the What, Why, and How of Engagement, conducted across the university’s mission areas. Click here to review the Continuum of Engaged Scholarship.
Member Responsibilities
- Serve as Campus Ambassadors and College Champions and identify, promote and grow university/community engagement for the shared benefit of faculty, students and communities.
- Advise University Leadership on opportunities to better encourage, support and reward engaged scholarship.
- Lead Institutional and College-Level Initiatives for transformative and systemic impact.
Provost’s Council for Engagement
Meet the Council
Convened by the Provost and Vice President for Engagement and Extension, the Council consists of a dozen faculty members representing all eight colleges and the Morgan Library who were nominated by their respective deans and supported by ex-officio champions from university leadership.
Faculty
Sonali Diddi | Associate Professor | Design & Merchandising Dept. | College of Health & Human Sciences
Sonali Diddi, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Design & Merchandising Department who’s teaching emphasis entails supply chain management, consumer behavior, retailing, and merchandising.
Dana Gaines | Instructor & Academic Advisor | School of Social Work | College of Health & Human Sciences
Dana Gaines joined CSU in 2011 after receiving her MSW Graduate Degree in 2005, during which time she focused her research on recidivism rates of youth in outpatient drug and alcohol treatment settings and in the child welfare and juvenile court systems.
Barbie Garnett | Park County Director | CSU Extension
Barbie Garnett joined the Colorado State University Extension community the beginning of 2007 as the Jefferson County 4-H Agent and transferred to Park County as the Extension Director in 2017. She received her Masters in Agriculture Extension Education from Colorado State University.
Carrie Havrilla | Assistant Professor | Dept. of Forest & Rangeland Stewardship | Warner College of Natural Resources
Dr. Carrie Havrilla is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship. Her teaching and research focus on understanding complex interactions among organisms, ecological restoration, global change, and society to support the sustainable management of dryland and rangeland ecosystems.
Erik Johnson | Associate Professor | School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
Dr. Erik Johnson is an associate professor of Music Education and coordinator of Instrumental Music Education at Colorado State University where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education and is the director of the CSU Middle School Outreach Ensemble & Trying-on-Teaching programs.
Brian Kailey | Logan County Director | CSU Extension
Brian Kailey is responsible for the Logan County 4-H program in addition to horticulture and natural resource programing areas. Brain holds a B.S in Natural Resource Management and an M.S in Extension Education from CSU.
Katie Knobloch | Associate Professor | Dept. of Communication Studies | College of Liberal Arts
Katie Knobloch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and the Associate Director of the Center for Public Deliberation at Colorado State University. Her teaching, research, and practice focus on public participation and deliberative democracy, particularly on the design and impact of community engagement programs.
Christianne Magee | Associate Professor | Dept. of Biomedical Sciences | College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Magee is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and serves as the assistant department head for DVM Education and Clinical Services. She teaches in the DVM program, serving as course director for Veterinary Physiology, the faculty advisor for the DVM tutoring program, and assists with several other aspects of DVM student success. She is also advisor for the Biomedical Sciences Master of Science Animal Anatomy concentration, oversees all aspects of domestic animal instruction in the undergraduate and graduate programs in Biomedical Sciences, and teaches Applied Food and Fiber Animal Anatomy as well as Domestic Animal Anatomy, Dissection, and Case-Based Learning.
Jennifer Martin | Assistant Professor | Dept. of Animal Sciences | College of Agricultural Sciences
As a Ph.D. and Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, Dr. Jennifer Martin is a passionate educator dedicated to exploring the complex, interwoven, and ever-evolving pathways that influence the production of safe, sustainable, and high quality meat.
Francisco Ortega | Assistant Professor & NUILAB Director | Dept. of Computer Science | College of Natural Sciences
Francisco Ortega is an Assistant Professor at Colorado State University and Director of the natural user interaction lab (NUILAB). Broadly speaking, his research has focused on multimodal and unimodal interaction (gesture-centric), which includes gesture recognition and elicitation (e.g., a form of participatory design). His main research area focuses on improving user interaction by (a) multimodal elicitation, and (b) developing interactive techniques. The primary domains for interaction include immersive analytics, assembly, and collaborative environments using augmented reality headsets.
Rachelle Ramer | Assistant Professor & Librarian | Morgan Library | CSU Libraries
As the liaison librarian to the CSU Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering as well as the departments of Chemistry and Physics, Rachelle Ramer, MLIS, supports their learning, research, and teaching needs.
Kristen Ruegg | Assistant Professor | Dept. of Biology | College of Natural Sciences
Dr. Kristen Ruegg serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology where she co-directs the Bird Genoscape Project, a large multi-institutional effort to harness genomic methods for migratory bird conservation. Kristen also works with students and post-docs to apply genomic tools to address basic and applied evolutionary and ecological questions.
Russ Schumacher | Associate Professor | Dept. of Atmospheric Science | Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering
Russ Schumacher, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the CSU Department of Atmospheric Science and also serves as the Colorado State Climatologist and Director of the Colorado Climate Center.
Gina Slejko | Associate Professor | Marketing Academic Dept. | College of Business
Professor Gina Slejko (f.k.a. Gina S Mohr) holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder (2002) and a PhD in marketing from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder (2009). Gina’s expertise is in consumer behavior and her research efforts focus on topics of consumer wellness, health, nutrition, and sensory marketing. Her research appears in the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Consumer Psychology, Health Psychology, Apptetite, Food Quality and Preference, and has appeared in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, BBC News, The Telegraph, Boston Globe, and NPR.com.
Bill Shuster | Professor | Dept. of Management | College of Business
In addition to his role as a Clinical Professor in the Management Department at CSU, Professor Bill Shuster also works with many corporations to build bridges between the college and business world. This is where he developed his research interest of investigating the correlation of employee engagement and corporate strategy.
Emeritus
Meena Balgopal | Professor of Science Education | Dept. of Biology | College of Natural Sciences
Meena Balgopal, Ph.D., is a Professor of Science Education in CSU’s Department of Biology whose research has focused on how people make meaning of natural science concepts, informing science educators and students in support of better learning outcomes.
Martín Carcasson | Professor | Dept. of Communications Studies | Director of CSU Center for Public Deliberation | College of Liberal Arts
Martín Carcasson, Ph.D., is a professor in the Communication Studies Department of Colorado State University, and the founder and director of the CSU Center for Public Deliberation (CPD).
Martin.Carcasson@colostate.edu
Christine Fruhauf | Professor | Dept. of Human Development & Family Studies | Director of HDFS Extension | College of Health & Human Sciences
Christine Fruhauf, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Director of HDFS Extension, and family gerontology specialist whose research interests lie in multiple aspects associated with aging families.
Franklyn Garry | Professor | Dept. of Clinical Sciences | College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Franklyn Garry, DVM, is a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences for over 30 years. Since 1996, Garry has been the coordinator of the Integrated Livestock Management program, a multidisciplinary graduate studies program that focuses research and training efforts on problems in cow/calf, feedlot and dairy agriculture.
Neil S. Grigg | Professor | Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering | Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering
Neil S. Grigg, Ph.D., is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University who has experience as an educator, researcher, consulting engineer, and public official.
Tobi Jacobi | Professor | Dept. of English | College of Liberal Arts
As a specialist in community literacy studies, Professor Tobi Jacobi, Ph.D., teaches courses in argument, public writing, composition theory, feminist theory and methodology, critical pedagogy, and literacy theory.
Paula Mills | Chief of Staff and Operations | College of Agricultural Sciences
As Chief of Staff and Operations for the College of Agricultural Sciences at CSU, Paula Mills oversees the operational needs of the college while ensuring effective strategy development, implementation, and investment.
Rick Miranda | Chief Academic Officer of CSU System & Professor of Mathematics | College of Natural Sciences
Rick Miranda, Ph.D., joined the CSU faculty in 1982 and has since served several roles, including Chair of the Department of Mathematics, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, Provost and Executive Vice President of the university, and Chief Academic Officer of the CSU System.
Tracy Nelson | Director of the Colorado School of Public Health at CSU | Dept. of Health and Exercise Science | College of Health and Human Sciences
Tracy Nelson, PhD, MPH, is the director of the Colorado School of Public Health at CSU and currently serves as the lead for Epidemiology.
Robin Reid | Professor | Dept. of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability | Director, Center for Collaborative Conservation | Warner College of Natural Resources
In addition to teaching sustainability science and how to transform science so it is a catalyst for social change to sustainability, Robin Reid, Ph.D., also leads and participates in trans-disciplinary teams working on linked social-ecological systems, collaborative research methods, education and engagement in the drylands of East Africa, Mongolia, Colorado, Alaska and elsewhere.
Patricia Rettig | Head Archivist – Water Resources Archive | CSU Libraries
Patricia Rettig is the head archivist in the Water Resources Archive and has built the archive to hold over 100 distinct collections documenting Colorado’s water heritage by engaging with the water community across the state.
George Wittemyer | Associate Professor | Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology | Warner College of Natural Resources
As an Associate Professor in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Dr. George Wittemyer works to develop solutions to biodiversity conservation issues, aimed at ameliorating human impacts to at risk wildlife populations.
Ex Officio
Dr. Kauline Cirpriani | Office of Inclusive Excellence, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence
As the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence, Dr. Kauline Cipriani is committed to promoting a campus environment which recognizes, values, and affirms diversity at Colorado State University. She believes the historical approach campuses have taken to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice needs to be expanded, incentivizing university leadership, faculty and staff to join in and move that work forward.
inclusiveexcellence.colostate.edu
Gwen Gorzelsky | The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT), Executive Director, TILT & Professor, Department of English
As the Executive Director of The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT) and a Professor of English, Gwen Gorzelsky studies writing development and writing instruction, learning transfer, metacognition, and literacy learning, particularly uses of literacy for personal and social change.
Chad Hoseth | Office of International Programs, Director of International Programs
Chad Hoseth is the Director of International Programs at CSU and primarily focuses on managing special partnerships worldwide, hosting visitors, supporting faculty and their global interests, and fostering academic and co-curricular opportunities at CSU.
David Paterson | Office of the Vice President for Research, Assistant Vice President for Research, Translation and Commercialization
Geniphyr Ponce-Pore | Office of Engagement and Extension, Engagement Program Manager
In her role as Engagement Program Manager for the Office of Engagement and Extension, Geniphyr Ponce-Pore, M.S., M.Ed., provides support for the Provost’s Council for Engagement and supports strategic initiatives and projects that advance engagement across the university, including professional development, campus-wide events, and industry and community partnerships.
Wade O. Troxell | Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Wade Troxell is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of intelligent robotics and intelligent control of distributed infrastructure systems. His smart grid research has focused on intelligent systems and the integration of distributed energy resources, including renewable energy and storage, into the electric power grid.
Success Stories
Community Engagement Scholarship Awards
The Distinguished Award
The Distinguished award celebrates a collaboration, project or program with a long-term record of sustained impact, achievement and scholarship.
2020 Recipient: The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)
CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow). By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive website, their aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications. They are now in all fifty states. Learn more about CoCoRaHS here.
The Emerging Award
The Emerging award celebrates a new initiative that has shown potential for long-term impact, achievement and scholarship.
2020 Recipient: Colorado Blueprint for Food and Agriculture
The Colorado Blueprint for Food and Agriculture is an applied research and community engagement process that combines the collaborative efforts of CSU’s College of Agriculture, Extension and Ag Experiment Station, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council, and LiveWell Colorado.
Get In Touch With Provost’s Council for Engagement
Geniphyr Ponce-Pore | Engagement Program Manager, Office of Engagement & Extension